My theme for my 2015 A to Z Challenge came from my
Disaster Crimes series. Disasters are a theme in each story, so it got me
thinking about all the disasters that occur from natural disasters to manmade
disasters.
Today’s
disaster is...
GAS
EXPLOSIONS
GAS
EXPLOSIONS are the
result of gas leaks in close proximity to ignition sources. Gases like
natural gas, methane, propane, and butane are commonly used to heat houses and
buildings, which increases the risk of leaks and explosions.
Gas explosions can also happen in mines and even sewer
systems. Basically anywhere that gas pipelines are located.
FACT: The
deadliest railway accident in Russian and Soviet history happened when a
leaking natural gas pipeline exploded from the sparks created by two passenger
trains passing each other. 575 people were killed and over 800 were injured.
In September 2014, a series of underground gas explosions
tore apart a main road in Taiwan. The explosions were so powerful that vehicles
and people launched into the air. A car was found on the roof of a three-story
building, and two people were blown to the roof of a four-story building.
Disaster
Crimes Tidbit: Earthquakes can cause damage to gas
pipelines, resulting in leaks...so of course there’s a gas explosion in my
sequel to Hurricane Crimes and it’s a thrilling scene involving one of
my characters, but I’m not going to reveal whether it’s Beth or Donovan in that
blast. Sorry!
Disasters:
A: Avalanche
C: Cyclone
 |
| I'm a member of Tremp's Troops! |
We don't have gas where I live thank goodness, It must be awful to be involved in one.. Well written with pictures to match.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Fire is one of my fears, so the thought of this is equally frightening.
DeleteA Gas Explosion is the disaster that scares me the most so far.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's because it's not a natural disaster, but a manmade one?
DeleteWhat horrible tragedies. :( Our town will soon be installing underground pipeline for natural gas. It kind of freaks me out. #sighs...
ReplyDeleteUnderground pipelines are ideal for many reasons, but after writing this post...I can understand why it freaks you out.
DeleteGas in general is scary.
ReplyDeleteI used to work at a nursing facility; the parent company owned several. When our CEO and his wife went on vacation, her mom stayed with the children. They returned to find that all had perished from some kind of problem with the heating that filled the house with carbon dioxide.
The renamed one of the facilitys as a "memorial" and I always thought it was the saddest thing in the world.
It is.
DeleteOh my goodness! That is terribly sad! :(
Yeah, those explosions can be downright frightening! Especially since they can happen almost anywhere or at anytime! I remember one happened underneath an old church close to where we used to live in Wisconsin.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. So far, it sounds like everyone is mostly scared of this disaster...one that is not caused by nature.
DeleteGas explosions are especially freaky, just like everything else we can't control!
ReplyDeleteThey are. Anything can go wrong with a pipeline or gas tank, etc.
DeleteI feel like there was one on the outskirts of town a couple years back. We could hear it from where we were..
ReplyDeleteJust hearing one is pretty scary.
DeleteI haven't had any direct experience with this disaster and I'm crossing my fingers that I never do. This one is terrifying.
ReplyDeleteI'm crossing my fingers for the both of us that we never do.
DeleteMe either, thank goodness. Scary.
DeleteYeah, this one scares me. So many of the other disasters feel somehow farther away, but NOT this guy. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteThis one seems to scare a lot more people.
DeleteGas explosions = NOT FUN!
ReplyDeleteThey sure can be super deadly.
They sure can be.
DeleteI was watching a news clip of a tornado in Oklahoma. It looked like it caused a few gas explosions, which seemed to do more damage than the tornado itself!
ReplyDeleteTornadoes do damage in one specific area, but an explosion could cause damage for miles if it's a really big one.
DeleteI have a healthy respect for fire; having lost a home to one. Since fires seem to almost always accompany explosions I'm one of those who runs first, asks questions later!
ReplyDeleteSo do I. I almost lost my childhood home to a brush fire started by an arson.
DeleteYikes I agree with others, this is the scariest one yet. Wow how scary.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting. I might have to do a poll at the end of this challenge.
DeleteWhen I think about gas explosions, I'm reminded of the amazingly true story of every member of a church choir being away from the disaster in 1950. It would seem like an urban legend, but it's not:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.snopes.com/luck/choir.asp
Wow! I'll have to read about that. Thanks for the link, Carrie-Anne!
DeleteIt's frightening to think of how many gas lines run under our cities. I hope they have excellent maintenance!
ReplyDeleteI hope they do too!
DeleteIn my writer's mind, I see these explosions on the news and I wonder...did someone just off a mole and call it an accidental explosion? Yep, the writer sees a conspiracy behind every report.
ReplyDeleteI would probably think the same thing. ;)
DeleteJust the other day a house blew up about ten miles away from my home, due to gas line. We felt the impact and heard the explosion all the way at my house. It felt like someone drove into our house with a tractor trailer. I can not even imagine being close to where it really happened!! It was super scary.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! That's scary. Especially when it happens so close.
DeleteThose two gas explosions sound terrible - such devastation. We do seem to be able to create unfortunate situations that result in very big bangs, don't we.
ReplyDeleteTasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
We sure do.
DeleteI can only imagine how that must be like. We had a terrible one in northern CA a few years ago. It blew up so many homes. There's still litigation going on with PG&E.
ReplyDeleteThat's terrible.
DeleteYikes! That's definitely a scary disaster.
ReplyDeleteI second that.
DeleteAnother freaky disaster risk. I think it's the fact that they're unpredictable and no one can really plan for a gas explosion, that makes it even scarier. I'm very curious about what happens in Hurricane Crimes. Nice suspense, Chrys!
ReplyDeleteI agree. Oh, the gas explosion happens in the sequel. It's an exciting scene.
DeleteThe Russian railway disaster is typical of a real freak accident.
ReplyDeleteThe unpredictability of a gas explosion is extra scary. At least you have ample warning before the avalanche, blizzard, cyclone, drought & earthquake hits!
Well, earthquakes can't be predicted. An an avalanche can happen suddenly too. But yes, the gas explosion is the one that can happen anytime, anywhere.
DeleteI think I was thinking along the line of tremors/rumbles before a big quake... isn't there some sort of warning sign?
DeleteOh, I understand now. Sometimes you might feel a little tremble just before the real= quake hits in full force. But it's usually only long enough for you to say, "What was that?"
DeleteThat had a leaky gas line here a few months back a evacuated everyone. Thankfully nothing went boom
ReplyDeleteThat's good. We don't want anything to go boom.
DeleteExplosions! Now we're talking!
ReplyDeleteOn the serious side though, I have a friend who lives in Mexico. She was actually just caught in an explosion caused by a gas leak in her house. I don't know how explody the explosion actually was, but she called it an explosion. She's got no eyebrows as proof, so I don't know how that actually works.
Haha! I should have known that the guys would like the explosions. ;)
DeleteOh no! I hope she's okay!
Well, she's okay but she has to look for a new place because she can't stay there. She also said she singed 20% of her hair. How she came up with that number is beyond me. She's in good spirits, so things seem to be fine for now. Just very exciting there for a bit.
DeleteI'm glad she's okay, but I'm sorry that she has to find a new place. Maybe the doctors/medics she saw gave her those numbers. It's very good that her spirits are high. After something like this, most other people would be depressed and devastated. I hope everything turns out well for her.
DeleteWe had a threat of a gas explosion at the end of our street not that long ago. A company had improperly stored diesel fuel, which led to several explosions, and firemen evacuated us. I had to convince my bf to leave, as he was convinced nothing would happen. As it turned out, he was right, but it was very scary.
ReplyDeleteThe fireman told us our entire street could have been wiped out by a fireball. Good times!
Improperly stored diesel fuel? Morons! Gosh, that could've turned out to be real devastation. Glad everything turned out okay!
DeleteExplosions are scary because of the damage they can do, especially to the human body. There's both blunt force trauma and burns.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about that. The injuries are limitless.
DeleteOnly gas explosions I've seen have been hubby making them in GTA games.
ReplyDelete~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Member of C. Lee's Muffin Commando Squad
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
And I hope those are the only ones you ever see.
DeleteSometimes man made disasters can be even scarier than natural ones!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Nilanjana
I agree, Nilanjana.
DeleteI've never been around a big gas explosion. But there sure have been some big ones over the years.
ReplyDeleteThere have. I see them on the news all the time.
DeleteYikes! On the roof of a third story building?!? Now I know why earthquake-laden California makes us install gas shut-off valves.
ReplyDeleteScribbles From Jenn - Visiting from the A to Z Challenge
Smart. Very smart.
DeleteHi Chrys .. the thought of a gas explosion after some other disaster makes me cringe with horror... not something I want to experience ..
ReplyDeleteCheers Hilary
I hope you never do, Hilary.
DeleteNow that is scary. I've only seen news stories about gas explosions but never experienced one.
ReplyDeleteSame here, Lidy. I hope I never do experience one.
DeleteSeems like there are gas explosions a lot. Makes me glad I live way out in the country.
ReplyDeleteThat's good!
DeleteBoy, gas explosions are scary. I'm glad I've never seen one.
ReplyDeleteNeither have I.
DeleteVery dangerous.
ReplyDeleteYou can say that again!
DeleteA massive gas explosion after an earthquake terrifies me, since we have the New Madrid Faultlline just south of us. That would be horrible. And yes, I'm one of the paranoid neighbors who sniffs for gas whenever I go outside.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd be paranoid too.
DeleteGas explosions are scary. I lived in a house once where one of the guys also living there came inside, took off the cap of the gas tank of his chain saw near the furnace and caused a small explosion of fire. The furnace was drawn to the fumes of the gasoline and he was several feet away. I know this is a different type of gas, but still. . .
ReplyDeleteGas explosions are still gas explosions and still scary.
DeleteThat's a scary one. And gas leaks seem to always be the cover stories when other otherworldly problems arise...
ReplyDeleteThey do seem to go hand in hand...
DeleteThere have been some pretty dramatic gas explosions recently. Smart of you to point out that they often fall on the heels of earthquakes. Nice tidbit about your book, too!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Shell!
DeleteYou don't have to have a gas line to have a gas explosion in a mine (or in other such places that gas is naturally generated). Natural gas is odorless so you don't even smell it--they put the sulfur smell into the gas so people will be aware of a leak.
ReplyDeleteThat's true. I was just reporting what I learned in my research. :)
DeleteHow unfortunate about the train accident. What are the chances that that would happen?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure the chances of that happening. Or happening again. Hopefully it never does.
DeleteNow those are disasters! Incredible a car could be thrown that high and that far.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
DeleteHi Chrys,
ReplyDeleteYet another terrifying post.
Well created, Keep writing
Thanks for dropping by.
Best Regards
~ Philip Ariel
Thank you, Philip.
DeleteI have to admit when hubby is getting gas for the car, I wonder if things will explode.
ReplyDeletebetty
Oh dear! There have been explosions at gas stations...
DeleteOkay - skipping past to the comment section. I have gas heat and cooking, so this is a bit too scary and close to home. Ooh!
ReplyDeleteUh oh! Sorry about that, Dixie.
DeleteYikes! We have a gas hob that you have to light a match to spark up - every time I do that I worry it could explode. This is definitely one of the scarier disasters.
ReplyDeleteWhen I visited my dad in Michigan, he had the same thing and I was afraid of an explosion too.
DeleteWow. Terrible! It's such a frightening thing!
ReplyDeleteIt is.
DeleteI've had patients involved in gas explosions in their homes and it is usually deadly as fire is always involved. Most times, they are trying to light up the gas cookeR, not knowing there's been a leak. Sad part, they rarely survive, the dehydration is was kills many of them.
ReplyDeleteThe injuries caused my explosions of horrific. It is terrible and heart wrenching.
DeleteWhen they built the subway in LA they had to be careful around the La Brea tar pits. The sulfur gas underground was extremely dangerous. Now certain parts of the subway smell like rotton eggs ;)
ReplyDeleteYou can find me here:
ClarabelleRant
Ew! And no one likes the smell of rotten eggs.
DeleteI have heard of gas explosions being more common in India where carelessness sometimes leads accidents even at home :(
ReplyDeleteThat's very unfortunate. :(
DeleteScary! Yikes!
ReplyDeleteYou can say that again!
DeleteMy hubby worked in the oil fields for 23 years and they had to be very careful about this. I guess the biggest explosion was in Halifax in 1917 when 2 ships collided. One did have munitions on board so maybe it doesn't count but it was stronger than the H bomb
ReplyDeleteStronger than the H bomb? Holy cow! That's intense.
DeleteFrightening stuff- thankfully nothing I've ever encountered.
ReplyDeleteThat's good.
Delete