My brother got evacuated.

[Bopeye]

He wanted to come stay with me........I said  to him, but  to his family.

This wreck actually took place between where Coyotehunter 1 lives and my brother. Wild fun it looked like. 

Here's the story and a comment.

Hazardous wreck shuts down I-40 in Cumberland County

Posted: July 12, 2008 05:04 PM CDT

Updated: July 13, 2008 02:06 PM CDT

Video Gallery <1>

Wreck shuts down I-40 in Cumberland County
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This photo submitted by a viewer shows the tanker truck that wrecked and spilled hazardous material.



Several hours after the wreck, traffic was still crawling as it was diverted to an alternate route.

WATE Blogs

CROSSVILLE (WATE) -- Crews are unloading the titanium tetrachloride into a special tanker truck designed specifically for containing hazardous materials.

The truck arrived from New Jersey around 7 A.M. Sunday to help clean up a hazardous mess along I-40 near Rockwood. 

The mess was caused by an accident involving two tanker trucks and three cars Saturday. 

Over 155 homes and businesses have been evacuated because of the spill.  Several families are currently being housed in various temporary shelters around Cumberland County.

The clean-up process is expected to take several hours.  Hazmat crews will have to essentially vacuum up the excess substance and get it all contained back inside of the second tanker.

TDOT officials tell Six News that they hope to have I-40 reopened by 6 pm E.S.T.

Officials with the Cumberland County Sherriff's Department and the Cumberland County Emergency Management Association were forced to hold off on any clean up efforts overnight until the second tanker arrived. 

Lt. Brian Lawson with the Tennessee Highway Patrol says both tankers are from the same company, which processes and disposes of toxic and hazardous waste. 

The trucks are specially designed with two layers to protect such substances.  Each has two layers; the first filled with nitrogen, which is designed to control the temperature of whatever is held inside the second layer. 

Lawson tells Six News, the outer layer on the first tanker actually ruptured during the accident.  As a result, crews were forced to maintain the tanker's temperature overnight.  At one point, the tanker reached 95 degrees, 15 degrees above its threshold.  If the Titanium Tetrachloride overheats, it could combust.

Three other vehicles were involved in the wreck. Nine people were transported to area hospitals with injuries. None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening, Howard said.

An evacuation order was issued around 10:00 PM Saturday as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of residents.

Twenty-nine residents stayed at shelters run by the Red Cross overnight. Two shelters remained open on Sunday.   

Designated evacuation shelters will be located at the following locations in Crossville:

            1.         First Baptist Church on Peavine Road

            2.         Church of the Latter Day Saints on 320 Genesis Road

Lt. Brian Lawson with Tennessee Highway Patrol says the interstate could be shut down well into the day Sunday. 

In the meantime, Lawson says drivers traveling on I-40 should expect long delays, even as much as a 1 1/2 hours. 

In the meantime, traffic is being rerouted from I-40 West onto 75 South toward Chattanooga.  From there, drivers should take I-24 to Nashville.

Traffic from I-40 East will be moved at mile marker 288 onto Highway 111. 

The tanker was hauling titanium tetrachloride, a flammable corrosive and a toxic inhalation and absorption hazard, according to Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokesman Jeremy Heidt.

The load was being hauled from New Jersey to Arkansas, THP spokeswoman Laura McPherson said.

A 1500-foot perimeter has been set up around the wreck.


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Chopper said:
Sunday, July 13, 2008With over 30 years in law enforcement I have never seen a more screwed up handeling of a critical incident then the tanker accident on I-40. Only by the grace of God were there not hundreds of deaths. Between 12:30 am and 3:00 am hundreds of motorist were left stranded in their vehicles, at a complete stop, on HYW 70 between exits 329 and 338. NO law enforcement officers were seen for hours until several showed up in a panic mode. Seems we were all in the "kill zone" if the tanker blew! I hope the after action report will be published on this incident to see how everyone tries to cover themselves. Remember, you get what you pay for. The pay that law enforcement officers receive in TN is criminal. What is the life of your child, your mother, your friend worth???

[FinsnFur]

Who the heck is chopper?

[coyotehunter_1]

Bad stuff that titanium tetrachloride. The news said that if any of the chemical leaked and came in contact with water (rain) it would turn into Hydrochloric acid vapor. The wreck site was one of the few places where it did not rain today.  We are not in the danger zone but very alert of the situation. I hope all goes well with the transfer. This brings back bad memories. A few years ago we had another tanker wreck (this one did rupture, spilling Bromine). I-40, east and west, had to be shut down for two days. The town of Rockwood, where I lived along with another 6,000 residents, and the surrounding ten mile area (2500-3000 more people) was evacuated. At the time, my wife was director of the X-Ray department at the Rockwood hospital where HAZMAT had set up a command post. The hospital was the last to be evicted, only needed personnel remained. I was working out of town that day, they would not let me into the area even though I was a member of the Civil Defense and Sheriff's department, no one was allowed in. While my wife and friends were in possible danger, all I could do was help with roadblocks. 

I feel for those people working the wreck and those that had to leave their homes and animals behind.