Galveston County Office of Emergency Management

SITUATION REPORT #1

SUBJECT: Santa Fe Train Derailment

DATE AND TIME: Thursday, 2-18-10, 8:45 AM

●  CURRENT SITUATION:

Santa Fe Police Department, Galveston County S.O., Hitchcock PD and area fire departments are responding to a train derailment along Highway 6 in the vicinity of Avenue M and 18th Street. Twenty cars are reported on their side. These include 4-6 cars carrying propane and multiple cars with liquid asphalt.  One asphalt car has leaked product into a ditch; a second car carrying non-toxic flue dust has dumped its load. Highway 6 is shut down in the vicinity of the incident only. Multiple response agencies on scene including TxDOT, TCEQ and representatives of the railroad. Plans are to right the propane-carrying cars first and offload product, but that likely will not occur before Thursday afternoon. HAZMAT is on scene mixing dirt with the spilled asphalt for pick-up.

●  AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS EVENT:  Santa Fe residences and businesses in a quarter-mile radius around the derailment at 18th St. and Avenue M.
● RESPONDING OFFICES/DEPARTMENTS, RESOURCES COMMITTED: SFPD, Hitchcock PD, SFISD Police, Galveston County S.O., Santa Fe Fire & Rescue, Alvin Fire and Rescue, TxDOT, TCEQ, BNSF Railroad.
●  CASUALTIES:  None.
●  DAMAGES:  None reported.
●  EVACUATION:  Initially a one-mile radius; reduced to 18th street neighborhood in vicinity of incident.
●  SHELTER:   Santa Fe Junior High School. Red Cross assessing needs. School remains in session.
●  ROADS CURRENTLY CLOSED/IMPACTED:  Highway 6 between Avenue I and Avenue L.
●  CURRENT UTILITY OUTAGES:  None reported.
●  COMMENTS: GCOEM, currently at Level 3, is monitoring the situation and assisting with public information and phone calls. County officials notified of situation. At this time no other resources have been requested through GCOEM.

  The four (4) levels of EOC activation are:

   Level 1 (Emergency Conditions)
   Level 2 (Escalated Response Conditions)
   Level 3 (Increased Readiness Conditions)
   Level 4 (Normal Conditions)

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