Making the Best of a Bad Situation

The Chemical Spill  yesterday still continues to plaque us here in Kanawha Valley. Some fresh water has arrived but there’s still not enough for everyone. A few of our neighbors have simply “left” their homes and will stay with friends or relatives until city water is again deemed safe for human use. We were not able to find water today although we went to three different places which were broadcast on the local radio station.

The remaining quantity of the 30,000 gallon leaking tank has been moved to a safe location and the soil around the tank is being trucked to another location. Best estimates of the quantity of the leakage have been placed at around 5,000 gallons.

“Up to 300,000 West Virginia residents were told not to drink tap water on Friday after a chemical spill called its safety into question, and health officials said water in the affected area should only be used for flushing toilets and fighting fires.”

The N8ZYA households biggest concern is water for our pets and our personal hygiene. The concentrations of the chemical in the water supply is still much to high to risk drinking, bathing, or even washing dishes. This chemical has been erroneously picked up and pumped into nine different counties. All schools and day care centers are closed and all restaurants are closed. The economic consequences of this disaster will be enormous.

I’ve not heard any calls for communications from the Ham radio community but I have everything prepared should the call go out.

My neighbor invited us, and about a dozen friends, to dinner this evening. We had soup, which was made before the chemical leak, along with a salad, and lots of wine. We gave an elderly lady on our street a couple bottles of our water.

John Smithson, Jr., N8ZYA, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from West Virginia, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

2 Responses to “Making the Best of a Bad Situation”

  • Larry Faehling KL7IBV:

    The “lots of wine” part would make me feel a little better about things. 😀

  • K4TOJ - Tom:

    Sounds like you are making the best of it. I, for one, would have to send my family out of town until it was over given I have two young children. Good luck, I hope they resolve it soon.

    73,
    Tom

Leave a Comment

Subscribe FREE to AmateurRadio.com's
Amateur Radio Newsletter
News, Opinion, Giveaways & More!

E-mail 
Join over 7,000 subscribers!
We never share your e-mail address.



Also available via RSS feed, Twitter, and Facebook.


Subscribe FREE to AmateurRadio.com's
Amateur Radio Newsletter

 
We never share your e-mail address.


Do you like to write?
Interesting project to share?
Helpful tips and ideas for other hams?

Submit an article and we will review it for publication on AmateurRadio.com!

Have a ham radio product or service?
Consider advertising on our site.

Are you a reporter covering ham radio?
Find ham radio experts for your story.

How to Set Up a Ham Radio Blog
Get started in less than 15 minutes!


  • Matt W1MST, Managing Editor




Sign up for our free
Amateur Radio Newsletter

Enter your e-mail address:

Â