The Galveston County Daily News

Today is the anniversary of the largest industrial disaster in the nation’s history. The disaster happened April 16, 1947, in the Port of Texas City.

A French ship, the Grandcamp, was being loaded with ammonium nitrate on the waterfront. A fire broke out and the ship exploded.

As firefighters tried to bring the fire under control, another ship, the High Flyer, exploded nearby. The blasts were felt in Galveston, houses near the port were shaken off their foundations and some 600 people died.

Such tragedies can define a community.

The stories you hear about the Texas City Disaster are of people pitching in to help their neighbors. You hear stories of people enduring loss courageously and bearing up under unimaginable hardship.

When the fires were put out, most people stayed. They rebuilt their homes and town.

The annual observance honors that legacy. It’s worth noting the legacy is being passed on to a new generation.

The year before last marked the 60th anniversary of the disaster. By then, it was hard to miss the fact, when the survivors gathered for an annual photo, their numbers were dwindling.

Last year, you could see family members of the survivors in the annual photo. The stories of the disaster were being passed from one generation to the next.

This year, family support was strong again and more than 200 people showed up for the photo. But some survivor regulars were missing from the reunion because they’d been displaced by Hurricane Ike and haven’t yet managed to return to their homes in the county.

We hope you’ll set aside a moment today to remember those lost that day in 1947, to pay tribute to those who had the resolve to rebuild their lives and the city, and to pray for a safe return home for those unable to join this year’s reunion.

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WHAT: Texas City Disaster Memorial

WHEN: 9 a.m. today

WHERE: Memorial Park, Loop 197 and 29th Street