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The smell of gasoline

Posted: Monday, September 01, 2008 10:44 AM
Filed Under:

By Mike Brunker and Jim Seida, msnbc.com

Chasing reports of runaway barges or Navy ships, we drove north to the Florida Avenue Bridge over the Industrial Canal.


The lift bridge was in the up position, so we couldn’t get an elevated view of this section of the canal. From our vantage point on Harbor Road, peering over the concrete floodwall, there was no sign of the vessels.

The only sign of a possible accident in the area was the strong smell of gasoline and the rainbow sheen of oil visible on the surface of the water in spots where it pooled after overtopping the floodwall.

A worker at what appeared to be a utility plant adjacent to the road pantomimed over the roar of the storm that he knew nothing about any runaway vessels. At least that’s what I think he was saying.

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Hey Guys,

Great footage.  Were there cracks in the wall?  It looks like several fountain spouts coming through about mid point.  I heard about the Army Corps of Engineers equalizing the canal to marsh flow.

Can you hear me now?

MichaelinSantaBarbara (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 7:09 PM)



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