Great Molasses Flood
On January 15, 1919, the North End of Boston experienced an odd incident in which 2.3 million gallons of molasses exploded out of a tank and into the city. It knocked out some buildings and even led to a number of deaths. 21 people and 12 horses died. 150 more people were injured as well as several buildings broke down and collapsed to the ground. It is believed that this event was so huge that some of the molasses could me smelled on a hot day.[1] This event definitely had an impact on aftermath planning since a lot of the buildings were damaged. The location of the tank and its cause for exploding must have also undergone investigation and become influential as to the surrounding communities and buildings so that if an event like this were to occur again, hopefully the impact would not be as large or detrimental.
References:
1. Emery, D. (n.d.). The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919. Urban Legends. Retrieved February 16, 2013, from http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/historic
Figure 4. Boston's Great Molasses Flood of 1919 | Mental Floss. (n.d.). Random, Interesting, Amazing Facts - Fun Quizzes and Trivia | Mental Floss. Retrieved March 4, 2013, from http://mentalfloss.com/article/27366/bostons-great-molasses-flood-1919
1. Emery, D. (n.d.). The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919. Urban Legends. Retrieved February 16, 2013, from http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/historic
Figure 4. Boston's Great Molasses Flood of 1919 | Mental Floss. (n.d.). Random, Interesting, Amazing Facts - Fun Quizzes and Trivia | Mental Floss. Retrieved March 4, 2013, from http://mentalfloss.com/article/27366/bostons-great-molasses-flood-1919