BREAKING NEWS - MASSIVE EXPLOSION AND FIRE - NJ [Actually, Staten Island NY: AM]

ME | 2/21/03 | SELF

[LonePalm]

I just turned and looked out my office window and saw a column of black smoke rising towards Union Beach/Perth Amboy NJ.

I then felt the force of an explosion rattle my window.

[Aggie Mama]

I was cooking dinner at the time and had to stop and see what the heck was on tv. It reminded me of a cult. A very scary, bizzare cult.

[Bahbah]

"Yet another fire!"

Wrapping my beenie in tinfoil - sabotage?

[js1138]

Thanks for the picture. Odd, but it's reassuring.

[Yakima]

From www.1010wins.com:

VERRAZANO NARROWS BRIDGE +LOWER LEVEL CLOSED EXCEPT FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES DUE TO THE REFINERY FIRE+..UPPER REMAINS OPEN BUT IS SUBJECT TO CLOSURE+.

[P.O.E.]

News says the lower level of the Verrazano is closed.

[TBall]

"Go fill up now!" Ever since we went orange, I have been topping off daily.

[HairOfTheDog]

during Valentine's Day there was a small boat floating around the Golden Gate Bridge and the cops were investingating it? The boat just disappeared and nobody knew what happened.

Oh Dear..... Wrong coast. That little Zodiac did not just motor around to Statten Island.

[Hatteras]

"Remember last week during Valentine's Day there was a small boat floating around the Golden Gate Bridge and the cops were investingating it? The boat just disappeared and nobody knew what happened.

Now we may have figured it out!"

What? They through the zodiac over their heads and trekked cross-country to New Jersey? In less than two weeks, even?

[Alberta's Child]

I can see the plume of smoke from Manhattan, and I swear I can see Monica Lewinsky's face in it.

/sarcasm off/

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

I hate all this conspiracy crap. Many of you look like idiots. It was an accidental spark. I enjoy this site but all the conspiracy bullsh*t 24/7 makes you all look like kooks.

Give it awhile and let them get worked up. It's real fun when something happens that they don't know a damn thing about and they start "explaining their BS theories." I have low blood pressure and these threads help keep it normal without medication.

[cgk]

It reminded me of a cult. A very scary, bizzare cult.

It is. The exact definiton of fanatical islam.

[aristeides]

Little boats hit the Cole and the Limbourg.

[jriemer]

The mullah was raving, hysterical. I couldn't believe my eyes.

I agree about the mullah. I thought that he was going to lop his own head off while he was swinging that scimitar around. When the camera panned the crowd, they were all pulling at their shirts, hitting their foreheads, or giving a psuedo- Nazi salute with each Allah-akbar

Watching that footage unnerved me more than when I visited Dachau.

[JustAnAmerican]

"Good grief. They don't have to strike. We give them credit for everything anyway."

Had we been of the mindset most of us are now, 9/11 would probably not have happened. Or do you feel its best to always assume these "Coincidences" are just that? Personally I prefer not to be the proverbial Ostrich.

[Solamente]

Right, and the black cloud is directly overhead of the VNB and me. I'm thinking when the flames drop from 1000 feet, the smoke will drop lower.

[Dog]

There are 3 different fires it looks like from the shots CNN is showing..

[mabelkitty]

Not exactly true. They want us hit economically, and what better way to do it than shut down our oil supply during a slow growth economy?

[steveegg]

Yep. It appears that the barge has sunk and that has taken care of much of the sea fire. The loading facility is still blazing quite furiously.

The Coast Guard has closed the entire area.

[CygnusXI]

-- Several buildings exploding (refinery's, plastics, medical..)

-- Energy/infrastructure places told to be on extra-high awareness.

So. Seeing as those who actually WORK at these places are on edge for TWO reasons listed above, how likely is it that some doofus cause an accident resulting in this MASSIVE..MASSIVE fire/explosion.

Seems to me that these workers would be following safety guidelines to THE FREAKING TEE!!

That's not to absolutely rule out human error, or mechanical failure, but the odds-- to me-- are against that scenario.

[mhking]

From WABC-TV: