A fire at 12:15pm at a Mont Belvieu refinery produced a long plume of smoke. Our Doppler radar picked up the smoke plume as it drifted across three counties including far East Harris. A shelter in place was ordered for theBarbers Hill elementary school shortly after the fire. Fortunately because this was a natural gas fire and the winds where strong enough, no shelter in place was required for residents.
Our Weatherbug network was indicating southeast winds from 10 - 15mph with wind gust of 20mph at Anawuac Elementary. There was just enough wind to help break up the plume as it drifted all the way to Porter, Texasin southeast Montgomery county. Thetiming, on thelunch hourand wind intensityhelped to lessen the impact of the explosion and smoke.
