house explosion

SlamDunk

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/27/us/pottstown-house-explosion.html

In_New_England

From some sleuthing on google maps and realtor sites, looks like 455 Hale had electric heating, but 453 Hale had gas and was sold recently "AS IS".

ABC6 says neighbors smelled gas, and that there was a propane tank on site that was not destroyed. Not confirmed if there were gas lines.

An explosion this big, would it mean the gas had been leaking for some time and had saturated the basement? Set off by a spark when someone switched on a light to go in?

mattmia2

Propane is heavier than air so it tends to collect in a structure and find a pilot or other ignition source. Natural gas/methane is lighter than air so it tends to rise out of the building through gaps in the structure with smaller leaks.

MaxMercy

Wow, that was a significant event.

HomerJSmith

Kinda puts a damper on your day.

EdTheHeaterMan

Before and after

MaxMercy

ron said:

meth is explosive

https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/pa/pottstown/crime

https://www.areavibes.com/pottstown-pa/crime/

Huh - that never occurred to me it could have been a meth "lab" explosion. Interesting to see the follow up.

MaxMercy

ron said:

...with the hard timesover the last couple years (i won't mention why) that kind of industry is only going to get bigger and there are those people who will do whatever they can to get by.

It's scary. I heard an economist on the radio yesterday saying things are really going to start getting worse by end of the year. I fear for the people who are living paycheck to paycheck.

SlamDunk

Jamie Dimon, head of JPMorgan, says: Brace yourself- there is an economic hurricane on the horizon.

I know how to brace for a meteorological hurricane but I have no idea how to brace for an economic one.