HOUSTON — It was standing room only at a town hall meeting just blocks from last Friday’s explosion. Wednesday night was a chance for homeowners to get answers.
In the crowded gym of a northwest side church, at times it was hard to hear. But by a simple show of hands, you can see almost the entire room was directly affected by the explosion.
New aerials from Air 11 show the blast site at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing, where two workers were killed and the investigation into the cause is still ongoing.
“This is crazy, this is crazy,” said Theresa Dillard, a homeowner who can't even live in her house. “A lot of cracks, broken glass, water main busted.”
She’s not alone. We meet homeowners forced out by the blast and others who are still at home but without walls and windows.
“I knew the company was there, I didn’t know they had those kinds of explosives," said Robert Ojeda, another homeowner.
Residents said the frustration at this meeting was there were more introductions than answers. But District A Council Member Amy Peck said she’s working to get people connected with resources that can help.
“I think there’s a lot we can do at the city level and the state and federal level to at least understand what these warehouses are storing," she said.
Dillard’s family is homeless and wondering how long it will take or if life will ever be the same.
“You hear about it but until you go through it yourself, you just...you can’t imagine," Dillard said.
Multiple families have joined a class action lawsuit against Watson Grinding and Manufacturing. 450 structures have some kind of damage. The simplest way for people to get help is to call 311.
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