By Anna Hrybyk, Program Manager at Louisiana Bucket Brigade. Posted June 4, 2014
An EF-1 tornado, about 150 yards wide with maximum winds estimated near 105 mph, hit Garyville about 5:30 a.m [on Wednesday, May 28, 2014], the National Weather Service said. The tornado damaged the cooling towers at the Marathon Refinery in Garyville that led to the complete shutdown of the crude unit.
Residents reported heavy flaring across the plant and stated there was “a raunchy smell like diesel gasoline” in the neighborhood. Click here for a resident-captured video uploaded to iwitnesspollution.org the morning of May 28th.