Freight train cars derail in Gregory on Monday, spurring road closures and evacuation

Multiple freight train cars fell off a Texas railroad track on Monday afternoon in Gregory, resulting in the closure of several roads and an emergency evacuation in the immediate area.

Gregory police were notified at about 12:20 p.m. Monday of four train cargo tankers that derailed on State Highway Spur 202 near the U.S. Highway 181 access road, according to a written statement provided by Gregory Police Department Chief Baudencio "Buddy" Cardenas.

Each of the four railcars contained 90 tons of vinyl chloride, according to a news release issued by the City of Corpus Christi on Monday night. The train was traveling slowly when four cars tipped off the rails. No injuries or leaks were reported.

The materials originated from OxyChem and were being transported by Union Pacific, Cardenas added.

Robin Tysver, a spokesperson for the freight train company, which hauls mixed commodities by rail system across Texas, said the cause of the derailment is still under investigation.

The company received notice from the train operating crew at about 12:30 p.m. central time that about six Union Pacific railcars derailed in Gregory, she said.

In response, Union Pacific maintenance, hazardous materials crews and railroad investigators arrived to work on restoring the railway system and safely unload the product from the cars.

There was no threat to life or the environment, Tysver noted.

"There will be an investigation and a cause determined that could take weeks or months," she said. "We will file a report with the Federal Railroad Administration and will be looking at all factors."

Following the derailment, Spur 202, Farm to Market 2986 and the immediate area was blocked off within a 300-foot radius, Cardenas said.

Later, a half-mile radius was blocked, and Highway 181 from Sunset Road to Farm-to-Market Road 2986 was shut down in preparation for crews to remove the cargo from the road, he said. Traffic was rerouted to County Road 3667 and County Road 1612.

Immediate and continued air quality testing was conducted, with zero detected, Cardenas said. Police said there was no report of leaks or damage to cargo.

Other Texas agencies also responded to the incident, including the Gregory Volunteer Fire Department, the San Patricio County Office of Emergency Management, the Texas Department of Transportation, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, San Patricio CLO and Bee CLO.

The mayor of the City of Gregory, Estella Boyce, ordered an emergency evacuation as a precautionary measure for the safety of the residents living within a half-mile of the incident, Cardenas said. Accommodations were made with the American Red Cross for the placement of any residents who had to evacuate.

Initial evacuations included 19 people from one residence and one business, the City of Corpus Christi news release said.

According to a post that was shared on the Volunteer Fire Department's Facebook page, the mandatory evacuation included the Havens and Glades Apartments and the 600 blocks of 3rd, 2nd, Mission, Franklin and North streets to ready the area for a HAZMAT investigation. A shelter was set up at First Baptist Portland church and at the Gregory Housing Authority for residents needing shelter, it said.

All cargo was placed upright and back on the track with no damage at about 2 a.m., Cardenas said, with all roads reopened and the evacuation lifted.

The City of Corpus Christi Office of Emergency Management will continue to monitor the situation, the City's news release said.

This is an ongoing investigation. Additional details will be reported.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Freight train cars derail in Gregory on Monday, spurring road closures and evacuation