Orange County community members react to evacuation uncertainties caused by a toxic chemical leak
Thousands of people in Orange County are once again being told to leave their homes after a chemical leak from an aerospace facility first prompted evacuation orders overnight. With five shelters now active, most of which have reached capacity, many are left wondering what to do.
For the second time in less than 24 hours, families in Garden Grove and nearby neighborhoods were forced to pack up and leave with their pets, essential paperwork, and medication, with no answers to when they can return home.
"We know that what we're breathing in is toxic. I can smell it," one evacuee said while wearing a face mask. "It reminds me of the burn pits in Iraq, the smell. It's just ridiculous that we have to sit here, not knowing."
There were three evacuation centers for communities affected by the incident at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, with the latest number of evacuees on Friday reaching 40,000. Officials said air monitoring is ongoing, and that there are no air particulates "compromising anybody."
At the Garden Grove Sports & Recreation Center evacuation site, evacuees were concerned about possible exposure to the chemical fumes and wanted clearer information from officials.
The compromised leaking tank contains a chemical called methyl methacrylate, a flammable plastic epoxy.
Health experts say it is a respiratory irritant and potential exposure could lead to lung, skin and eye irritation, nausea and dizziness. The chemical is heavier than air, so its vapor would settle and sink.
The OCFA said crews initially made progress toward removing the chemical product but determined Friday morning that the "tank that is in the biggest crisis is in fact unable to be secured and mitigated." This led to the reissuance of evacuation orders on Friday.
Residents say the back-and-forth orders have left many confused, exhausted and worried about their safety. On top of that, the evacuation centers in both Garden Grove and Cypress had both filled, leaving thousands to hit the road again and search for another option.
"It's been chaos, just dealing with everybody coming and going and nobody knows anything," said Jacqueline Riegos, who evacuated from Stanton. "No one can really give us any details as to what is going on, and we don't know how long this is going to be."
Officials say it's an unprecedented event, with a county hazmat team calling on experts throughout the state and country to help search for solutions to depressurize the affected tank and mitigate exposure.
Some evacuees, like Diane Chavira grabbed only the essentials before heading out once again.
"I was sleeping in my house until this morning, they told us we had to leave," she said.
She gathered her four dogs and left, but was disappointed to find the evacuation center at Stanton City Hall and the community center closed.
"I'm just tired. I had a hip replaced a year ago, and it's very hard. You know, because I have no transportation," she said, noting that she can't bike all the way to Garden Grove.
Now she, and other evacuees, are wondering where they will stay and how long they will be away from home.
A second evacuation center is at the Cypress Community Center, 5700 Orange Ave., in Cypress. Later in the day, a third and fourth option were made available in Anaheim, at Savannah High School on N. Gilbert Street, and Fountain Valley at the Mountain Square Regional Park-Freedom Hall on Euclid Street.
Late Friday night, after the Fountain Valley evacuation shelter reached capacity, Orange County officials announced that a fifth shelter was being made available to residents at John F. Kennedy High School at 8281 Walker Street in La Palma.
OCFA officials estimated that despite the orders to evacuate from their homes, 15% of residents opted to stay back.
Safety information
City of Garden Grove 24-hour call center (714) 741- 5444, or visit: ggcity.org/emergency
Orange County public information hotline (714) 628-7085.
