An urban disaster, five years later

[gabosaurus]

Five years ago Wednesday (Aug. 1, 2007), a bridge spanning the Mississippi River on I-35 in Minneapolis collapsed during rush hour traffic, killing 12 people and injuring many more. It was caused by structural failure.
This is a disaster that hit close to me, since a member of my family (the husband of my husband's older sister) works for the state of Minnesota as a structural inspector and engineer. He was one of the people that had to go to the scene and figure out what happened.
My sister in law said that he saw so many gruesome things, heard so many complaints and got so many threats (against him and his family) that he came close to a breakdown. He eventually recovered after a year of intense therapy.
He still works at the same occupation, only now as a supervisor. I am guessing that the five-year memorial ceremony on Wednesday will not be easy for him.

I sent my daughter to Minneapolis today. It will be a chance to spend some time with her cousins and also take in some history at the same time.

More info here:
http://www.startribune.com/local/12166286.html

[jimnyc]

I remember when that happened vividly. I couldn't even imagine what would run through ones mind if the bridge they were on started to collapse. The footage is incredible.

[gabosaurus]

I remember when that happened vividly. I couldn't even imagine what would run through ones mind if the bridge they were on started to collapse. The footage is incredible.

Can you imagine being part of the crew that had to bring everything up and then study why it happened?
Fortunately, the majority of the survivors are very loving and forgiving people. Which is what many people enjoy about Minneapolis.

[jimnyc]

Can you imagine being part of the crew that had to bring everything up and then study why it happened?
Fortunately, the majority of the survivors are very loving and forgiving people. Which is what many people enjoy about Minneapolis.

As you know, I visit some rather unsavory sites, and I don't mean porn. I've seen more video and pictures than what they placed in the papers. It was a nightmare down there and I would certainly not want to have been involved in any of it. Maybe after the fact wasn't so bad, but the first few hours and then days were a nightmare for first responders.