Near-Zero Visibility in Toledo as Crews Respond to Hazmat Release

A dangerous situation is unfolding in Toledo, Ohio, as a hazardous chemical release has prompted evacuations and shelter-in-place orders. The dense fog blanketing the city in the northern part of the Buckeye State has complicated the response. Read on for the details of this crisis.

Poor Weather Conditions Exacerbate Chemical Leak in Toledo

Visibility was near zero in Toledo on Wednesday morning as hazmat crews raced to secure an area under the threat of a chemical leak. The Toledo Fire & Rescue Department first ordered the mandatory evacuation of an area within a one-mile radius near the leak site at about 10:48 pm on Tuesday. Local officials expanded this order by telling people within a 3-mile radius to shelter in place by early Wednesday.

Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz confirmed that a sheriff's deputy was injured when reporting to the explosion. As of midday Wednesday, about 30 people had been treated for symptoms at ProMedica’s healthcare facilities.

Meteorologists said that a temperature inversion may have made the situation worse, as crews are having a hard time distinguishing between the fog and the chemical plume. Dense fog formed across this part of the state overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday, just as crews were trying to get a handle on the crisis. In addition, the same atmospheric conditions that supported the development of the dense fog may have also trapped the chemicals closer to the ground rather than allowing them to disperse.

The fog had already started to form when the first call about the chemical spill came in at about 10:45 pm. For example, Toledo Suburban Airport reported fog beginning at 9:35 pm, over an hour before the release happened.

Calm winds also worked to trap the moisture and pollutants closer to the ground. The temperature inversion happened as a layer of warm air hovered above the cooler air closer to the surface, working as a lid and trapping both the moisture and the pollutants.