It all started with the cargo steamer Grankan, which was loading at the port of Texas City. For five days, port cargo handlers filled the ship with a familiar commodity – ammonium nitrate with a total weight of 2,300 tons.
Winter storm
It is noted that as a result of the winter weather, casualties were recorded among residents of Wisconsin, Kansas, Kentucky, Colorado, Missouri, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.