Updated Evacuation Map, Schools Closed

Orange County officials on Saturday kept mandatory evacuation orders in place around a leaking chemical tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove and published updated public maps showing both the active evacuation zone and the wider area that could be affected if the tank explodes. The incident began on May 21, when a 34,000-gallon tank containing methyl methacrylate started venting at the aerospace facility at 12122 Western Ave., according to city and local media reports. Garden Grove’s emergency page says the evacuation zone covers the area south of Ball Road, east of Valley View Street, west of Dale Street and north of Trask Avenue. School closures spread across nearby districts as fire crews and hazardous-materials specialists continued trying to cool and stabilize the tank. ### Which neighborhoods are under evacuation orders now? The City of Garden Grove says the active evacuation zone remains bounded by Ball Road, Trask Avenue, Valley View Street and Dale Street. The city’s emergency page includes an address checker and lists shelters and hotlines for displaced residents. Anaheim said about 1,100 homes in west Anaheim were also under evacuation orders, with the affected area running from Dale Street to Valley View Street, past Holder Street, and from Cerritos Avenue south to Ball Road north. Anaheim said Saturday evening that there was no change to the evacuation area and no estimate for when orders might be lifted. ### What is inside the tank, and why are officials worried? (ggcity.org) GKN Aerospace’s Garden Grove facility is the site of a compromised tank holding methyl methacrylate, a chemical used in hard plastic manufacturing for aerospace components, according to Anaheim and multiple local reports. Orange County fire officials have warned the vessel could either rupture and spill material or explode. Craig Covey, the Orange County Fire Authority incident commander, said in an update cited by the Orange County Department of Education that crews found the tank’s internal temperature had risen from 77 degrees to 90 degrees after overnight checks. (anaheim.net) Covey said responders were still trying to prevent the two outcomes officials had been warning about since Friday — a rupture and spill, or an explosion. ### How many people have been affected? Local news outlets reported that roughly 40,000 residents were evacuated, while ABC7 reported that about 50,000 Orange County residents across Garden Grove, west Anaheim, Cypress and Stanton were under mandatory evacuation orders. Officials have not published a single consolidated figure on the city emergency page, but all public updates describe a large multi-city evacuation. (newsroom.ocde.us) Governor Gavin Newsom on May 23 proclaimed a state of emergency in Orange County in response to the Garden Grove incident and told residents to follow local evacuation instructions. The governor’s office said additional shelter sites were being made available. ### Which schools are closed? (foxla.com) Garden Grove Unified School District said on May 22 that several campuses were closed at the direction of law enforcement and emergency response officials. The district listed Barker, Bryant, Carver, Enders, Garden Park, Lawrence, Wakeham and Patton elementary schools; Bell and Alamitos intermediate schools; Pacifica and Rancho Alamitos high schools; Skylark Preschool; the Maintenance and Operations Facility; and the Lampson Bus Yard. (gov.ca.gov) A later district update said Alamitos, Barker, Bell, Bryant, Carver, Enders, Garden Park, Lawrence, Pacifica, Patton, Rancho Alamitos, Skylark, Maintenance and Operations at the Chapman-Hettinga Center, and Lampson Yard remained temporarily closed. The Orange County Department of Education said several districts had implemented evacuation procedures and that reopening plans after the Memorial Day holiday were still uncertain. (ggusd.us) ### Where can evacuees go for help? Garden Grove’s emergency page lists Golden West College in Huntington Beach and Los Amigos High School in Fountain Valley among sites with available shelter space, while other locations were marked full at the time of the city update. The city lists a Garden Grove emergency hotline at 714-741-5444, the Orange County public information hotline at 714-628-7085 and an OCFA medical information hotline at 714-538-2501. (ggusd.us) Anaheim said its Savanna High School evacuation center was at capacity as of Saturday evening and directed residents with city-specific questions to 714-765-4333. Garden Grove Unified also said a reunification center had been set up at the Community Recreation Center on Deodara Drive and that grab-and-go meals for affected families were available at Hare High School. ### What should residents watch for next? (ggcity.org) Saturday’s official updates said evacuation orders remained in effect until further notice, with no timeline for reentry. Garden Grove, Anaheim and the governor’s office each told residents to use the city evacuation map and follow official alerts for shelter changes, road closures and any expansion or lifting of orders. (ggcity.org) (anaheim.net)