Philadelphia residents begin rebuilding after deadly explosion: "It looked like the end of the world"
The explosion, which occurred Sunday morning on the 1900 block of West Bristol Street, killed one woman and left two others hospitalized, including a longtime employee of the Philadelphia City Council. The blast partially collapsed three rowhomes and forced dozens of nearby residents to evacuate.
As of Monday, police confirmed that two of the most damaged homes would be demolished. City agencies, including the fire and police departments, and representatives from the Red Cross and Salvation Army, went door to door assisting residents and assessing structural concerns.
For Damir Noland, who lives with family members on nearby Bonitz Street, just behind the blast site, the scene was surreal.
"When I came outside, it looked like the end of the world," Noland, 27, said. "It looked like it was snowing, and a lot of smoke. I didn't know what was going on. I really thought it was a bomb first, like a bomb just went off."
Inside Noland's home, the impact blew the back door off its hinges. While the electricity has been restored, the gas remains off in many homes.
"We're trying to fix it as we go," he said. "A little bit at a time."
City officials opened Edward T. Steel School as a temporary shelter Sunday. On Monday, it remained open as a community support hub, where volunteers handed out food, water and supplies.
"They got the school open for us, so that is good," Noland said. "They got food and stuff for us. They ordered a pizza. They got food trucks."
Noland described the chaos and confusion that erupted right after the explosion.
"It was crazy. I never saw nothing like that in my life," he said. "As soon as [my mom] heard the boom, she just ran off the block."
Despite the destruction, Noland praised the quick response of emergency crews.
"The firefighters did a good job. They was here in 2.5 seconds, getting it put out and everything," he said. "If they wasn't as fast as they was, it could have been a lot worse. So yeah, shout out to the firefighters."
City officials have not yet determined the cause of the explosion. An investigation is ongoing.
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There isn't a bill in this world that costs more than my peace and happiness." —Born_Boysenberry4327 5."A bit different. He became rich while we dated. We were both not working when we met. I was on leave from teaching after a death in my family. He had just moved to my city and was looking for work. He was a freelance graphic designer and landed a gig at a start-up company. This was around 2010, when mobile apps were just taking off, and things like Instagram were just coming out. Design after design, he won awards, and the company blew up because of him. Life was fun when there was money, parties, and award ceremonies. After a bit, drugs and drinking got in his way, he became more abusive, tried to kill me, and I left. He was fired and blacklisted." —WearyEnthusiasm6643 6."I am highly educated and have a successful career of my own, but he had built wealth that was far beyond anything I'd ever make. We married young, when he was setting up his company. I encouraged him, and we had a close partnership for many years. Eventually, he wanted more and more control and wanted me to be more of a trophy wife, less of a partner." "He had an affair, and we got divorced. He attacked me through expensive lawyers, and I made it out with my own savings and pocket change. I've gotten over it and am on a totally different path in life, prioritizing my career and being more open to living for joy and purpose in my own life. I'm single, don't know if I'll ever remarry or have a family, but not concerned with it at the moment. What's for you is for you." –flechadeoro 7."My friend married a guy she did she was also looking for someone wealthy (she is also highly educated with a good job that could earn well). Honestly? I'm not sure how much of it was love for her or how much of it was wanting a kid before she got too old. I think she didn't really know ended up being very controlling. He wouldn't let her change anything about the house. 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He was in a field that offered high incomes right after graduation, so while we were not rich we were very comfortable. He became very controlling and mean, and watched every penny I spent, getting upset if I bought an extra non-perishable grocery item because it was on sale. Mind you, he did not do any shopping or cooking. I waited probably too long to divorce him because I was worried about the big drop in income and stability. But I finally did it, and while it was tough financially for a long time, I was fine and so much happier without him." —YouMustDoEverything 9."My friend married the 'rich one' because he is rich and she is living out the 'If you marry for money, you earn every penny' phrase. There is also not an insignificant age difference, the in-laws are assholes, the husband is a tightwad, and the family business is in a somewhat volatile industry dynamic. But he's rich, so she doesn't have to work outside the home, so she sort of got what she wanted?" —ilikesimis 10."This is not the same thing, but I didn't marry for love; I married my husband because we were good partners. He was financially stable enough that I could stay at home with our daughter, which I think we both wanted. I think we have a different kind of love for each other that has grown over time, but it's not a very romantic relationship, and I'm honestly happier than I was when I was deeply in love in the past." —I-Am-Willa 11."It's worked out well. I didn't pick him just because he's rich, but I've been with men similar in habit and compatibility to him who didn't have as much money. It's nice not to have to worry about whether we have enough money to pay the bills. And we can vacation where we want because we want to, and not pick places just because they are budget-friendly. The kids can participate in the activities they want and won't have to pick a lower-tier college in the interest of saving us money or reducing their own student loan burden. I do work because I want to, but I don't have to work jobs I hate or hours that suck because we have the household financial security to weather the storm of temporary unemployment." "I really think it's just the doesn't hurt me. I think money gives people the means to be themselves, and my husband is a good guy to the core. He doesn't have the need or desire to control the narrative, which combined that desire with money, you have the perfect abusive tornado potential." —azulsonador0309 finally, "My husband isn't rich, but he makes good money, works really hard, is very responsible, and could afford to live on his own when we met. We got married for things other than money and love, but we do love each other. I was only 22 and I didn't go to college, so I wasn't financially stable in the same way. I worked and paid for everything I had and took care of my younger sister financially, but I lived with family and felt trapped. So it made sense getting married would help me, but the thing I wish I realized back then was not to become as financially dependent on him." "We had a rough patch, and I realized I didn't have anything or anywhere to go if we got divorced. I recently returned to school to get out of dead-end jobs and have financial independence/security. Overall, I think people should check both boxes by picking someone you enjoy being around and actually like, as well as them being financially stable." —corkblob Did you marry "the rich one" for financial stability? What was the reality, and what do you wish you'd known before saying "I do"? Share your story in the comments. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here. The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-888-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can call SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find more resources here.
