Walk Through Fire: The Train Disaster that Changed America

Showing how a single community's terrible tragedy instead became the catalyst for radical change, this first book to examine the Waverly Train Disaster of 1978, penned by a medical writer and Waverly native, examines how this disaster laid the groundwork for the future of emergency management and disaster relief. February 22, 1978: A devastating freight train derailment drastically altered Waverly, Tennessee. One of the worst train explosions of the twentieth century, it killed 16 people, injuring hundreds more, and causing millions of dollars in damage. What could have been dismissed as a single community's terrible misfortune instead became the catalyst for radical change, including the formation of FEMA, much-needed reforms in emergency response training, and the creation and enforcement of national and state safety regulations. Response to the disaster reshaped American infrastructure and laid the groundwork for the future of emergency management and disaster relief-- yet most Americans have never heard of Waverly. Ali weaves a compelling narrative of small-town tragedy set against the broader backdrop of U.S. railroad history, rural healthcare, and other elements of American infrastructure that played a part in the creation-- and the aftermath-- of the Disaster. -- adapted from jacket.