LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The damage from a massive explosion in the Clifton neighborhood stretches several blocks, but homes right behind the plant are in rough shape.
Past Payne Street, on the other side of these tracks, you'll find another pocket of Clifton homeowners.
"I've lived here for about eight years," Hilary Ford said.
Ford lives about 50 yards away from the Givaudan Plant.
Some of the damage caused by the plant explosion in Louisville. (WDRB photo)
Ring Doorbell cameras caught the power behind Tuesday's explosion. She was at work when it happened.
"It was really scary coming in the first time," Ford said.
Ford's neighbor told her to come home. Her door was cracked open and all she could see was jagged sheet rock, shattered glass, and a growing list of damage, the farther she made it up her steps.
"You can see every drywall screw in the ceiling, in the second story where it's popped, light fixtures came off the ceiling, pictures came off the wall," Ford said.
Ford said it's not the first time she's had to clean up after Givaudan.
She said last year, her entire block was covered with food coloring made at the plant.
"Did anyone get hurt? No. But when you see almost a year later that something else happened. You feel like there should have been more oversight, or at least more checking into it," Ford said.
Ford said the company helped the neighborhood pressure wash the coloring off of their properties.
As a result, Louisville's Air Pollution Control District cited the company last December, claiming that it ran afoul of city regulations.
Local investigators found food coloring powder on neighboring homes, property and cars. They found 20 pounds of emissions were released over a 30 minute period.
The incident was one of two last year that resulted in fines totaling $7,500. The other involved plant officials not submitting annual compliance reports.
Food coloring on the home of Hilary Ford.
MetroSafe supervisors told WDRB they've received 60 calls about debris or damage, possibly resulting from the explosion.
The explosion killed two people and injured 11 others.
"Ultimately, we're going to be able to get back to normal when there are families there and employees there that normal is not going to happen for a long time," Ford said.
Ford owns two dogs and a cat and said the explosion did not injure them.
Thursday night will be Ford's first time sleeping in her home since the explosion. She has a structural engineer coming to her home next week to make sure its safe.
WDRB contacted the company's Switzerland headquarters asking directly about food coloring made at the plant coating nearby neighborhoods. There hasn't been a response.
Mayor Craig Greenberg said residents with question or property damage can contact Givaudan officials at 1-800-856-3333 and reference DDW or Givaudan when calling. You can also email them at communitysupport@ddwcolor.com
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- 2nd victim in Louisville plant explosion was pulled from rubble hours later, mayor says
- 2 dead in plant explosion in Louisville's Clifton area that damaged homes, businesses
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