1 year after explosion in Philadelphia's Port Richmond section, neighbors still search for answers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- While many are celebrating the turn of a new year, a close-knit community in Philadelphia's Port Richmond neighborhood is still searching for answers on Monday after last year's New Year's Day rowhome explosion.
Exactly one year ago, the rowhome explosion rocked the 3500 block of Miller Street.
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New Year's Day in 2024 hits differently for Brian McQuoid and his fellow neighbors.
"I was homeless this time last year," McQuoid said.
"I was in bed, it was 2:15 in the morning. The explosion brought me up out of my bed on the floor, had no clue what was going on. To be honest, I thought the United States was under attack. When I opened my front door, my door fell off. I'm like, 'This is bad.' Come out and you see everything flying around, people screaming," he added.
The blast injured five people and caused widespread damage throughout the neighborhood. The physical and emotional effects are still felt one year later.
"I could not sleep here by myself last night," Tara Dendall said. "I had to have friends come over and sleep here."
Dendall lives directly behind where the explosion happened.
"My ceilings, my flooring, my bathroom, my whole bathroom just imploded in on," Dendall said. "I've never seen such a thing, so yeah, it was total rehab of my house and it took about eight months to get it done."
One year later, Dendall and her neighbors still don't know what caused the explosion.
Last October, city investigators found no evidence of public utility natural gas equipment causing the explosion, but are continuing to investigate.
"It's like it happened and it's sitting in the drawer somewhere and eventually somebody's gonna open it and go, 'Oh hey, did anybody check into this?' It's been a year," Ken Paul, the president of the Port Richmond on Patrol and Civic Association, said.
Paul and others are frustrated that there is still no explanation.
"Look, I pray to God every night that, you know, my house never blows up, but I wouldn't put it by that something else happens," Paul said.
This isn't the first explosion in the neighborhood. A similar explosion happened just one block away back in March of 1999 near Gaul and Venango Streets.
CBS News Philadelphia reached out to the city for any updates and have not heard back yet.
Meanwhile, neighbors are hopeful for the new year but still on edge.
"It does keep you on edge not knowing what caused this," Dendall said. "If nobody wants to take responsibility for it, can it happen again tomorrow or next weekend? You never know because nobody wants to take responsibility for what happened."
