A powerful explosion rocked the Valero refinery in Port Arthur on Monday. A large smoke plume rose into the sky. Residents on the west side were ordered to stay indoors. Nearby Nederland reported no effects.

A massive explosion at a Valero refinery in Texas triggered a huge fire and panic among residents, with emergency crews responding as authorities begin probing the cause of the incident

A powerful explosion rocked the Valero refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, on Monday evening, sending a towering pillar of smoke into the sky and prompting local authorities to issue a shelter-in-place order for west side residents.