I had just moved to Middletown from Webster City, Iowa. I lived in Pineford Village apartment complex on the east side of Middletown. I had moved to manage a Distribution Center for Modern Farm System. I was 26 years old and worked for the company in Iowa.

When I was flying into the airport the pilot used to bank over the cooling towers and point them out as a point of interest. I never realized how much of a point of interest they would become.

the office the warehouse complex manager came down to my office and explained that they were closing

On the day the accident happened I was going up to the post office to pick up our mail. It was a daily ritual for me to get out of the office for a few minutes. As I was listening to the radio they started talking about the problem with the nuclear reactor at TMI. By the time I got back to the office the warehouse complex manager came down to my office and explained that they were closing the complex and I would need to close our office because of the looming danger of a meltdown. I informed my employees and then tried to determine where I would go.

I had a good friend that worked for a hotel across the river on the west shore. I called her and then went over to her office. We listened to the radio together for updates and as the day went on things seemed to get worse. Her family lived in Williamsport and it was suggested that if you could people should leave the area and go at least 90 miles from the area. At the end of her work day we left and went to Williamsport to her family’s house.

as the day went on things seemed to get worse

After a few days in Williamsport it was determined that the problem had passed and people could come back in the area. By the time I got back to my apartment it was evening. There was a curfew implemented in Middletown. They were concerned that there could be looting since many people still were not back in town.

The next day I went to my office. We were scheduled to get a shipment in from Iowa on that day so I needed to be in the warehouse. After a few more days things got back to normal in the town.

Later I would find out from a friend that worked at the bank they had to bring more cash in from Philadelphia because so many people had pulled cash out of the bank before they left the area.

It wasn’t until later that we learned how close to a complete meltdown it had been at the plant.

Dennis