Ohio Silo Collapses, Unleashing ‘Sea of Corn’

December 2, 2010

An Ohio fire chief says a metal grain silo collapsed into a “sea of corn” up to 12 feet deep that pushed a nearby home off its foundation.

Chief Doug Coletta in Norwalk says no one was hurt in the Nov. 30 collapse that spilled more than 100,000 bushels of corn.

He says corn that flowed like water knocked over a fire hydrant and created a “one-block mess” in the community about 50 miles southwest of Cleveland.

Neighbors described hearing an explosion, but Coletta says what they likely heard was the sound of the bin breaking apart.

The chief said it was not clear what caused the silo to give way.

Afterward an attached but empty grain dryer, resembling a smaller bin, was leaning. Coletta said it would be dismantled.