Public Relations Review 33 (2007) 337–339 Short communication Mayhem in the Magic City: Rebuilding legitimacy in a communication train wreck  Shari Veil * Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma, 395 West Lindsey, Norman, OK 73019, United States Received 15 January 2007; received in revised form 7 May 2007; accepted 26 May 2007 Abstract This study explores the relationship between corrective action and rebuilding legitimacy. Specifically, the corrective actions taken by the City of Minot and Ward County officials in response to the emergency communication breakdowns during the 2002 Canadian Pacific train derailment and anhydrous ammonia spill are analyzed. The study concludes that corrective action when employed as organizational learning can expedite image restoration, rebuild legitimacy, and better prepare organizations for future crises. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Crisis communication; Organizational learning; Image restoration; Legitimacy 1. Introduction On 18 January 2002 at 1:34 a.m., a Canadian Pacific train derailed, pouring 250,000 gallons of anhydrous ammonia onto the ground. Exposed to the bitter-cold air, the chemical vaporized into a toxic, 350-foot-tall cloud that covered about 40% of The Magic City of Minot, North Dakota. One man died, more than 1600 people were injured, and about 15,000 people were affected. During the crisis, there were multiple breakdowns in emergency response communication. Individuals and families, with eyes and throats burning from the noxious cloud, were left stranded for hours without access to any information. In an early press conference, officials announced the emergency response was a success because emergency responders did as they were trained to do. As was evident in the backlash that followed in the media, the residents of Minot considered communication a key aspect of the emergency response that was not successful and demanded changes to the system. By identifying system elements that are outdated, ineffective, or inappropriate, a crisis can be a trigger point to a valuable organizational learning process. The derailment uncovered many lapses in the emergency response communication that were initially ignored by city and county officials as part of the response. The premature declaration of success and disregard for the communication failures only infuriated residents and further discredited the ability of city and county officials to manage a crisis. Researchers have identified a taxonomy of image restoration strategies employed to protect, and, in some cases, salvage the reputation of the organization involved. However, the strategy must be appropriate for the crisis. The  The complete study presented at ICA, San Francisco, May 2007. * Tel.: +1 405 325 5371; fax: +1 405 325 7565. E-mail address: Shari.veil@ou.edu. 0363-8111/$ – see front matter © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2007.05.015