Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Got away before it hit and a question about the nuclear reactor

My sister called me this morning to remind me that natural disasters seem to follow me where ever I go.  If you recall last March I was in Hawaii they had a volcanic eruption when I was staying in the town of Volcano and they had a tsunami (from the Japan earthquake) on the night that I left.  The tsunami warnings were blaring as I was sitting at the airport which is about 2 feet above sea level.  Last week we returned from North Carolina and the DC earthquake was felt down there.  They are also expecting a hurricane to come ashore this week.  Perhaps I should just stay at my house in the Great Central Valley.  We don't get hurricanes, earthquake, much rain, or anything other than heat during the summer and fog during the winter.

I did have a concern about the power plants.  The news stated that the plants automatically shut down when the earthquake happened, which is appropriate.  They also said that the plants were built to withstand 6.2 magnitude earthquakes.  Although a 6 is ten times more powerful than a 5, the 5.8 earthquake was pretty close to the top end of the power plant's design to withstand earthquakes.  Has anyone discussed this at all or are they just amazed that it's the largest quake in over 60 years?  No body is alive to remember the 7.3 magnitude quake in South Carolina in 1886.  I'm not saying that we shouldn't have nuclear power, I'm just wondering if people around the plants have good bug-out plans.

2 comments:

  1. I live about 2 hrs from Mineral, Va (ground zero) which is pretty close to Richmond, Va.

    Nope they don't have serious plans to vacate, the traffic would instant grid lock. It would be nuts trying to get out from that area.

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  2. My daughter lives in Chapel Hill NC. I just had to walk her through what she needed in her closet (hurricane hidey-hole)to help weather the storm. She told me she didn't even have any stored water...so she texted her husband to make sure he stopped at Costco on the way home from Dental School...kids...gotta' love them.

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