Showing posts with label Sandy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sandy. Show all posts

Sandy UPDATE: Nuclear Plants on Alert, 6.5 Million without Power, October 29, 2012

6.5 million people in the Northeast US are without power, including all of Manhattan below 39th Street. Nuclear power plants in the region are on alert because of the danger that they may lose outside power supplies, or their water exchange systems may be flooded. The power plants rely on diesel generators for backup power. Outside power is essential to the continued functioning of their cooling pumps.

There are 10 power plants in the region that are being affected by the storm. Exelon's Oyster Creek 30 miles north of Atlantic City declared an alert because its water intake facility was experiencing high water levels. The plant is presently offline for refueling, so even if its cooling system fails, it will not melt down. There was also a disruption in the plant's power system, but diesel generators turned on automatically. Exelon has four power plants in the region including Oyster Creek. They are Peach Bottom, Limerick and Three Mile Island.

Other regional plants include the Indian Point plant in New York, the Calvert Cliffs plant in Maryland, the Susquehanna Plant in Pennsylvania.

As of 1.00 AM Eastern time, 7 subway tunnels under New York's East River were flooded, the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel was reportedly flooded, and the West Side Highway south of 10th Street was flooded.

A snow emergency is being declared for western North Carolina, and blizzard conditions are developing in West Virginia and western Maryland.

Hurricane hammers NY: Houses destroyed by fire, freak floods in subway
   

 Weather Channel Live:
Return top