Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: July 24, 2025, 4:46 pm

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Does the prospect of nuclear disaster still frighten anyone these days?
#49
RE: Does the prospect of nuclear disaster still frighten anyone these days?
(March 21, 2015 at 11:28 pm)vorlon13 Wrote: I live within 100 miles of a nuclear power plant endangered by the massive Missouri River flood a few years ago.

Even though the plant was shut down for refueling, it was still a worry. Particularly after the flood subsided, and the NRC used ground penetrating radar all around the facility to see if the river had eroded voids under the plant.

If they are looking for a problem like that, I'm thinking the plausibility and the possibility of the plant suffering catastrophic damage in a flood is something to think about.

Also, there was some discussion about the 'what ifs' regarding 1, 2 or 3 of the large upstream dams failing. The water was bad enough as it was, a large dam failure would have raised the flood level near the power plant by 20 to 40 feet.

In such a disaster, there would be terrific damage from the water, possibly clear to New Orleans LA, and the possibility of that water being intensely radioactive, would make Fukushima look like a wet firecracker. The country would be nearly split in 2 with a muddy radioactive hell possibly tens of miles wide from Omaha to the Gulf of Mexico.


The sort of nuclear diseaster you describe would only occur if the working reactor core melts down. It is a foregone conclusion that the Containment around the reactor core would not be breached by either a massive flood, or an undermining of the foundation of the containment building. So the reactor melt down would not be the direct result of flooding. The only possible way a flooding could lead to core melt down is if it indirectly disrupts the power supply to coolant water pumps.

The avoidance of disruption of power supply to coolant pumps is simple as putting backup emergency diesel generator and its fuel supply above the flood level of the water.

So while anything would spread uncontrollable panic about a nuclear power plant, actual chance of a natural diseaster leading to a major nuclear diseaster is actually fairly low.
Reply



Messages In This Thread
RE: Does the prospect of nuclear disaster still frighten anyone these days? - by Anomalocaris - March 21, 2015 at 11:48 pm

Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  I'm still standing, YUCK YUCK YUCK. Brian37 5 728 July 29, 2024 at 1:49 pm
Last Post: BrianSoddingBoru4
  Would you still cook if you diddn't have to? Angrboda 41 4705 October 30, 2023 at 3:40 am
Last Post: BrianSoddingBoru4
  New York City's video on how to survive a nuclear attack. Jehanne 50 6015 January 12, 2023 at 1:12 am
Last Post: Thumpalumpacus
  These are not the droids you' re looking for.... onlinebiker 10 1198 August 12, 2022 at 5:50 pm
Last Post: The Valkyrie
  8 days to Deermageddon onlinebiker 44 5088 December 12, 2021 at 10:41 pm
Last Post: Fireball
  One of these things is not like the other ones Angrboda 1 607 December 6, 2021 at 12:55 pm
Last Post: BrianSoddingBoru4
  Are there any active, free, text-only chat sites that are still going? Mechaghostman2 6 1217 January 4, 2021 at 3:56 pm
Last Post: arewethereyet
  How do you navigate these fora? Apollo 11 1292 November 22, 2020 at 4:44 am
Last Post: The Valkyrie
  Question about all these questions popping up. no one 6 1078 September 22, 2020 at 12:26 am
Last Post: arewethereyet
  2375 Days and Counting onlinebiker 10 1721 September 20, 2020 at 10:18 pm
Last Post: Fake Messiah



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)