The U.S. nuclear industry’s exemplary emergency response procedures, the plant personnel’s attention to safety and detail, and multiple layers of safety systems and emergency equipment have ensured that without exception the nation’s nuclear plants effectively stand up to the most extreme natural events, including hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes.
Each facility has detailed emergency response plans to protect their communities and employees. These plans meet requirements set by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Plant operators also work with state governments and local first responders.
The following list of examples shows how nuclear plant operators have responded to extreme natural events over the past decade:
2018
September 2018: Hurricane Florence (Southeast Region)
As Hurricane Florence began to threaten the Carolinas, employees at 20 nuclear reactors at 11 sites in North and South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia prepared their sites for its potential impact.
Similar to Hurricane Harvey when it hit the Texas Gulf Coast last year, Florence stalled just offshore prior to making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane near Wilmington, North Carolina, on Friday, Sept. 14. Florence brought record-breaking rainfall, flooding and storm surges far inland.
In anticipation of hurricane-force winds and dropping barometric pressure, Duke Energy Corp.’s Brunswick Nuclear Plant in North Carolina was the only plant to shut down per protocol prior to the storm. All the other nuclear plants in the storm-affected region—including Duke’s Shearon Harris and McGuire plants in North Carolina and Robinson in South Carolina, and South Carolina Electric & Gas Co.’s V.C. Summer plant—remained operational at full power.
2017
August-September 2017: Hurricanes Harvey (Texas) and Irma (Florida)
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused massive damage on the Gulf Coast, but nuclear plants in Texas and Florida were prepared.
Harvey made landfall near Houston Aug. 25 and lingered for a week, bringing massive rainfall, storm surges and flooding to the Texas Gulf Coast. South Texas Project (STP) crews remained on-site and kept the plant running at 100 percent power throughout the event.
A week after Harvey, Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida. As with STP during Harvey, storm crews at St. Lucie and Turkey Point remained on-site from Sept. 9 through Sept. 11. Because of external grid instabilities during the storm, Florida Power & Light Co. (FPL) shut down three of the four Turkey Point and St. Lucie nuclear reactors. They were all back to 100 percent power within a day or two.
2016
Oct. 7-10, 2016: Hurricane Matthew (Southeast Region)
The first Category 3 or higher hurricane to threaten the continental U.S. in 11 years, Hurricane Matthew tracked up the east coast of Florida and past the Carolinas after devastating Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas.
Hurricane warnings prompted Florida Power & Light Co. to declare an unusual event for St. Lucie Nuclear Plant, which was close to the storm’s path. Plant staff conducted severe weather procedures at St. Lucie and at FPL’s Turkey Point Power Plant south of Miami. So did Duke Energy's Brunswick and Shearon Harris plants in North Carolina and H.B. Robinson in South Carolina.
Robinson operators safely shut down the plant because of a loss of off-site power. Harris also experienced loss of off-site power but the plant was already shut down for a scheduled refueling. Both plants’ emergency diesel generators started as designed until off-site power was restored. The Brunswick plant was asked by load dispatchers to reduce power by 50 percent because of grid transmission issues. All plants restarted and returned to full power normally.
2015
Dec. 25, 2015-Jan. 15, 2016: Historic flooding (Central United States)
Heavy rains generated record-setting flooding from Illinois to the Gulf Coast for more than two weeks. Nuclear plants in the region included Fort Calhoun and Cooper nuclear stations in Nebraska, Callaway in Missouri, Arkansas Nuclear One, Grand Gulf in Mississippi, and River Bend and Waterford in Louisiana. In all cases, the plants' flood protection measures enabled normal operation throughout the event.
Jan. 26-28, 2015: Winter Storm Juno (Northeast blizzard)
Throughout the storm, 23 of 24 reactors in the Northeast region operated at 100 percent capacity. One nuclear plant safely shut down due to a loss of off-site power because of storm damage to the external electrical transmission system.
2014
Jan. 3-12, 2014: Polar Vortex 1
Polar Vortex 1 brought record-setting cold temperatures and severe winter weather to much of the nation. Throughout the storm, the U.S. nuclear fleet maintained an average capacity factor of 95 percent, far higher than any other source of electricity.
Only two weather-related shutdowns were confirmed for the entire fleet during the vortex—FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co.’s Beaver Valley 1 in Pennsylvania shut Jan. 6 because of a transformer failure related to the severe low temperatures, and Omaha Public Power District’s Fort Calhoun Station in Nebraska was temporarily shut down when ice impaired the operation of one of six river water intake gates.
2013
July 14-20, 2013: Weeklong record-setting national heat wave
Throughout the heat wave, nearly all the nation’s 100 reactors ran at full power around-the-clock, with an average availability of 96 percent. No reactors shut down due to the extreme heat. On July 19, New York state and New York City set all-time records for electrical energy use.
Feb. 8-11, 2013: Winter Storm Nemo (Northeast and Mid-Atlantic)
Winter Storm Nemo brought snow and high winds to 19 nuclear energy plants in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Of those, 18 operated continuously at or near full power throughout the storm. Entergy Nuclear Operations’ Pilgrim nuclear plant in Massachusetts shut down for a day due to a temporary loss of off-site power. All normal, backup and emergency systems operated as designed.
2012
Oct. 27-29, 2012: Superstorm Sandy (Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Northeast regions)
Superstorm Sandy affected the eastern region of the United States, home to 34 nuclear power plants. Of those, seven were previously shut down for refueling or scheduled inspection. One of these, Exelon Generation’s Oyster Creek in New Jersey, declared an alert for almost 48 hours because of high water levels at the plant’s cooling water intake structure.
Of the remaining 27 plants, 24 continued to operate safely throughout the event. Three reactors shut down safely as designed because of storm conditions or grid disturbances—PSEG Nuclear LLC’s Salem 1 in New Jersey, Entergy Nuclear Northwest’s Indian Point 3 in New York, and Constellation Energy Nuclear Group’s Nine Mile Point 1 in New York. No damage was reported and all normal, backup and emergency systems performed as designed.
Note: Four plants temporarily reduced power output at the request of the electrical grid operator to enhance grid stability. One plant, Seabrook in New Hampshire, restarted during the storm after completing a refueling outage.
Aug. 29-31, 2012: Hurricane Isaac (Gulf Coast)
Entergy Nuclear’s River Bend plant in Louisiana and Grand Gulf in Mississippi remained on line throughout the storm and were undamaged. Entergy Nuclear Operations’ Waterford 3 in Louisiana temporarily shut down as a precaution due to projected high winds. All equipment functioned as designed to safely shut down, cool and restart the unit.
2011
Aug. 27-28, 2011: Hurricane Irene (East Coast)
Hurricane Irene affected 24 nuclear energy plants along the East Coast. Eighteen reactors remained at or near full power throughout the storm. Four reactors temporarily reduced power output as a precaution. Constellation Energy Nuclear Group’s Calvert Cliffs 1 nuclear plant in Maryland declared an unusual event when the plant automatically shut down due to debris striking an external electrical transformer. Emergency equipment functioned as designed to safely shut down and cool down the unit.
Aug. 23, 2011: Seismic Event (Virginia)
Dominion Resources’ North Anna Power Station in Virginia, approximately 15 miles from the epicenter of the 5.8 magnitude earthquake, declared an alert due to a loss of off-site power. Both reactors at the plant shut down automatically from full power due to seismic motion. Emergency equipment functioned as designed to safely shut down and cool both units. The ground motion that exceeded the plants’ design parameters resulted in no significant damage to the plant.
As a precaution, 12 other nuclear plants declared unusual events. All 12 remained at power and no damage was reported.
June 2011: Near-record flooding of the Missouri River (Nebraska)
Omaha Public Power District’s Fort Calhoun nuclear plant declared an unusual event. The plant already was shut down for scheduled refueling and maintenance, and remained secure with all systems dry and operable. Nebraska Public Power District’s Cooper nuclear station declared an unusual event due to the flooding but remained at full power with all systems dry and operable.