Nuclear power is one of the cleanest and safest forms of power generation available today and when they run without issue, actually release less radiation into the air than a coal plant. While you do have the issue of disposing of the spent nuclear fuel, a nuclear power plant is not a bad way to generate power.
In the United States we produce over 30% of the world’s nuclear power in our 104 currently active nuclear reactors. No new nuclear reactors have been built in the past 30 years, meaning that most of the reactors online today are well past their recommended lifespan. If you live in one of the 31 states that currently have nuclear power plants in them, it’s probably time to check how close one is to you, and if you’re within range of one, it’s also time to start preparing in case of a nuclear disaster.
Know the Terms
(Photo courtesy of flickr)
Paying attention to warning signs and alerts is the best way to start preparing. Unless you know what the emergency warnings and alerts mean, you won’t have the time you need to get out safely.
First, there are four types of emergencies you will hear about coming from a nuclear plant. Knowing these will help keep you safe without having you overreact.
Notification of Unusual Event – This warning means a small problem has occurred at the plant. At this level of notification no radiation leak is expected and no action is required from you.
Basically this is the way the plant reports any odd readings or events to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
Alert – This type of warning means a small problem has occurred and it’s possible that small amounts of radiation can leak INSIDE of the plant. This type of warning should not affect you, meaning you don’t have to do anything.
Once again, this is mean as a way to report small issues to the NRC and is meant to explain radiation in parts of the plant.
Site Area Emergency – This is where you need to start paying attention. At this level of warning area sirens will most likely be sounded. You should check local television channels and listen to local radio and the emergency band if you have it.
General Emergency – This is the bad one. At this level radiation can leak outside the plant and actually leave the plant site. Sirens will definitely sound, alerting you that you need to check with local radio and television immediately.
Depending on where you live, evacuation may be ordered and the sooner you know about this the better.
Sirens for a major emergency like a nuclear accident are generally 3-minute long alerts, as opposed to a regular fire alarm lasting 30 seconds or less. If you hear a 3-minute long siren you need to find a way to view or listen to something with the emergency broadcast service available on it.
Know How Safe You Are
Once you know the general warning signs and what the different alerts are, you need to know if your home and office are within the danger zone of any nuclear power plants. You can use this site to see if there are any nuclear power plants near you.
Closest to the power plant you’ll have the 10-mile evacuation zone. This means that anyone within this area will need to bug out in the case of a nuclear emergency. After this you have the 50-mile potential contamination zone. This area can be evacuated as well, depending on air currents and the size of the disaster.
You need to see if anywhere you spend a large portion of time is within one of these zones. Even if you’re not within a zone, you still need to worry about potential fallout. The map above gives you a good idea the general flow of air near power plants to show who would be at risk. Know if you are upwind or downwind of a nuclear power plant and have a plan in place depending on your location.
This information should play into any plans you have for bugging out as well. Even if you don’t experience a nuclear disaster, if there are other EOTWAWKI events happening, it’s likely that some power plants will experience issues sooner or later, so plan any bug out location accordingly.
Additional Emergency Supplies
(Photo courtesy of flickr)
If you live within the danger zone of a nuclear plant, you should add a few additional supplies to your emergency kit. Even if you’re planning on bugging out, there’s always a chance you’ll be stuck there, so a few extra supplies can really help out.
First, adding plastic sheeting and duct tape to your kit is actually important. If you’re in a possible fallout area taping your windows and doors can keep a significant amount of radiological debris out of your home.
For the radiation that does enter your home you should have potassium iodide tablets for every member of your family. These can usually be obtained for free from your local or state health or emergency management departments if you live within the 10-mile evacuation zone of a nuclear reactor. Get these now and save them for an emergency. Don’t take potassium iodide unless you’re instructed to by local emergency services.
(Photo courtesy of flickr)
Wrap-Up
The basics of prepping when you’re near a nuclear reactor are mostly the same as anywhere else, but you need to make sure you have the basic additional supplies, including:
- Plastic sheeting
- Duct tape
- Potassium iodide tablets
You also need to know the different emergency warnings for a nuclear plant, and you need to know what to do for each. Have a specific bug-out plan for getting away from a nuclear plant that’s experiencing issues, and most importantly, know when to pay attention to the local warnings and what they expect you to do.
In short, don’t worry about a nuclear power plant until it’s time to worry. It’s next to impossible for a nuclear power plant to explode like Chernobyl, and far more likely that some radiation will be released into the wild. While that’s still pretty bad, it gives you more time to bug out and get to safety.
For more information on the different types of radiation, click here.
For more information on nuclear power plant safety from Ready.gov, click here.
More information about nuclear power in the United States can be found here.
(Header image courtesy of flickr)
