NC nuclear plant in path of Hurricane Isaias loses power to unit, activates safety system
Tropical Storm Isaias made landfall as a hurricane on North Carolina's coast
A North Carolina nuclear power plant in the path of Tropical Storm Isaias reported an "unusual event due to a loss of offsite power" that led its safety systems to be activated early Tuesday morning.
The Brunswick plant, on North Carolina's coast, was in the process of shutting down Unit 1 when the loss of offsite power triggered the safety systems, according to an update posted on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission website.
ISAIAS MAKES LANDFALL OVER CAROLINAS, LEAVING THOUSANDS WITHOUT POWER
"There was no impact to the health and safety of the public or plant personnel," the update said. "The safety significance of the event is minimal. All safety related systems operated as designed. Investigation of the cause of the loss of offsite power is in progress."
Debris covers the sidewalk in Southport, N.C., as Hurricane Isaias moved through North Carolina early Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. (WECT-TV via AP)
The issue only applied to Brunswick's Unit 1. Unit 2 was not affected, according to the update from Duke Energy personnel.
Electric power is "essential for safe operations and accident recovery," and loss of offsite power is "an important contributor to total risk at nuclear power plants," according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Tropical Storm Isaias spawned tornadoes and dumped rain over Virginia and Maryland early Tuesday after making landfall as a hurricane near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DUK | DUKE ENERGY CORP. | 115.18 | -1.87 | -1.60% |
Duke Energy reported hundreds of thousands of power outages as heavy rains and winds battered areas including Wrightsville, Kure and Carolina beaches in Wilmington.
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FOX Business' inquiry to Duke Energy was not immediately returned.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.