Subject: Fort Calhoun Fire and Flood
From: Chris in Delaware
Date: Sun, 12 Jun 2011 22:05:57 -0400
6/12/11 Fort Calhoun Flood Event (ongoing)
The Missouri River is flooding at near record levels in part due to Army Corp of Engineers operating dams to direct flow from record melting snows. See Article and Note 5th paragraph: http://www.klkntv.com/story/14747616/fort-ca
Shocking Picture of the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant Administrative Building - Current Photograph: http://www.oppdstorminfo.blogspot.com/ and Attached Picture of the Administrative Building.
- The Administrative Buildings of typical nuclear power plants are where important support staff work. These include management and more importantly, the engineering staff who are fully dedicated to the "what-if" scenarios. This Administrative Building is surrounded by Water. It should be a parking lot full of cars (yes, even on weekends).
Attached is the Fort Calhoun Site Map (Fort Calhoun Plot Plan) showing the location of the Administrative Building with respect to the Plant and the Missouri River. Please note that the Administrative Building in the Upper Right Corner of this Plot Plan is remote from the River. This means that the Actual Plant is in similar or WORSE condition, but I haven't seen any pictures of it.
- Grade Elevation of the Fort Calhoun Plant is approximately 1007' Above Mean Sea Level. Please see Data from the National Weather Service: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=oax&gage=blan1&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1%22
This means that the River Flooding Stage is at 31.29 Feet which corresponds to 1006.58 Feet.
NOW, see some elevation Maps of Fort Calhoun that show that Grade (ground floor) Elevation is approximately 1007'. This Plant MAY be in trouble because the projections are for the River to rise and remain that way for a lengthy duration. Even though the plant is not in Power Producing Mode, it still requires Cooling for Decay Heat Removal, and for Spent Fuel Pool Cooling.
* During the Fire on Tuesday, the Spent Fuel Pool Cooling System lost power and the temperature of the Pool was reported to have risen 2 Degrees F in a short amount of time. Doesn't sound like much, but we take Heat up Rates, seriously.
--Raw Water Cooling Pumps supply cooling water from the River to essential Decay Heat Removal systems, Emergency Diesel Generators, and Spent Fuel Pool Cooling.
Elevation Maps for:
Emergency Diesel Generators - Grade Level - Some flooding of these are probable. Diesels Rooms are Centered on Page and are "Generator Diesel 1 and 2"
Raw Water Cooling Pump Elevation - Also approximately 1007 Feet Above Mean Sea Level. There are several of these but this is typical. If the Motor Floods, then this pump will not run.
Safeguards Room - There are two of these rooms, each responsible for redundant Cooling Functions for Decay Heat Removal and Spent Fuel Pool Cooling. Note that they are on the Lowest Elevations (971 Feet) - Flooding is a major concern.
Aggregate Effect of the Fire on Tuesday, June 7.
480V Bus 1B4A was secured [and] buses 1B3A and 1B3A-4A were lost. Attached is an Electrical Drawing for your Electrically Minded Listeners to show what equipment was briefly lost. Note that Component Cooling Water Pumps were lost. These are where the Rubber Meets the Road as far as Heat Removal for Primary Systems. This is why Spent Fuel Pool Cooling Was lost for a short time.
Analysis
With the Plant in a vulnerable condition due to flooding and potential for Loss of Systems because of Electrical Problems, the additional complication of a Fire in one of the Electrical Switchgear Rooms will be deemed serious due to the potential for losing Decay Heat Removal. Loss of Decay Heat Removal would result in an Emergency requiring assistance. IF the Flooding prevents such assistance from arriving. . Well it would not be a good day.
Chris in Delaware
Fort Calhoun Flooding
The swelling Missouri river is forcing residents North of Omaha to evacuate their homes.
One man who's lived in Fort Calhoun for thirty years says he's never had to leave during flood season, but now he's packing up to save what he can as water along the Missouri continues to rise in his backyard.
Alan Henion made one of the hardest decisions he's ever had to make, pack up everything and leave home. "This is home. And this is as bad as I've ever seen it," Henion says.
Henion has spent thirty years in this home near the De Soto wildlife refuge in Fort Calhoun. It's where he raised his three children. But now rising floodwaters from the Missouri river are forcing him to pack up what he can and leave the rest behind. Henion says, "I guess you deny it and deny it but you can't, the facts are the facts. We're gonna have five foot of water here and whatever you don't get out isn't gonna be here."
The Army Corps of Engineers plan to release more water than usual from dams upstream. Partly because the Missouri river is five feet higher than anticipated. Nebraska Emergency Management officials say it's also because of more water and snow pack in states that feed into the Missouri.
Residents in Fort Calhoun say they haven't seen flooding like this since the 1950s. Emergency Management officials say it's only going to get worse. But for longtime residents like Henion, It's already worse than they can imagine. "Well, 30 years, you know, all the family was here... It's just lost... Life will go on, though, the kids are still alive you know... We'll get there," he says.
I spoke with Nebraska Emergency Management officials this morning and they tell me they plan to be dealing with the flooding for at least the next month if not the next six weeks. But there haven't been any mandatory evacuations yet.
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Accessed at http://www.klkntv.com/story/14747616/fort-ca on June 15, 2011.
Missouri River near Blair
NOTE: The plotted river forecast may not show the longer term projected crest out beyond 7 days.
NOTE: Forecasts for the Missouri River near Blair are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available.
Flood Categories (in feet)
|
Major Flood Stage: |
33 |
|
Moderate Flood Stage: |
28.5 |
|
Flood Stage: |
26.5 |
|
Action Stage: |
25.5 |
Historical Crests
(1) 33.50 ft on 04/17/1952
(2) 27.53 ft on 12/17/1969
(3) 27.48 ft on 06/27/1984
(4) 27.43 ft on 07/10/1993
(5) 26.93 ft on 06/30/2010
Latitude/Longitude Disclaimer: The gauge location shown in the above map is the approximate location based on the latitude/longitude coordinates provided to the NWS by the gauge owner.
|
|
Flood Impacts |
|
|
|
|
33.5 |
Water reaches levels not seen since the flood of 1952. Significant flooding will be occurring from Blair to Fort Calhoun. |
|
30 |
Floodwaters will impact I-29 in areas north of the Crescent and I-680 interchange. |
|
26.5 |
Flooding is occurring in the Fort Calhoun area. This flooding impacts several homes and includes County Roads 34, 47 and 51. In addition, the evacuation of numerous homes will occur due to the closure of these roads. |
|
25 |
Minor flooding occurs at the Fort Calhoun trailer park. |
|
23.5 |
Flooding begins to occur at Wilson Island State Park. |
Latitude: 41.534167° N, Longitude: 96.096389° W, Horizontal Datum: NAD83/WGS84
River Stage
Other Data Sources:
Corps of Engineers (COE) Info for Blair
Additional Information:
Due
to observed flooding impacts in and around the Fort Calhoun area. The minor
flood stage level for this gauge was lowered to 26.5 feet to better reflect
this flooding.
National Weather Service
Omaha/Valley Weather Forecast Office
6707 N. 288th Street
Valley, NE 68064-9443
(402) 359-5166
Page last modified: 26-May-2011 1:32 AM
Accessed at http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=oax&gage=blan1&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1%22 on June 15, 2011.