United States, Mid-Atlantic

Radiation and Heat Wave Disasters

In 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear power station, located near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, experienced a cooling malfunction, causing part of the core to melt in its #2 reactor. Although the TMI-2 reactor's fuel core became uncovered and more than one-third of the fuel melted as a result, the reactor worked as designed with the reactor vessel maintaining its integrity and containing damaged fuel. Radiation was released from the plant; however, the radiation was not serious, and there were no health effects as confirmed by thousands [Page 721]of environmental and other samples taken during the incident. Unfortunately, inadequate instrumentation and training programs at the time of the event hampered the operator's ability to respond to the accident. Communication problems led to conflicting information regarding the risk to the public, which contributed to stress and fear in the community. Public confidence in nuclear energy declined following the event, and was attributed to the decline of nuclear facility construction throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Findings from the event produced information that led to the continuing improvement in the performance of all nuclear power plants throughout the United States. The accident allowed for a better understanding of how fuel melting occurred, and confirmed the improbability of a China Syndrome meltdown, which could breach the reactor vessel or the containment building, occurring in the United States.

A hazard far more of a threat to the region is a heat wave, which is responsible for more deaths than other natural disasters such as lightening, rain, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes. The mid-Atlantic region suffers from more heat-related mortality than other areas of the country. Heat waves are described as prolonged periods of excessively hot weather that is often accompanied by high humidity. Catastrophic crop failures, deaths, and widespread power outages have been attributed to the occurrence of a heat wave. The 2006 North American heat wave was responsible for the deaths of at least 225 people. Beginning on July 15, 2006, the heat wave was responsible for a number of deaths and power outages in New York. By August 16, 31 deaths had been reported in New York; however, a later review of the mortality associated with the heat wave demonstrated that heat was a factor in over 140 deaths.

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