April 19, 2011
By: Carrie Van Brunt
A series of violent tornadoes rocked the southern part of the country last weekend and cut the power to a nuclear power plant in Virginia, according to reports.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it would monitor the Surry Power Station in Surry County, Virginia, after a tornado cut an electrical source that was powering the station. The plant's two nuclear reactors automatically shut down, said reports, and no radiation was released as a result of the incident.
The tornado did not actually strike either reactor, which officials say is designed to withstand natural disasters such as tornadoes, earthquakes and hurricanes. As of Monday, the plant remained shut down, leaving thousands of homeowners without power.
Hundreds of tornadoes tore across the South from Thursday to Saturday at a record-setting pace, killing dozens of people and leaving many more to file homeowners insurance claims for widespread damage.
Concerns over the integrity of U.S. nuclear plants had already been brought to light after last month's Japanese earthquake led to a crisis situation at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in that country.
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