A Duke Energy nuclear power plant in Brunswick, North Carolina was in the direct path of Hurricane Florence as it made landfall last week.
Duke Energy and the Unites States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced Saturday that the Brunswick plant had been upgraded to "unusual activity" status - the lowest of four "emergency classifications" the NRC uses to describe nuclear emergencies.
Since that declaration, social media has been inundated with posts that North Carolina could be nearing a nuclear situation. Some posts draw comparisons to the Fukusihima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011.
THE QUESTION
Has the Brunswick plant entered a "state of emergency" and are the reactors dangerous?
THE ANSWER
The Brunswick reactors were classified as having an "unusual event," Saturday, by the NRC and Duke Energy who operates them.
That's the lowest level of "emergency" classified by the NRC and in this case when VERIFY reached out to Duke Energy and the NRC we found out that it was due to flooding around the facility.
So, yes, the facility is in a heightened state of emergency. But based off statements by Duke Energy, the NRC and FEMA, it is due to nearby flood waters blocking roadways, not any damage to the facility or reactors themselves.
FEMA also claimed that "both reactors at Brunswick are safe and stable. They both have power from the grid and their safety systems are working normally."
WHAT WE FOUND
Duke Energy shut down the two reactors in Brunswick the Thursday before the storm as a safety precaution.
Brunswick, like other nuclear facilities is equipped with redundant power supplies including multiple generators to keep the system shut down and cooled even if the power grid were to go down.
According to a Duke Energy spokesperson, there are rotating staff members on site at the reactor to provide around the clock monitoring until the reactors can be brought back online and fully functioning status.
The spokesperson said the "unusual activity" call was due to one of the facilities access roads being flooded.
They assured VERIFY that this was "really nothing unusual," and that there were no concerns of damage or potential danger from the facility.
The spokesperson explained that while only some larger vehicles are able to access the facility right now, the staff on site is also being replenished and rotated out by helicopter when necessary.
FEMA also published a response to the claims:
"Fact: Both reactors at Brunswick are safe and stable. They both have power from the grid and their safety systems are working normally. Plant operators declared an unusual event, the lowest NRC emergency classification, due to flood waters and storm damage limiting access to the site by personal vehicles."
As of Monday afternoon, the reactors remained in "hot shutdown." That is a controlled shutdown state where the control rods are inserted into coolant and the radioactive material's output is brought down to a significantly minimal level.
We can verify that the Brunswick plant was put into an "unusual event" status by authorities, but any claims it is dangerous or on the verge of something worse are false.
ABOUT BRUNSWICK
According to Duke Energy documentation, the Brunswick plant is a two-unit nuclear plant located north of Southport, North Carolina.
It was the first nuclear plant built in the state and began operation in 1995.
When running at full output, it is able to provide 1,870 megawatts of power through a boiling water reactor system based off uranium dioxide as a fuel source.
