Reactors and Earthquakes

In typical fashion we can expect the media to get all breathless about the problems at Fukushima Daiichi reactor. The real story is that the reactor is a testament to the robust designs of modern power plants. The size of the quake was far beyond the designed tolerance of the reactor but the containment did not fail and is not expected to fail. Compare that to the death toll at an affected oil refinery and from the raging household fires. Depending on the damage to Fukushima, the plant may be ready to be back on line before the repairs to the grid to use the electricity are complete.