Bataan Nuclear Power Plant - counting our blessings

A Huge Natural Disaster Wreaks Destruction Across The Philippines – Bataan Nuclear Power Plant

Nuclear News,

10 November, 2013

Haiyan wrought havoc throughout the Philippines when the storm began to gather steam on November 2, 2013. The storm quickly expanded to well over 500 miles with sustained winds nearing 200 mph and even higher gusts. The hurricane ripped through Albay province just recently as unprecedented winds tore off roofs and waves reached as high as 40 feet in some areas. Nearly 10,000 people are feared dead.

The Philippines put into place a National Disaster Risk Reduction

and Management Council to help prepare for natural disasters like Haiyan.

In late September, 2010, the Philippine Disaster Risk and Reduction

Management Act was promulgated to strengthen the disaster planning andrecovery capability in response to Typhoon Ondoy.

Luckily, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was never fully activated.

The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is 45 miles west of Manila  atop volcanic activity. Bataan seemed destined to become the first operating nuclear plant

in Southeast Asia until the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster. Then, the Philippine government mothballed the nuclear power plant.

The NOAA Hurricane database shows that Haiyan is a huge storm on its global radar. In fact, Haiyan may be the largest storm in recorded history! An August, 1931 flood and tidal wave off the Huang He River in China killed over 3 million people.

Currently, the International Red Cross is managing aid to the Philippines along with other charitable groups and major organizations like CARE.