Life After People, a documentary which explores the outcome of what would happen if humans suddenly vanished from Earth, goes into great detail on the impact our sudden disappearance would have on the power grid. Of particular interest are nuclear power plants. After two days, when electricity is not being pulled, nuclear power plants shut down and go into a safe mode. Without people operating them these plants will continue to have enough fuel to generate power for a couple years.

Without proper maintenance however, in a few months time, these plants will breakdown and reach critical failures. Radiation will leak from the stores into the air and water. With enough build up and damage, the nuclear reactor cores become unstable and explode.

This may be of particular interest to the people of Arklay Island. In northern California, just south of the city of Eureka, there is a nuclear power plant in Humbolt Bay. The location is pretty close to the setting.

http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/NR/rdonlyres/FF83953D-6D9A-4D7E-968B-971F32B23E9A/0/NuclearMap.jpg

When that nuclear plant fails, it will have quite the impact upon the island. Fortunately however, winds will carry off much of the radiation away from the survivors. However, the explosion would send tremors through the surrounding area and even bring great and mighty waves to batter shores and surrounding islands. Fallout particles will only last for about a week or two. They would however taint everything at the site of the explosion and several miles outward for a very-very-very-very long time. This would cut off survivors from salvaging off the most immediate mainland; the closest lands, and all items within it, would be too far poisoned with radioactivity to be salvageable.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by  alteripseity-resident.
• This topic was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by  alteripseity-resident.
• This topic was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by  alteripseity-resident.
• This topic was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by  alteripseity-resident.