Hurricane Irma poses threat to nuclear power plants

Hurricane Irma is posing a major threat to Florida’s nuclear plants on Saturday, as it takes aim at the state’s southwestern coast. 

The Category 3 storm is expected to make landfall on Florida’s southwest coast, putting it in close proximity with two reactors at the Turkey Point plant. 

{mosads}Florida Power & Light (FPL) said it would shut the plant down well before weather conditions deteriorate at the plant, which is located 30 miles south of Miami. 

Irma is also threatening a plant near Port St. Lucie, which has two reactors on a barrier island off of Florida’s east coast. 

The plant is also expected to be shut down before wind conditions worsen. 

Florida is bracing for Irma’s impact, which is expected to bring as much as fifteen feet of storm surges in the southwest portion of the state.