Hurricane Matthew’s damages at the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, S.C. were largely limited to downed trees and leaky roofs, according to Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the Department of Energy facility’s management and operations contractor.
Spokeswoman Barbara Smoak said site crews reported during a briefing Monday’s that about 80 trees fell across the 310-square-mile facility. “Our crews scrambled and got them up pretty quickly,” Smoak said. She said some facilities also suffered leaky roofs. Information on which structures were impacted was not immediately available, but Smoak said no substantial issues have been reported at any SRS facilities.
In response to the potential damages ofrom Hurricane Matthew, the site closed its gates to all nonessential personnel on Wednesday, leaving about 340 workers to maintain safety and security. All told, the site employs about 10,000 workers. Normal operations resumed at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
SRS essential personnel include those needed to man facilities for safe operations, to secure the site, and to handle initial response to any weather-related issues. “We do have a way to get essential personnel on site during the coastal evacuation so there are some shift changes for our facilities,” SRS spokesman Jim Giusti explained in an email.
SRS has found itself in a similar situation multiple times before. For example, the site entered into the nonessential mode last month during Hurricane Hermine.
Hurricane Matthew tore through the Caribbean last week, killing more than 1,000 in Haiti, according to news reports. Twenty-seven deaths and widespread damage have been reported across several southeastern U.S. states, The Weather Channel and other sources reported.
