hurricane irma pose tough test yet u.s. nuclear power plant since reactors strengthen defenses natural disasters follow fukushima daiichi nuclear accident japan 2011. irma course hit south florida early sunday slam cuba category storm weaken category storm maximum sustain wind 130 miles per hour 210 km per hour saturday expect strengthen reach florida bring storm surge state home four coastal nuclear reactors national hurricane center forecast track show irma make landfall southwest side florida peninsula west two nuclear reactors turkey point plant operator florida power light fpl say shut turkey point well hurricane-strength wind reach plant reactors 30 miles 42 kilometers south miami fpl say also shut nuclear plant florida st lucie also two reactors barrier island state east coast 120 miles 193 km north miami shut reactors 24 hours category force wind forecast hit fpl chief executive eric silagy tell news conference fpl say turkey point st lucie design withstand storm strong ever record region plant elevate 20 feet meter sea level protect flood extreme storm surge south miami mayor philip stoddard say concern potential flood damage power generators turkey point turn might threaten ability plant keep spend nuclear fuel rods cool fukushima japan earthquake tsunami disrupt power supply cause fuel units meltdown whole site pretty well able handle dangerous wind real problem perspective water stoddard say say worry nuclear waste reactors real question keep spend fuel cool peter robbins fpl spokesman say mayor stoddard wrong turkey point safe ready hurricane irma u.s. nuclear operators take step improve preparations disasters since fukushima u.s. nuclear regulatory commission nrc require plant install portable pump generators keep water move fuel rods spend fuel pool even offsite power supply lose nuclear plant also hire staff store equipment need deal reactor problems things good today march 2011. time tell whether good prove good enough say dave lochbaum director watchdog group nuclear safety project union concern scientists nrc say post inspectors two florida plant consider send inspectors plant georgia south carolina storm head way nrc say plant compromise irma storm surge storm surge forecast see far challenge sit design say nrc spokesman scott burnell florida plant previously weather major storm turkey point take hit hurricane andrew category storm 1992 damage smokestack fossil fuel plant site repair cost 90 million st lucie withstand back-to-back impact hurricanes frances category jeanne category 2004. fpl shut st lucie last october hurricane matthew skirt florida coast lochbaum say nrc industry could reduce vulnerability flood january 2014 50,000 gallons rainwater leak st lucie plant heavy downpour nrc study blame degrade miss flood seal discover check fukushima also spend nuclear fuel site third power plant florida stop operate 2009. crystal river plant own duke energy corp duk.n duke process transfer use fuel spend fuel pool plant dry cask storage part work decommission plant storage fuel long need cool nrc burnell say duke suspend work transfer rods ahead irma say fuel safe plant also backup power even though shut years irma expect disrupt much florida power supply fpl state large electric company warn irma could cut service 4.1 million nearly million customers fpl one four large publicly trade utilities florida natural disasters since fukushima shut plant earthquake virginia 2011 shut dominion energy inc d.n north anna plant 2-1/2 months time take complete full damage inspection plant sustain major damage hurricane sandy 2012 cause three reactors u.s. northeast shut inflict serious damage hurricane irma pose tough test u.s. nuclear industry since fukushima