- Special Sections - Restaurant Guide Explosions and fires
rocked the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan just
days after the country was devastated by an earthquake and
tsunami in mid-March. Weeks later, a large-scale nuclear
disaster was avoided, for now. The near-catastrophe drew
worldwide attention to nuclear power and the potential dangers
of radioactive materials. The United States government
recommended a 50-mile evacuation zone around the site to avoid
harmful radiation in Japan. Parts of Catawba County are within
10 miles of Duke Energy's McGuire Nuclear Station, leaving many
to wonder what county residents should do if and when a nuclear
disaster occurs. What is McGuire Nuclear Station? McGuire
Nuclear Station, located in Huntersville, is one of three
nuclear facilities operated by Duke Energy in North and South
Carolina. Duke Energy has about 2.2 million customers in the
Carolinas, and about half of that energy is generated through
nuclear power. About 1,200 employees work for the McGuir