Fierce Storm Hits Denmark, Sweden - nuke plant shuts down

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Storm takes out nuclear plant .. not Y2K (so far)

Friday December 3 8:42 PM ET 

Fierce Storm Hits Denmark, Sweden  

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - A storm packing winds of more 
than 100 mph swept across the area Friday night, killing at least 
three people and forcing ferries, an airport and a nuclear reactor to 
halt their operations.  

Officials said the shutdown of the reactor at the Barsebaeck power 
plant in southern Sweden was routine because of a short circuit 
outside the structure and did not pose a safety threat.  

``This does happen every once in a while,'' said Anders Jorle, a 
spokesman for the Swedish nuclear power inspection agency. ``It's 
a concern for the consumers of electricity but it's not any safety 
problem.''  

Barsebaeck, about 25 miles east of Copenhagen, provides power in 
southern Sweden, where thousands were without electricity Friday 
night.  

The duty officer at the plant, Christer Palm, said power could not 
be restored before morning because of the storm.  

Meanwhile, a coastal vessel was reported in difficulty in the high 
seas off Denmark's western coast. A rescue helicopter and at least 
one Danish ship were heading to assist the Finsjord of the Dutch 
Antilles, according to the Danish navy.  

The heavy rain and winds also forced the closure of at least two 
bridges, and police warned people to stay indoors because of what 
Denmark's Meteorological Institute called the country's worst storm 
in recent times.  

The storm knocked over trees and electrical cables, disrupting 
traffic and train travel all over the country and across the border in 
Sweden.  

Two people were killed when trees fell on their cars in Denmark, 
police said. Police also said a woman died after she was hit by a 
flying tile, and channel TV2 reported that a German woman died 
after a trailer fell on her in the west. Identities or other details were 
not immediately available.  

The storm caused flooding in several towns and villages along the 
west coast and damaged at least one dike, police said. Authorities 
evacuated up to 80 people in the southwestern Denmark village of 
Ballum because of flooding, police said, revising an earlier figure.  

Ferry connections to Sweden and Norway, and those between 
Danish islands were also suspended due to the rough sea. The 
Copenhagen airport and Denmark's second-largest airport in  
Billund, western Denmark, both were closed. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	
Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Division		Fax:(714) 668-3149 	                   		    
ICN Biomedicals, Inc.				E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 				                           
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Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Personal Website:  http://www.geocities.com/scperle
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com
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