Florida Storm Surge Swamps Nuclear Plant, Pro Golfer’s Home, Many More

Hurricane Helene’s storm surge along Florida’s western edges is being called the most devastating since 1921, responsible for destroying or heavily damaging hundreds of homes and businesses in the area.

One of those homes belonged to pro golfer John Daly, whose Clearwater Beach house northwest of Tampa was considered a total loss, according to Sports Illustrated and other news outlets.

Daly posted on social media Friday that the sea water had inundated his property.

“For everyone that has reached out, my family are all safe, but all our homes are not, as water is pouring out of every crevice,” Daly wrote. “Total loss and devastation after living here all my life! I still cannot imagine ALL we have lost, but we are SAFE and all can be replaced! Praise God!”

It was not reported if Daly carried flood insurance on the home.

The golfer, 58, is a two-time major winner on the PGA Tour. He is known for his big swing and big personality. Last week, he urged others to be safe during the storm.

Also hit by the floodwaters was a mothballed Duke Energy Corp. nuclear power plant near Crystal River, about 40 miles north of Clearwater and not far from the demolished town of Cedar Key.

Bloomberg news service reported that the plant, shuttered since 2013, took on a storm surge as deep as 12 feet, but radioactive material was not released, as reported in a filing with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“The whole site was flooded, including buildings, sumps, and lift stations. Industrial Wastewater Pond #5 was observed overflowing to the ground due to the surge,” according to the report, which was filed Friday, Bloomberg noted.

“We are still in the process of obtaining access and assessing the damage, but due to the nature of this event we anticipate difficulty with estimating the total discharge amount of wastewater, and impacts are unknown at this time,” the report said.

The used nuclear fuel at the site remains secure, Duke Energy said in a statement Sunday. “All radioactive material has been segmented and permanently packaged in shielded containers impervious to the effects of extreme weather,” the company said.

Top photo: The crippled Crystal River nuclear plant in Crystal River, Florida, in 2013. Duke Energy closed the plant after botched repairs and planned to use $835 million from an insurance settlement to refund consumers forced to pay for higher-cost replacement power. (AP Photo/The Tampa Bay Times, Maurice Rivenbark)

Topics Florida Windstorm