What would happen if nuclear power plant melted down?

A meltdown is considered very serious because of the potential for radioactive materials to breach all containment and escape (or be released) into the environment, resulting in radioactive contamination and fallout, and potentially leading to radiation poisoning of people and animals nearby.

What would happen to nuclear power plants in an apocalypse?

In a zombie apocalypse, the extensive maintenance a nuclear reactor requires will inevitably fall short as the economy, roads, and transit systems stagnate and decay.

Will nuclear power plants go into meltdown if operators are absent?

Nuclear power plants will be unlikely to go into a meltdown scenario in the event of operators’ absence. After several days, most will shut themselves down if they have not received maintenance.

What happens in the worst case of nuclear meltdown?

In a worst-case meltdown scenario the puddle of hot fuel could melt through the steel containment vessel and through subsequent barriers meant to contain the nuclear material, exposing massive quantities of radioactivity to the outside world. How can a meltdown be averted?

What would happen if all the nuclear reactors in the world?

If many of the 400+ nuclear reactors in the world were to all fail simultaneously (or within a very narrow window of time), an enormous amount of radiation would be released into our atmosphere. This radiation would travel with the weather patterns, and spread along much of world, killing off most surface dwelling life.

What is the biggest nuclear disaster in the world?

Nuclear Meltdowns and Disasters On March 11, 2011, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale struck Japan, bringing a destructive tsunami along with it. On April 26, 1986, a reactor at the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine exploded, causing the worst nuclear accident the world has seen.