John's Blog

On This Day: TMI
This was an anniversary that I almost missed. Way before TMI became an acronym for "too much information" it was shorthand for Three Mile island, which became well known on this date in 1979 when it suffered a partial meltdown. And I was lucky enough to be living close to the plant when it happened.

It was a normal day, and I had gone for my morning run on a road that ironically took me past a point at the top of a hill where the plant was clearly visible. Up until that day the sight of TMI in the distance was something I always liked to see. Later in the day, I flipped on the TV, and hear the news of "the event". The media message at that point was along the lines of "remain calm; all is well". That would change.

Soon, uncertainty and fear became the order of the day. Details began to emerge that quickly exposed that this was bigger than we were first led to believe. The fact that The China Syndrome was in theaters probably didn't help the mood. There was talk of evacuation of the immediate area; I was living just outside of the evacuation radius but I didn't find that of too much comfort. The idea that we might have to leave, perhaps never to come back was a pretty sobering thought. My boss (who lived within the radius) called me and said he wasn't waiting until the authorities made up their mind, and this seemed like a good time to visit his daughter in Virginia. There went my "exit strategy".

Eventually, things got sorted out, but you knew that. But for two days there were many uneasy and nervous people. Like many "crisis" moments, in retrospect they seem less serious than they appear at the time. The biggest surprise to me now is that It seems like it was only yesterday.