Every day there seems to be a new threat on the horizon, another belligerent actor to worry about. Will North Korea test America's power? Is Iran secretly developing its nuclear arms? Will China and America come into conflict as China threatens America's preeminent position in the world? The Cold War threat of nuclear was is back, and every responsible adult must now consider how to survive in the day and weeks after an attack.
Suddenly the threat of nuclear war is back, and nuclear survival is once again a prominent concern. Based largely on survival guides from he Cold War, I talk a little bit about risks from nuclear blasts,firestorms and fallout, Not so much an apocalyptic scenario but close enough.
Blast, Firestorm, and Fallout.
The three main dangers in a nuclear attack are the initial blast, the ensuing firestorm, and the subsequent radioactive fallout. The explosion and firestorm are easy to understand. Most people in the blast radius will die instantly, and the heat from he blast will kill a lot more in the firestorms that may engulf cities.
The fallout will be more widespread, but it is also easier to protect against them. Surface nuclear blasts kick up vast amounts of radioactive dust into the atmosphere; what falls back to earth is called fallout.
If you don't protect yourself, radiation sickness
in the short term and cancer in the long run. Both can lead to death.
No place is safe from fallout, even rural areas far from nuclear blasts. The dust is kicked high into the atmosphere and can fall back over thousands of miles. However, the dangerous effects of radioactivity are considerably reduced after just two days, making this period the critical moment. Nevertheless, when unsure of fallout levels, staying inside a shelter for two weeks is the safest option.
Stay tuned for the next post on the types of nuclear shelters