If A Nuclear Bomb Exploded In Downtown Washington, What Should You Do? -- Marc Ambinder, The Week
Funny question in the headline, yes?
But since President Obama worries more about the threat of terrorists' improvised nuclear device going off in a major American city than anything Russia can throw at us, I was wondering if the government had deigned to share with us citizens any tips for, you know, surviving something their own intelligence points to as the likeliest unlikely Black Swan event.
Well, no. And yes.
No — very few people in Washington, D.C., who work for the government have any idea what they would do if a 10-kiloton nuclear device exploded at the intersection of 16th and K streets.
You can always look to movies to figure this stuff out, right? And in movies, since nuclear radiation is BAD, the thing to do is to get away from it as quickly as possible. In the movies, electronics are fried, too, the response is chaotic, and hundreds of thousands of people die.
Read more ....
My Comment: Some interesting facts and pointers in this post .... facts and pointers that I hope I will never have to use.
3 comments:
Hide inside a fridge ( indiana jones) if he can survive doing that, why cant i?
This is actually a very good article. Basically, the government has re-written their rules for any incident. Shelter in place, as long as your building is intact, and plan to be there for at least 24-72 hours without expectation of help arriving. Check the wind, if the cloud is moving away from you, it's okay to leave after 24 hours. If not, stay there as long as you can or until you get clearance to evacuate.
It's always a good idea to have at least a WEEK of non-perishable food for each person in your house, a well-supplied basic first aid kit, as as much water as you can get. Make sure you fill your bathtubs with water to use for your toilets. There's a product called a WaterBob which will let you store almost a hundred gallons of water in your bathtub while keeping it clean and drinkable.
Don't worry about iodine or radiation sickness unless you are directly in the path of the fallout, ten miles or less from the blast. The amount of radiation you will receive, if you shelter in place in a well-constructed building, will be relatively low.
Make sure if you evacuate that you bring your vital records, house deed, etc.
One more important thing, if your children are in school and an attack happens, DO NOT GO TO GET THEM!
The school officials are actually well-trained and will keep your children safe as long as necessary. Wait until the danger has passed and you are told to pick them up. You will only endanger your life and the life of your children if you try to leave, and they probably won't let you in or take your kids if the situation is really bad.
http://www.ki4u.com/guide.htm
Extremely extensive 'what to do if a nuclear detonation is imminent' site.
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