How to Survive a Nuclear Blast

Survive a Nuclear Blast

Know the Signs

In a traditional nuclear exchange warning times might be as little as three to four minutes (for the UK and Europe) or from 15-30 minutes for the U.S. and Canada.

Air raid sirens (if they still exist in your community) and public emergency systems would be put to use to notify you of an impending attack. Do not ignore these! Even if you feel your community may not be at risk in a nuclear exchange you should still find shelter as only the enemy knows all of the targets that will be hit.

In a large scale nuclear exchange the tactic of using an electro-magnetic pulse from a high-yield nuclear weapon detonated high above a target country or area would most likely be used. This would cause all sorts of electronic devices to fail from cell phones to automobiles.

If you notice that all vehicles and electronics in your immediate area have failed all at once then it is almost a sure sign that a nuclear attack is imminent.

On the other hand, nuclear attack from a terrorist might come with little to no warning, in which case you must know what to do immediately.

In either case the following steps do apply.

Step 1: Don't Look at the Flash

It's tempting -- I know. However, watching the flash from a nuclear explosion is nothing like rubbernecking a traffic accident. The resulting burst of light is several times brighter than the sun. Witnessing this level of brilliance can produce temporary blindness for the lucky, and permanent loss of sight for the truly curious. The best course of action? Look away from the flash and put a barrier over your eyes. Keeping your eyesight is paramount -- you'll need it for all of the remaining steps.


Step 2: Find Cover From the Blast
The blast cloud from a 50-megaton bomb, shown at right, reaches into the stratosphere
The blast cloud from a 50-megaton bomb, shown at right, reaches into the stratosphere

The seconds following the initial flash are critical. Luckily, factors like explosive yield, weather, and distance can lessen the effects of the shock wave -- but don't kid yourself, it's coming. The best method for weathering this stage is finding an ideal barrier between yourself and the combination of extreme pressure, heat, thermal radiation and 500mph winds headed your way. This is where survival gets a little tricky.

Given the number of variables present in a city setting, there's no surefire way to avoid this wall of death (save for getting underground). However, hunkering down in a blast resistant or brick building and staying away from windows can help your odds. Likewise, in a high rise or apartment setting, you'll want to make your way above the first few floors and get low somewhere in the middle of the building.

If you are unable to find any of these shelters fast enough then stay as low to the ground as possible. Hunkering or laying behind the curb of a sidewalk or other small impediment facing the blast is better than taking the brunt of it standing as the pressure wave can cause massive internal damage.

Most deaths from a nuclear explosion are attributed to flying debris, mainly glass. Just like in an earthquake try to keep your vital organs and head covered with your arms.

* NOTE:* A 1950s refrigerator will not keep you safe from the blast.

Step 3: Assess the Landscape

Look for escape routes or potential ad-hoc fallout shelters. With the majority of the blast damage done, another pressing issue lies ahead -- radiation exposure. Fallout is typically at its worst shortly after the blast, so time is of the essence. Depending on the magnitude of the explosion, it can last as long as three weeks, but variables like wind speed, terrain and weather can change this.


Topside Survivors

Survivors caught topside during the blast are in an especially precarious situation. Everything from clothing to hair is likely contaminated and prolonged exposure to this environment can result in acute radiation sickness and eventually death. The primary goal should be assessing the landscape and either heading underground, or fleeing the area. In general, any area that's downwind of the blast or rife with heavy crosswinds should be avoided during evacuation. Open areas at a lower elevation than the blast site should also be avoided, as they become hotbeds for settling radioactive material.
Underground Survivors

If fleeing the initial blast took you underground to a basement or subway tunnel, then you're most likely ahead of the game. Since the Earth insulates the majority of topside radiation, the next priority should be finding food, water and sealing any access points that might let in falling radioactive debris. Also, it's advisable to mark the outside of the entryway to let disaster workers know that you're inside.

Step 4: Decontaminate

Finding a fallout-safe location is only half the battle. The other half is keeping your refuge radiation-free. Anything that was outdoors during the blast (including people) has likely been contaminated. As such, survivors should undergo a quick and dirty decontamination process before entering shelter. A thorough rubdown with soap and water should do the trick for skin and hair, and a vigorous brushing of clothing should help. It sounds trite, but it helps. Just make sure not to go nuts with the scrubbing -- an open wound is begging for internal contamination.
Step 5: Wait for Rescue

Given the extreme rarity of nuclear explosions in urban areas, it's likely that somebody is on the way to help (barring any doomsday scenarios). However, the obvious dangers of fallout should prevent you from aimlessly wandering the landscape and yelling for help. If you're lucky enough to have escaped with a radio or cell phone, give it a shot. It will most likely work. Unlike Hollywood nuclear explosions, electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) only happens when high-yield nuclear weapons are detonated in the upper atmosphere.

Do not leave untill rescue teams have given the all clear. If the attack occurs due to a nuclear conflict there might be multiple attacks on the same target area or surrounding targets. Military bases, airports, industrial centers, power plants, and ports all could be potential targets as well as the city they surround.

Tip: No matter what, always remember -- dot dot dot, dash dash dash, dot dot dot is Morse code for "S.O.S."

Thought it was a good idea post this. It's a really nice guide, and it isn't to much to read.

[edit on 21-2-2010 by Phlynx]

[edit on 21-2-2010 by Phlynx]

Originally posted by Phlynx
Survive a Nuclear Blast

All you have to do is

Originally posted by dereks

Originally posted by Phlynx
Survive a Nuclear Blast

All you have to do is

Depends on your location compared to the blast...

Take it from a Army Vet -

If you're where you can see the blast/flash. You're screwed. Find a nice place to stretch out, get good and limber and put your head thru your legs and kiss your arse good bye.

Period.

How to survive a nuclear blast: Be 100 or more miles away from it.

How tio have a second line.....Just type one.

This is a thread about Israel????? :: Backs away slowly ::

Originally posted by mazzroth
Everyone should move to Israel because its full of "Gods" people and he wouldn't let them get nuked would he ?

How could he let his "Own" die ? they are the promised ones not to mention the chosen ones and are invincible.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/4d44270e0b37.jpg[/atsimg]

The easiest way to survive a nuclear blast is to avoid areas that are likely to be subjected to a nuclear blast. As long as you aren't in a city with more than 100,000 people, near a missile silo or a major military installation or some other important infrastructure point, your chances of surviving the immediate effects of a full nuclear exchange aren't half bad.
Otherwise, your best bet is to get below ground level.

That said, fallout worries me an awful lot more than immediate nuclear blast effects.

This Thread proves it>>>>>>>>>>

Wow I thought 1960 had me ready

Welcome to 1st grade

Is this what ATS is about

reply to post by Phlynx


You know the thing here is how on earth could you be ahead of the game in a subway, maybe a basement or shelter with food and water for weeks, but in a subway you'll be dead in a few tortured days without water, and not long after without food. What??? Should you eat the others in there???? Since there are a few psychos out there, you wouldnt want to be in that situation.

yup if you can see it, its over..

you do not wanna live thru a nuclear apocalypse, not to be rude but you don't, god bless you if your a woman and wanna survive thru it..

I think most people just like the excitement, yet the reality is nope..

you will be crying like a baby..

how to survive a nuclear blast. Sigh, get underground or head for the water on a ship.. Get as far out as you can..

Head south..

And these tips are good for up to how many feet from the initial blast?

What??? Should you eat the others in there???? Since there are a few psychos out there, you wouldnt want to be in that situation.

[edit on 21-2-2010 by randyvs]

RADIATION

I never ceased to be amazed by these creinous imbeciles who claim to be "survival experts" and spout utter garbage based on their experiences living in the jungle or the bush. A post-nuclear world would be unlike any other form of disaster.

In hurricanes, civil disorder etc, a key objective would be learning how to hunt, etc which is at EXTREME odds with surviving a post-nuclear war.

After a nuclear bomb blast, fallout will contamated comprehensively, so all that food etc that people will be fighting over will actually by lethally toxic, so don't bother. One's most important item is not one's penknife or "mental state" but a geigercounter. Cold war ones are useless as they all need recharging from the mains electricity which, of course, will be dead. There is a much better alternative, however. MEDCOM (www.medcom.com) have an excellent range of light, hand-held geigercounters that run on rechargeable batteries.

Of all the isotopes, the most lethal as it will be everywhere is the radioactive iodine. This will contaminate food, solid, it will dissolve in water and will even contaminate the air itself. Iodine is absorbed into the body through the thyroid gland. One;'s body cannot tell between the radioactive and normal type, so the way to stop it is to stack one's body with ordinary iodine so that your body will not absorb any more iodine at all, which is why it is called a blocker. Commercial blockers are expensive, but it can be obtained cheaply as a vitamin suppliment as there is a disorder where people lack iodine normally. Alternatively, there is a last resort outrageous way to protect against radioactive iodine - the average 1 kilogramme packet of iodised salt contains precisely the amount of iodine that the body needs each day. Hence if you can't get hold of blocker, before a nuclear war, stack up on vast amounts of water and salt as you will need to consumer an ENTIRE PACKET OF SALT EVERY DAY.

As blocker only works by being total, if you have a family with insufficient iodine to protect everyone, it is an utter waste of tie sharing it out. Everyone will die. Iodine blocker must be TOTAL to work. So, howver terrible this is to say, if you have insufficient for every member of your family, you will need to decide who gets the full dose and who gets none as this will ensure that at least some of your family live. Also, one other factor should be born in mind when taking iodine blocker - the initial effects of an iodine overdose through taking too much blocker as identical to those of the first stages of terminal radiation sickness, so if you take the blokcer and you still seem to be going down with radiation sickness, do not dispair and throw it away, it could be iodine overload which you will live through.

THE POOR MAN'S GEIGERCOUNTER

Although no chemical test will show the presence of radiation directly, there is a way to get some idea of how safe something is. As the primary threat is radioactive iodine, testing for iodine will give you some idea. Starch turns black when in contact with iodine, so getting hold of some starch, as in for shirts being ironed will be a useful way to give you at least some idea of whether something is radioactive if you are dying of starvation.

DON'T TOUCH THE MEAT

Initially after a nuclear exchange, the butchers and stores could be still overflowing with beef, lamb and chicken. This is because all the farm animals will die from radiation sickness and farmers will try to swap their dead livestock for other food. Do not be fooled and part with a tin a beans for half a cow. It will be radioactive and lethal.

Once this absolute flood of meat has gone through, you probably won't see another steak or pork pie for the rest of your life by the way.

You could always do what Indiana Jones did and jump into a lead lined refrigerator and hope to your god that you make it through it....

FINDING A SAFE PLACE

The best way to survive a nuclear blast is not to be there when it happens. If you don't do your homework before hand, as in now, by the time of nuclear war it will be way too late.

The best way to find a safe place iss to take a map and eliminate all the unsafe places, and look at what is left. The worst places are in rough order are:-

- Areas just under occupation by an advancing army
- Government/parliament
- Government bunkers
- Nuclear silos
- Military air bases
- Military bases
- Major civil airports
- Major cities
- Cities with a population of over 100,000
- Steel works
- Hydro electric dams
- Port facilities
- Centres of telecommunications

The most UNSAFE PLACE ON EARTH is the United Kingdom. There are several reasons why...

1. It has over 450 primary and secondary targets, almost a record for any country on earth.
2. It has more primary and secondary targets per square miles that any other place on earth. It has been estimated that a first wave Russian attack would kill 30% of the population in the first hour and 90% would be dead in 6 months with no other form of attack. Further, just 3 nukes would kill nearly 90% in the long term, so being huit by 450 would clearly be a somewhat higher loss rate.
3. Civil defence is a joke and nearly non-existant.
4. The laws are insanely draconian in the event of a nuclear strike. The following become automatic in the event of a nuclear strike being imminent...
- All inmates in all prisons, either convicted or just on remand awaiting trial are to be executed by prison guard with revolvers or whatever other means, including beating to death with a hammer, if they run out of ammunition, one by one, cell by cell.
- It becomes a capital offence to drive on the road, police can execute you o sight.
- Crossing the M25 ring road around London, even by foot, will also be a capital offence.
- All private phones are instantly disconnected.
- After a nuclear strike, even where there is food to feed people, it would be withheld to ensure starvation of the weakest to reduce the population and to ensure that it could be used to force people to work as slaves in the aftermath.
- The work of cleaning all public buildings etc of fallout would be doe by those aged over 45 at gunpoint on the basis that they are expendible and they would no be fed but left to die.
- These are just a few of the regulations that would apply associated with a nuclear strike.

Most importantly if you are exposed to a nuclear fallout, be sure to get yourself and your family sterilized against having future bloodthirsty mutant children...just watched "The Hills Have Eyes" last night and yeah, it's bizarre--but the pictures shown were actual pictures of Hiroshima children with mutations and I admit it scared the S&^t out of me....

reply to post by aristocrat2


I don't question your post, but where did you get your list of things that the UK government would do in the case of a Nuclear Assault? Any references that you could link to please?

Here's a funny question to everyone who's saying that your going to kiss your a$$ good buy? I agree that there is a great chance of dieing if your within a certain radius from the explosion, but then there is this safe zone (cough) that our government was willing to put our soldiers at when they detonated this bomb...

[edit on 22-2-2010 by Alchemst7]

I live within 10 miles of a military airbase. I can only hope that it will be over quickly so my family doesn't suffer.