Nuclear Survival Before, During and After the Blast:
With the world in turmoil and rogue nations gathering plutonium for nuclear warheads, nuclear preparedness should never be ignored. Learn to stay safe before, during and after "the blast".
EVACUATION and SHELTER are the two basic ways people can protect themselves from the effects of a nuclear attack.
Survey your living quarters to identify security gaps or possible gaps in the roof or around windows and doors where water/rain can get in. I have always believed that you can't caulk (silicone) enough. Have extra caulk, rubberized tape (Flex Seal) and, of course, Duct Tape for emergency repairs.
Stay Informed: Listen to the news for updates. An enemy nuclear attack probably would be preceded by a period of international tension or crisis and outbreaks of hostilities (cascade of events) in several parts of the world. This crisis period would alert citizens to the possibility of attack. That crisis period should be used for emergency preparations.
Months Before the Blast:
Gather a minimum of 2 weeks supply (or more) of food, water, toiletries, medications, first aid and other necessary items.
Find or build an emergency shelter. If possible, convert a designated area of the house into a shelter to avoid having to leave home.
Keep vehicles fueled up and in good condition
Store valuables and important documents, to be left behind, in a safe place
Review home security (locks and board-up) if you have to leave home
Practice all plans and preparations with all family members
Know where local emergency shelters are located if you need to evacuate your home
Immediate Threat of Attack:
Cover plants/garden, water well and external equipment and filled storage containers with tarps or plastic sheeting.
Avoid, or escape, areas that could potentially be prime targets for a nuclear attack.
Go to emergency shelter or Safe Room (with at least 2 weeks of supplies) if there is an immediate threat of attack.
Leave children at school/daycare. You may not make it in time to pick them up. They will be protected where they are.
Get to the Safe Room, Shelter or lowest level, and center, of the strongest nearby shelter and away from windows.
If unable to find shelter, lay flat, face down, looking at the ground with hands on your head.
DO NOT look at any nuclear blasts
After the Blast/Shockwave:
Seek shelter to avoid the coming fallout.
Do not leave shelter until it is safe.
Remove and seal clothing in a plastic bag to avoid radiation to the body.
Wash clothes and entire body ASAP, using soap and [emergency] water only, to limit contamination.
DO NOT go outside for at least 48 hours to avoid radioactive material/fallout.
Limit outside exposure for the next three (3) months. It can take up to 90 days for material to decay.
Wear clean clothes (multiple layers), leaving NO skin exposed from head to toes when outside.
After being outside, shake clothes in a sealed area to decontaminate. Wash exposed skin.
Use Potassium Iodide, to prevent/reduce radiation sickness, after nuclear radiation exposure
Use [Stable] Iodine for Nuclear Fallout to Counter Radioactive Iodine
GARDEN: - Tarps or plastic sheeting (before the event) is a great idea to cover your crops and protect them from radioactive particles settling on the leaves or in the soil.
- After an event, you’d remove the plastic carefully and avoid stirring up dust.
- Produce grown before exposure and kept clean should be much safer than anything grown in contaminated soil later on.
That said, any radiological event—even a dirty bomb—can leave behind contamination that requires professional cleanup. Radioactive particles can linger in soil, water and porous surfaces, and depending on the material used, the area might be off-limits or under monitoring for months, years, or even decades.
No matter how well you prep, long-term safety will depend on expert evaluation and decontamination.
WILDLIFE & WILD EDIBLES: It should go without saying that animal and plant life will die or be unfit to be eaten after a nuclear fallout event. The edible food supply (and exposed water sources) will be limited to the covered, packaged and unexposed.
WATER: Normally, preppers could rely upon any number of water purification techniques to render unclean water safe and ready to use, but the insidious nature and persistence of radiation means that most, if not all, of our typical water purification methods simply will not work but there are some options to reduce or eliminate radiation-contaminated water. Covering over a deep water well will reduce contamination from above however, the water will have had less exposure than water from more shallow sources and will likely require less treatment. Distillation will remove radioactivity particulates. Reverse Osmosis contraptions are typically large and bulky and require electricity. And there are more primitive ways to filter water using uncontaminated clay, silt, earth and rocks.
Related Resources:
Ways to Disaster-Proof Your Home
Nuclear Radiation Shielding and Halving Thickness Values
Essential Items for Your Nuclear Survival Kit
How to Survive a Nuclear Blast (video)
FEMA Nuclear Explosion Page and Survival Guide
Radiation Exposure Medications [Link 2] [Link 3]
Other (free) Publications
Grab & Go Kit Considerations
Protecting Electronics from EMP
Using Sandbags for Nuclear Defense
How to Survive a Nuclear War: 10 Ways to Stay Alive
The movie, The Day After (watch here), is a frightening story of the weeks leading up to, and following, a nuclear strike on the United States and the effects of a devastating nuclear holocaust on small-town residents of eastern Kansas.
[Plot Summary] [Cast]
[Author's Reference Link]
[11-Cs Basic Emergency Kit]
[14-Point Emergency Preps Checklist]
[Immediate Steps to Take When Disaster Strikes]
[Learn to be More Self-Sufficient]
[The Ultimate Preparation]
[P4T Main Index]
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