Nuclear Disaster

This has been written as a reference guide for a nuclear disaster or attack. Such a thing is a looming specter for many. While unlikely, a nuclear event is certainly survivable and worth preparing for. To start off, we'd strongly recommended to read these first two brief guides. They lay the foundation of how a nuclear war, while a horrific event, is indeed survivable. At least far more than most people think.

What to do if a Nuclear Disaster is Imminent

The Good News about Nuclear Destruction

For a FAR more in-depth explanation, with additional definitions, shelter plans, and more, we'd strongly suggest reading (or purchasing,) Nuclear War Survival Skills. A free PDF is found here

Additionally, the Medical Implications of Nuclear War elaborates on the potential impacts. (Link)

Preparation for the blast:

First, let's tackle the primary dangers from a nuclear blast and how to prepare for it. What to do after and how to prepare for it will then be elaborated on.

NukeMap is a fantastic program that can simulate a nuclear blast (with varying yields,) and showcase the different dangers. Additionally, there's a lengthy FEMA document available regarding general information after a nuclear detonation. (Link)

Moving from ground zero after time of detonation outwards, the dangers of a nuclear blast are:

• The fireball.
• The blast wave/thermal pulse
• Fallout.

Fireball:

In short, the fireball is the core of the nuclear detonation. Likelihood of survival is little to none, as buildings and everything the fireball touches will be vaporized. That's the bad news. The good news is that modern weapons have lower yields than the giant, multi-megaton warheads of the Cold War. This is due to increased accuracy and decreasing returns on yield. A bigger warhead doesn't exponentially scale with more destruction- there comes a point of it being a waste in regards to resources. So, multiple, smaller warheads are generally what are on ICBMs for nuclear-armed nations. That means unless you're a direct target, the likelihood of being affected by the fireball is very, very low. For example, as per the NukeMap tool, let's look at the largest nuke in the U.S's current arsenal. The B-83 warhead which is 1.2 megatons. Most warheads are smaller- 300-800 kilotons.

Megatons (1 kiloton = 1000 pounds of TNT, 1 megaton = 1000 kilotons.)

Even with that large warhead, the actual fireball diameter is only 0.7 miles, or about 1.2km. Realistically, the primary action to take, if nuclear war is a present danger, is to NOT look at any bright flashes of light if expecting an attack. You can literally burn your eyeballs if you look at a nuclear detonation. Train yourself to glance away. So now we move on to the blast wave, which is one of the primary dangers.

Blast Wave/Thermal Pulse:

The Thermal Pulse is a wave of radiation that can start fires and cause burns many miles from ground zero. The range of the pulse sits between the moderate and light blast wave levels- for the B-83 (1.2 Megatons), the range from ground zero where you would get 3rd degree/full thickness burns is about 13 km (8 mi). It arrives first, before the blast wave. (Link)

The Blast Wave is a wave of overpressure pushed outwards by the expanding fireball. It can collapse buildings and is what causes such significant destruction many miles from ground zero. The blast wave can shatter windows, blow in walls, and is why the “duck and cover” drills ultimately would have helped- at least initially. Standing next to a window if a bomb goes off in the distance is not a good idea when that glass can shatter and be blown inwards.

Referring back to the large bomb in the U.S arsenal, the moderate blast wave reaches out about 7km (4.3 mi) from ground zero. A lighter blast wave reaches about 21km (13 mi) away.

So, now that we understand what we're trying to protect against, what can we do about it?

Ready.gov has a fantastic poster-style guide: (Link)

In summary: Get inside, STAY inside, and Stay Tuned.

If a nuclear attack is imminent:

1. Get inside/to shelter:
• a. Get into the most secure location you can that's protected from blast wave, thermal pulse, and fallout. That means the innermost room of a building, or, ideally, a basement. Other shelters include underground parking garages, etc. The more mass between you and the fallout, the better. Brick or concrete is best.
• b. If caught outside, lie down in a ditch, your head facing away from the nuclear blast. Anything to give yourself protection from the thermal pulse or flying debris is ideal (e.g. a culvert/drainage ditch.)
2. Get inside/Stay Inside:
• a. If arriving after fallout has begun to fall, remove contaminated clothing and wash unprotected skin.
• b. Stay indoors at least 24 hours. 72-hours to a week is best.

Fallout:

With staying indoors, we now come to the danger of fallout. Fallout is, in a nutshell, tiny dust particles generated from the nuclear detonation that emit radiation. The radiation primarily comes in three forms: Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. Radiation is blocked and/or slowed by mass. The denser the better. This is why bunkers are built from concrete, brick, or dense materials. It's also why Cold War instructions included diagrams for residents to build shelters inside their homes out of dirt/cinderblocks. (Diagrams and instructions are available in the Nuclear War Survival Skills book.)

Fallout is the byproduct of a nuclear blast; dirt and debris are sucked up into the fiery column and then distributed down as radioactive dust over a wide area. This primarily occurs 30-45 minutes after the nuclear blast, but, depending on conditions, can continue on for days or weeks after.

Basic types of Radiation in a Nuclear Strike:

Alpha: Least amount of penetrating power, but very dangerous if inhaled. Can be blocked by a piece of paper, or even air. This is why a mask is so important.

Beta: Can be blocked by thin layers such as clothing or aluminum sheeting. Solid barriers such as a wall, concrete, dirt, or rubber provide excellent protection.

Gamma: The most dangerous, as it can penetrate through feet of concrete. Requires extensive sheltering, but ideally relocating.

Fallout generally follows the 7-10 rule. This means for every 7 hours, the level of radiation decreases by a factor of 10. Example: 1000 rads/hour decreases to 100 rads/hour after 7 hours. After 14 hours, it's down to 10 rads/hour. 21 hours, and it's 1 rad/hour.

So, within 72 hours, 99% of the radiation will be gone. However, if you are in a fallout zone it would be ideal to shelter in place for 1-2 weeks. If it's a full-blown nuclear exchange, fallout may drift from other strike zones and be deposited at your location. Having a way to pick up the radiation levels is, as one might expect, essential.

The NukAlert device is recommend as a starting point. It's simple, cheaper than other options, and will work in a pinch. This product only detects Gamma radiation, however, and only at extremely high ranges (Nuclear War levels).

For advanced users, we'd suggest a calibrated CDV-715 & CDV-700 Geiger Counters/Ion Meters. KI4U is the only service in the U.S. that has a lab to calibrate these 60-year-old instruments. While not as accurate as digital ones, they're resistant/immune to the EMP put off by a nuclear blast, and built like a tank. The CDV-700 has a lower range and can detect Beta/Gamma radiation, but can get saturated by higher levels (hence why we'd recommend utilizing both.)

It's important to note that if shopping for an additional radiation meter, you look at the maximum levels for detection. The vast, vast majority don't reach levels present after a nuclear attack (measured in the more modern and accurate Micro/Mili/Nano Sieverts.) Digital meters will be more accurate, but more complex and vulnerable to an EMP unless you pay a significant amount or store them in a faraday cage.

If for whatever reason, you have to leave the shelter of your home before the fallout has dissipated, a mask is essential to prevent the particles from being inhaled. Fallout is varying sizes of particles of dust. An N95 is the bare minimum to keep you safe (with goggles), but a full-face respirator/filter that hits the 99.95% mark for filtration is ideal, such as the MIRA Safety Masks or commercially-available respirators with P100 filters.

We survived: Now what?

As the guides explained, a nuclear disaster is a horrific event, but survivable with a few basic preparations. After such an event, having a stockpile of general supplies would greatly help an already horrible situation before help arrives.

So, what comes next?

We've established that surviving the initial detonation is doable. Unfortunately, it's likely also the easiest part of surviving nuclear war. Now you have to content in a true grid-down scenario, with the added nastiness of residual radiation. Thankfully, that doesn't look too different from planning from a total infrastructure failure. This is where having at least a year's supply of food (MULTIPLE years if possible) is key.

Following a nuclear war, global temperatures will drop, the ozone layer will be damaged, and light levels will be decreased for many years. This results in lower crop yields and mass starvation. That's on top of the estimated 90%+ casualty figure that would result from an infrastructure failure outside of a nuclear war.

That means you have to be self-sufficient, and it's no small task. A self-sufficiency page is a guide in and of itself, but we'll be brief here.

Self-sufficiency following a nuclear war

Food

• You need 2000 calories/person/day. That's 730,000 calories for 1 person, for 1 year.
• Having a year's supply, or more, is ideal for this disaster. We personally suggest RainyDayFoods, as they offer a staples kit for just over $1000. You'll need to purchase a wheat grinder and know how to make bread, but it's a fantastic way to start. We would strongly suggest storing far more than you think you'll need. This includes with spices, pre-made meals, etc. BYU did an excellent study on the basics needed for a year's supply- which can beef up any basic kits you assemble or purchase. (Link)
• You will need to grow your own food. This will require removing the topsoil (contaminated with fallout,) and planting crops. Mass farming on a wide scale is unlikely due to lack of infrastructure and modern agricultural methods.
• (Advanced level) utilizing backup power, grow lights and a greenhouse would produce far better results than attempting to grow crops exposed outside due to decreased temperatures and light levels. Power could be provided by enough panels to compensate for low light levels, or significant stores of non-perishable fuel for a generator (propane.)

Water

• Surface water sources are likely to be contaminated by fallout, chemicals, and other debris. After a time, underground aquifers may become contaminated with radioactive elements which pose a threat long-term. Having a strong filter is key. We personally suggest a combination of Doulton SuperSterasyl filters, Lifestraw (such as Family/Community models,) or, ideally, a reverse-osmosis system.
• In addition to fallout, disease and chemical contamination will be extreme. Filtering water should be seen as a priority, as should stockpiling as much as you can.
• 1 gallon/person/day is the general recommendation.

First Aid

• Disease and infection will be the cause of many, many deaths in the weeks, months, and years following a nuclear war.
• Obtaining training is highly recommended. Bunker John is personally certified as a Wilderness First Responder, and what we'd suggest for above-the-basics training. WFR Training covers a wide range of potential injuries without venturing into EMT levels of training. We suggest starting with courses such as “Stop The Bleed” and “Basic CPR/First Aid” and working upwards from there.
• Stockpiling essential supplies: These include gauze, bandages, prescription medications, birth control, painkillers, anti-diarrhea, laxatives, and more. Solid-state (tablet) medications likely last for decades. (Link)
• Antibiotics are highly recommended. We personally suggest Jase Medical as a good company to start with, as they're one of the older telemedicine companies and very reliable. They recently added Prussian Blue to their medical kit add-ons, which is one of the only meds that can get radioactive elements out of the body. Contingency Medical and Duration Health are two other companies strongly recommended. (Links on the store page.)

Communications

• Having a battery powered radio is key for receiving alerts and updates on the situation at large. Mobile networks and the internet are likely to be inoperative. A radio can pick up a wide range of frequencies and should be a part of every emergency kit.
• HAM Radio is the best long-term communication method, but requires both training and power to broadcast. You can get a receive for far cheaper, however. Atmospheric conditions may cause interference following a nuclear war.

Self Defense

• This is a very personal subject, and all we can recommend is that people evaluate what they are comfortable with.
• Firearms are, categorically, the best way to defend yourself. Whether that is an option you wish to explore is up to you.
• A community is additionally the best way to secure safety long-term. This means friends and family you know before the disaster and have a plan set in place. Trusting after the disaster is fraught with dangers, as there will be a lot of desperate individuals. But again, it's a personal decision.
• A community is central to survival long-term after a nuclear war for many reasons. Division of labor, defense, food production, medical knowledge, and more. Individuals will likely not survive on their own.

While a very, very bleak disaster, the good news is that if you've read this far, you're already preparing for it with the first step; knowledge. So, you're already interested and taking that first step towards putting the odds in your favor. With cataclysmic disasters such as a nuclear war, all you can do is your best. And we hope this brief guide has helped you get started on that journey.

Until next time,

Bunker John.