What To Do During A Nuclear Terrorist Attack

THE INITIAL BLAST
The blast from a nuclear explosion can cause injury and death, and the nearer you are to the blast the higher the risk. You will need to shield yourself and your family from the force of the explosion as well as from the heat and radiation that is being emitted. There are a number of places that you can use to shelter in such as a basement, in the car or under furniture. If you are actually out and about, you should seek shelter in a ditch or behind a hill. It is important to keep the time that you are exposed to the dangers of a blast to a minimum, so you should look for appropriate shelter as quickly as possible.

AFTER THE BLAST
It is important to have some sort of fallout shelter in mind as this is what will protect you against the hazards of contamination. You will need to find shelter that is as far as possible from the blast and also look for shelter that is upwind from the blast. You should ensure that the shelter that you have in mind also has food and water that is uncontaminated (such as bottled water and tins of food that will last for a while). You may need to stay away for a long period of time depending on the extent and severity of the contamination.

SURVIVING A NUCLEAR ATTACK ON A MAJOR CITY:
There are some important basic guidelines that need to be followed in the event of a nuclear attack wherever you live. However, if you are in a major city then you need to consider some additional points. Firstly, you should consider your location. If you live close to a place that could be considered a primary target (e.g. a government building) then a shelter is unlikely to protect you against the blast of an attack because you will be too close. You should therefore make plans for evacuation and you need to ensure that you find out what type of warning system the city operates in order to ensure that you can evacuate as soon as is necessary.

You will also need to find out where you can go – perhaps to a friend or relation or maybe to a communal shelter within the city. Again, you should check whether there are any buildings that officials plan to use as makeshift shelters in the event of an emergency. If you do not live all that close to a primary target but you still live in a major city, then you should consider a shelter or at least a room that you can use as a shelter. Many major cities consist of tall apartment blocks, which mean that you will not have a basement of your own to use as a shelter. In this case you should speak to the building manager for advice on which room should be designated as a shelter should the need arise.

If you do have your own home in the city rather than an apartment in a block then you may find that you will need to take shelter there for a while following a nuclear attack. You should never assume that you will be evacuated – the sheer number of people living and working in the city could mean that the streets become too jammed to effectively evacuate. And if you are going to be holed up in a shelter within your home for a while you will need to ensure that you have adequate stocks of basic survival products such as sealed water bottles, tinned food, first aid, medication and blankets for warmth.

If you are out and about in the city when a nuclear attack occurs, you should literally dive for cover and do not look up at the blast as this could blind you. Find a ditch; run to the nearest building – anywhere that you might be able to find shelter as low down as possible. If you are in a car, you should wind down the windows to avoid the possible injury from breaking glass and get down on to the floor of the vehicle, shielding your face and eyes at all times.