How to Survive a Nuclear Attack (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-02 02:12

The Cold War has been over for more than twenty years and many people have never lived under the specter of atomic destruction. However, a nuclear attack is still a real threat. Global politics is far from stable and human nature hasn't changed much in the past twenty years. "The most persistent sound that resounds throughout the history of man is the beating of war drums." As long as nuclear weapons exist, there will always be a danger of them being used. Can You Survive Nuclear War? There is only speculation about it, some say yes, others no. For some, especially those living in large population centers, it may seem like a completely useless mental effort. If there are any survivors, they will likely be people mentally and logistically prepared for such an event and living in remote areas that are not strategically important for a possible bombing. What should you do? Where could you find refuge?

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Prepare Early

Step 1. Plan an action plan

In the unfortunate event that there is a nuclear attack, it will not be safe to venture outside to hunt for food - you should stay in a shelter for at least 48 hours, preferably longer. Having food and medicine on hand can alleviate the situation and perhaps allow you to focus on other aspects of survival.

Step 2. Stock up on non-perishable food

This type of food can last for many years, whether it's in a pantry or serving to support you after a seizure. Choose products that are rich in carbohydrates, so that they can provide you with the necessary nutrition even at low cost, and store them in a cool, dry place.

• Rice
• Grain
• Beans
• Sugar
• Honey
• Cereals
• Pasta
• Condensed milk
• Vegetables and dried fruit
• Gather your supplies slowly. Whenever you go to the grocery store, buy an extra product or two to add to your survival stash. Eventually, you should be able to get a reserve that can last for months.
• Be sure to set aside a can opener for canned goods.

Step 3. Store the water

Consider keeping a water supply in plastic containers. Clean the containers with a bleach solution and then fill them with filtered and distilled water.

• Aim for about four liters of water per day for each person;
• To purify water during an attack, have bleach and potassium hydride on hand.

Step 4. Get some communication devices

Being able to stay informed, as well as being able to report your location, can be vital. Here's what you might need:

• A radio. Try to find one that can be mechanically or solar powered. If you decide to go for a battery-powered radio, make sure you have a supply. Also get an RTTY radio (NOOA if you're in the US) to get weather reports and emergency information around the clock.
• A whistle that you can use to signal your presence or to seek help;
• A mobile phone. The network may not work, but if it is active, better be ready. If possible, get a solar-powered charger.

Step 5. Prepare a supply of medicines

Having some medicine on hand can mean the difference between life and death if you were to be injured in the event of an attack. Here is a list of things you might need:

• First aid kit. You can buy prepackaged ones or make them yourself. You will need sterile grazes and bandages, antibiotic ointments, latex gloves, scissors, tweezers, a thermometer and some blankets.
• A booklet with first aid instructions. Buy one from an organization like the Red Cross or prepare it yourself by printing out material you might find online. You need to know how to bandage wounds, perform CPR, treat shock and burns.
• Prescription drugs. If you need specific medications on a daily basis, try to set aside enough to use in an emergency.

Step 6. Set aside other useful items

Prepare an emergency kit with these items:

• Flashlights and batteries
• Dust masks
• Plasticized sheets and electrical tape
• Garbage bags, plastic laces and moistened handkerchiefs for personal hygiene
• Pliers and a wrench to close valves and taps such as those for water or gas.

Step 7. Keep an eye on the news

A nuclear attack will hardly be launched by surprise by a hostile power, such an attack would probably be preceded by a deterioration of the political situation and international relations. A war with conventional weapons between nations that have nuclear weapons, if not concluded quickly, could become a nuclear war, and even a limited nuclear strike in a limited region can lead to a full-blown nuclear conflict somewhere else.

Many countries have an alarm scale to indicate the imminence of an attack. In the United States and Canada, for example, it might be useful to know the level of the DEFCON (DEFense WITHdition, defense condition).

Step 8. Assess the risks and consider evacuation if a nuclear conflict seems likely

If evacuation is impossible, you should start thinking about what kind of shelter you can build yourself. Check how close you are to these possible goals and prepare properly:

• Air and naval bases, especially those known to be equipped with nuclear bombers, ballistic missile submarines or ICBM silos (intercontinental ballistic missiles). These are goals sure for an attack even in a limited conflict.
• Commercial ports and landing strips longer than 3 km. These are probable objectives for an attack even in a limited conflict and objectives sure for a total nuclear war.
• Government Centers. These are possible targets in the event of a limited nuclear attack, but they are surely a target in the hypothesis of an all-out war.
• Large industrial cities and major population centers: these are probable objectives in the event of a total nuclear war.

Step 9. Learn about the different types of nuclear weapons:

• Uncontrolled nuclear fission bombs (A-Bombs) are the most basic nuclear weapons and are incorporated into other classes of ordnance. The power of this bomb comes from the fission (division) of heavy nuclei (plutonium or uranium) with neutrons; as the nuclei of uranium or plutonium divide, each atom releases enormous amounts of energy - and more neutrons. These released neutrons can collide with other nuclei, causing a very fast nuclear chain reaction. Fission bombs are the only type of nuclear bomb that have been used in a conflict so far.
• Thermonuclear fusion bombs (H-bombs), using the incredible heat generated by the "primer" fission bomb, compress and heat deuterium and tritium (isotopes of hydrogen) which fuse together, releasing immense amounts of energy. Fusion weapons are also known as thermonuclear weapons due to the high temperatures required for the fusion of deuterium and tritium; such devices are usually many times more powerful than the bombs that destroyed Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

Part 2 of 2: Surviving an Imminent Attack

Step 1. Seek shelter immediately

Aside from political warning signs, the first signs of an impending nuclear attack will likely be a siren or warning signal, or else the explosion itself. The clear light of the detonation of a nuclear device can be seen from tens of km away from the zero point, that is, the area where the bomb explodes. If you are in the vicinity of the explosion or zero point your chances of survival are virtually nil, unless you are in a shelter that provides very (very) good protection from both the blast and the lethal wave of thermal radiation.. If you are a few miles away, you should have 10-15 seconds before you are hit by the heat wave and 20-30 seconds before you are hit by the shock wave. NEVER, under any circumstances, look directly into the fire of the explosion. On a clear day it can cause temporary blindness even at very long distances (Ehrlich 1985, p. 167, indicates a distance of 13 miles on a clear day and 53 miles on a clear night for a megaton bomb). However, the actual range of the explosion depends on the power of the bomb, the altitude at which the explosion occurs and even the atmospheric conditions at the time of the detonation.

• If you can't find shelter, look for a depressed area nearby and face down, exposing as little skin as possible. If there's no coverage even like this, dig as fast as possible and try to at least cover the face.

  Around 8km you will still have third degree burns; at 32km the heat can still burn the skin from the body. The simple wind can reach speeds of 960 km / h and will blow away anything or anyone in the open.

• In the absence of alternatives, seek shelter in a building if, and only if, you are certain that the structure will not be destroyed or damaged too badly by shock waves and thermal radiation. This will at least provide you with some protection from ionizing radiation. Whether or not this is a viable option depends on the structure of the building and how far you are likely to be from the zero point. Stay well away from windows, preferably in a room without them; even if the building is not too badly damaged, a nuclear explosion will shatter the windows even at enormous distances (for example, it is known that the nuclear test of the Tsar or RDS-220 bomb, particularly powerful, in the Russian archipelago of Novaya Zemlya shattered windows as far as Sweden and Finland).
• If you live in Switzerland or Finland, check if your home has a fallout shelter. If you don't have it, find out where your village / town / district fallout shelter is and how to get there. Remember: everywhere in Switzerland you can find a fallout shelter. When the sirens start it would be your duty to inform those who are unable to hear them (such as deaf people) and then tune in to the National Radio Service (RSR, DRS and / or RTSI).
• Do not have anything flammable or combustible around. Substances such as nylon or any petroleum-based material will ignite from the heat.

Step 2. Remember that radiation exposure can cause a high number of deaths

• Initial (instantaneous) radiation: this is the radiation emitted at the moment of detonation, it is short-lived and does not travel very long. Given the emission of modern nuclear weapons, it is thought that this radiation would kill anyone not killed by the heat or shock wave at the same distance. The amount of this radiation received is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the explosion.

• Residual radiation, also known as radioactive fallout: if the detonation occurred close to the ground or if the fireball hit the ground, there will be large amounts of radioactive fallout. The dust and any debris thrown into the atmosphere will return to the ground, carrying dangerous radiation with it. The fallout can return to earth as contaminated soot called "black rain," which is lethal and can have extremely high temperatures. The fallout materials they will contaminate anything they come in contact with.

  Once you've survived the blast and radiation (at least for now, the radiation symptoms have an incubation period), you need to seek shelter from the glowing black rain.

Step 3. Learn the types of radiation

Before continuing, we need to introduce the three different types:

• Particles alpha, α: this is the weakest radiation and, during an attack, it is virtually no danger. Alpha particles can only move a few centimeters in the air before being absorbed by the atmosphere and are not very penetrating, a sheet of paper is enough to shield them completely, consequently they are an insignificant threat to the outside, but become lethal if ingested. or inhale. Normal clothing is perfectly capable of protecting you from alpha particles.
• Beta, β particles: These particles are faster and more penetrating than alpha ones and have greater penetration and therefore can penetrate the body. They can travel up to 10 meters before being absorbed by the atmosphere. Exposure to beta particles is not lethal unless it is prolonged, which could cause "beta burns," almost like painful sunburn. They are, however, a serious eye hazard if exposed for an extended period. These are also lethal if ingested or inhaled, but the clothes will help protect you from sunburn.

• Gamma rays, γ: gamma rays are the deadliest. They travel at the speed of light and can travel about 1.5km in the air and penetrate virtually any screen, so gamma radiation can cause serious damage to internal organs even as an external source. Sufficient shielding will therefore be required (such as a very thick lead wall).

  • The Protection Factor (PF) indicates the value of how much the irradiation inside the shelter is attenuated with respect to the outside; for example, RPF 300 means that inside the shelter you will be exposed to 300 times less radiation than outside.
  • Avoid exposure to gamma radiation. Try not to spend more than 5 minutes on display. If you live in a rural area, try to find a cave or grotto, or a fallen tree to shelter in. Otherwise, dig a trench in which to find shelter by piling earth around it.

  

  Step 4. Begin reinforcing your refuge from the inside by moving dirt, or whatever you can find, around the walls

  If you are in a trench, build a canopy, but only if the materials to build it are nearby; do not expose yourself to radiation unless necessary. A parachute or tent cloth can be useful to prevent radioactive fallout from building up on you, although it won't block gamma rays. It is impossible, at the level of elementary physics, to shield oneself from all radiation, it is only possible to reduce exposure to more tolerable levels. Help yourself with the following list to determine the amount of materials needed to reduce radiation penetration to 1/1000:

  • Steel: 21 cm
  • Stone: 70-100cm
  • Concrete: 66 cm
  • Wood: 2, 6 m
  • Ground: 1 m
  • Ice: 2 m
  • Snow: 6 m

  

  Step 5. Plan to stay in the shelter for at least 200 hours (8-9 days)

  Do not leave the shelter for any reason during the first 48 hours.

  • The reason is to avoid the fission products generated by the explosion. The deadliest of these is radioactive iodine. Thankfully, this substance has a relatively short life span of eight days. However, keep in mind that even after 8-9 days, the risk of everything around being contaminated is very high, so try to limit your exposure. It may take at least 90 days for the amount of iodine to reduce to 0.1%.
  • Other important products of nuclear fission are Cesium and Strontium. These have longer lives, 30 and 28 years respectively. They are also absorbed by a living being and can dangerously contaminate food for decades. Also keep in mind that they can be spread by the wind for thousands of kilometers, so if you think you are safe because you are in a remote area, you are not.

  

  Step 6. Ration your supplies

  You have to ration your food supplies to survive, of course, so sooner or later you will have to expose yourself to radiation (unless you are in a fallout shelter with food and water).

  • Canned and bagged food can be eaten as long as the container has no holes and is relatively intact.

  • Animals can be eaten, but they must be carefully skinned, heart, liver and kidney discarded. Avoid eating meat too close to the bone, as the bone marrow holds the radiation. Some animals you can hunt are:

    • Pigeons and doves
    • Wild rabbit
  • Plants in a "hot zone" are edible, but those that grow underground or have edible roots are best. Do some edibility tests on the plants, space out the ingestion of the different parts of the plant by a few hours (usually 8) to verify the effects. Read this article to find out more.

  • The pools of water and bottles found outside may have accumulated radiation or radioactive residues. Water from an underground source, such as a spring or a covered well, would be the best solution. You can also think about building a solar-powered elemental watermaker. Use streams and lakes only as a last resort. Create a filter by digging a hole about 30 cm from the water table or cistern and collect the water that drips from the wall. It may be cloudy or muddy, so let it settle and then boil it to disinfect it from bacteria. If you are in a building, the water is usually drinkable. If the water supply is interrupted (most likely), use the water that is already in the pipes by opening the tap at the highest point of the building and let the air in, then open a tap at the lowest point and collect the water.

    • Read also How to Get Drinking Water from a Water Heater in an Emergency
    • Learn to purify water

    

    Step 7. Wear all clothing (caps, gloves, goggles, long-sleeved shirts), especially outdoors to prevent beta burns

    Decontaminate yourself by constantly shaking your clothes and washing any exposed skin with water. If you build up and settle residues, they will eventually cause burns.

    

    Step 8. Treat thermal and radiation burns:

    • Minor burns: Also called beta burns (even if they come from other particles or sources). Soak minor burns in cold water until the pain subsides (usually 5 minutes).

      • If your skin starts to blister, scar, or break, wash with cold water to remove contaminants, then cover with sterile gauze to avoid infection. Don't break the blisters!
      • If your skin doesn't react as described, but is still sunburned, don't cover it even if it makes up a large area of your body (pretty much like sunburn). Instead, wash the burned area and smear petroleum jelly or a solution of yeast and water, if available. Wet (if not contaminated) earth may be fine too, however.

    • Severe burns: also called thermal burns since they derive more from the intense heat waves of the explosion than from ionizing particles, although it is possible that they also come from the latter. These can lead you to death; everything becomes a factor: dehydration, shock, lung damage, infection, etc. Follow these steps to cure a severe burn:

      • Protect burned skin from further contamination.
      • If clothing is covering the burned area, gently cut and remove the fabric from the burn. DO NOT attempt to remove tissue that is stuck or that has fused with the skin. DO NOT attempt to pull the fabric over the burn. DO NOT put any ointment on the burn.
      • Gently rinse the burned area with plain water. Do not apply creams or ointments.
      • Avoid using standard sterile medical gauze that isn't made specifically for serious burns. Since non-adhesive gauze (and all other medical equipment) will likely be in short supply, a good alternative would be to use saran plastic (such as food grade) which is sterile, does not stick to burns and is readily available.
      • Prevent shocks. Shock is insufficient blood flow to vital tissues and organs and, if left untreated, can be fatal. A shock is the result of excessive blood loss, deep burns, or a reaction to a fright, such as the sight of a wound or blood. Symptoms are agitation, thirst, paleness and tachycardia. There may be sweating even if the skin is cool and already sufficiently moist. As it gets worse, you have wheezing and staring into space. To cure it: Maintain proper heartbeat and breathing by massaging the chest and placing the person in an appropriate position to breathe. Undo and stretch any garment that tightens or presses and reassures the person. Be firm but gentle in reassuring him.

      

      Step 9. Feel free to help people with radiation, or more properly the radiation syndrome

      This is not contagious (but make sure the person has no radioactive material on them) and it all depends on the amount of radiation a person has absorbed.

      

      Step 10. Familiarize yourself with the various radiation units

      Here is a condensed version of the indicative table: (Gy (gray) = the International System unit used to measure the absorbed dose of ionizing radiation. 1 Gy = 100 rad. Sv (Sievert) = the International System equivalent dose unit, 1 Sv = 100 REM To simplify, assume that, as is usually the case, 1 Gy is equivalent to 1 Sv.

      • Less than 0.05 Gy: no visible symptoms.
      • 0.05-0.5 Gy: Temporary decrease in the number of red blood cells in the blood.
      • 0.5-1 Gy: lower production of immune cells, exposure to infections; nausea, headaches can be common. One can generally survive this amount of radiation without any medical treatment.
      • 1.5-3 Gy: 35% of exposed people die within 30 days (LD 35/30). Nausea, vomiting, and hair loss and hair throughout the body.
      • 3-4 Gy: severe radiation poisoning, 50% mortality after 30 days (LD 50/30). Other symptoms are similar to those of the 2-3 Sv dose, along with uncontrollable bleeding in the mouth, under the skin and in the kidneys (50% probability at 4 Sv), after the latent phase.
      • 4-6 Gy: acute radiation poisoning, 60% mortality after 30 days (LD 60/30). Mortality increases from 60% to 4.5 Sv to 90% to 6 Sv (unless intensive medical care is provided). Symptoms begin half an hour to two hours after irradiation and last up to 2 days, after which there is a latent phase of 7-14 days after which the same symptoms appear as in the 3-4 Sv dose with higher intensity. At this point, female infertility becomes common. Convalescence for healing takes from a few months to a year. The main causes of death (usually 2-12 weeks after irradiation) are infections and internal bleeding.
      • 6-10 Gy: acute radiation poisoning, nearly 100% mortality in 14 days (LD 100/14). Survival depends on intensive medical care. The bone marrow is practically destroyed, so a bone marrow transplant is needed. Gastric and intestinal tissues are seriously damaged. Symptoms begin 15-30 minutes after irradiation and last up to 2 days. Thereafter there is a latent phase of 5-10 days, after which the person dies of infections or internal bleeding. Healing would take several years and would probably never complete. Devair Alves Ferreira received a dose of about 7.0 Sv during the Goiânia accident and managed to survive, in part due to the splitting of the exposure.
      • 12-20 REM: Mortality is 100% at this stage; symptoms appear immediately. The gastrointestinal system is completely destroyed. Bleeding occurs in the mouth, under the skin and in the kidneys. Fatigue and general malaise take over. Symptoms are the same, with greater intensity. Healing is no longer possible.
      • More than 20 REM. The same symptoms occur instantaneously, with greater intensity, then cease for several days in the "walking ghost" phase. Suddenly the gastrointestinal cells are destroyed, with water loss and copious bleeding. Death begins with delirium and madness, when the brain can no longer control bodily functions such as breathing or circulation, the individual dies. There is no therapy that can reverse this process and medical care is purely for comfort.
      • Unfortunately, you will have to accept that a person can die soon. Even though it is terrible, it is best not to waste supplies or supplies on people who are dying of radiation syndrome. Save supplies for fit and healthy people if supplies run low. Radiation syndrome mainly affects the young, the elderly and the sick.

      

      Step 11. Safeguard important electrical equipment from electromagnetic pulse spikes

      A nuclear device detonated at a very high altitude generates an electromagnetic pulse so strong that it destroys many electronic and electrical devices. At a minimum, disconnect all devices and appliances from electrical outlets and antennas. Placing radios and flashlights in a sealed metal container (a Faraday cage) may be able to protect them against an EMP (English acronym for electromagnetic pulse), provided the devices are not in contact with the container. The metal screen must completely cover the luminaires all around - and grounding the container can help protect them.

      • The objects to be protected should be insulated by the conductive metal shield, since the magnetic field to which the enclosure is exposed can overload the voltages on the printed circuit boards of the equipment. A silver or metallic mylar sheet (costing € 6 per meter) wrapped tightly around a device that is itself wrapped in newspaper or cotton can function as a Faraday screen, useful if you are far from the explosion.
      • Another method is to wrap a cardboard box in copper or aluminum foil. Place the appliance indoors and connect the system to the ground.

      

      Step 12. Get ready for further attacks

      • Keep your shelter intact, unless the materials used are absolutely necessary for survival. Set aside any uncontaminated water and edible food you can find.
      • However, if the hostile power launches another attack, it will likely be in another part of the country. If there is no alternative, you live in a cave.

      Advice

      • Preemptively build a fallout shelter. A fallout shelter can be made in your home from a cellar or basement. However, many new buildings no longer have basements or cellars; if this is the case, consider building a community or private shelter in your backyard.
      • Make sure you wash anything if possible, especially food, even if it's inside your shelter.

      Warnings

      • Don't export. It is not entirely certain how much röntgen a person can receive before contracting radiation sickness. Normally, it takes 100-150 röntgen to have mild poisoning that you can survive. Even if you don't die from radiation poisoning, you can still get cancer later on.
      • Find out if a retaliatory attack is being launched or there is a second explosion in your area. If this happens, you have to wait another 200 hours (8-9 days) from the last detonation.
      • While it is now safe to leave the shelter, local law and the government will be in crisis mode. There could be incidents of chaos and unrest, so stay hidden until the situation becomes secure or until the government regains control of the situation and restores some order. In general, if you see tanks (unless they are hostile), some stability has been restored.
      • Do not drink, eat, or allow contact with any plant, stream, or metal object that is in an unfamiliar area.
      • Don't lose your mind, especially if you are in a position of responsibility or command. This is important for maintaining good morale among other people, which is crucial in such desperate situations.
      • Take the time to acquire any available information about the state of emergency. Every minute spent learning safety measures and how to behave will save you precious time in time of need. Relying on luck and hope in such a situation is utterly reckless.