March 10, 2001

WARNING

Generally speaking, if Russia aimed a nuclear warhead at us and let her rip, it would arrive in about 40 minutes. Providing the government let the public know immediately (what are the chances of that or the likelihood you hear the warning when first aired?) you might have 30 minutes to get your act together. This is another reason why maintaining your preparedness supplies, especially stored water, is smart.


SHELTER

Blast, light, heat and radioactive fallout are all potential problems. Distance is the best preventative medicine, but should an explosion occur close to you, adequate shielding is a must. If you have the means and desire to build a regular fallout shelter, several good places for free information are Cresson H. Kearny's Nuclear War Survival Skills and Bruce Beach's You Will Survive Doomsday. Your emergency broadcast system should instruct you to go to a specified safe building or you may choose to stay at home for a variety of reasons.

It goes without saying that being outside offers no protection from the direct blast, intense heat, blinding light or flying debris. According to Canada's pamphlet, 11 Steps to Survival being inside your home, in an interior hallway with no windows offers slight protection. If you have a basement with a stairwell and can access the area under it, it provides fair protection. The best solution is having a special blast shelter.

To be truly protected, meaning screening out 99% of radiation, one would have to take definite and purposeful steps to provide this type of protection. General recommendations for true safety would require the following precautions for a shelter:

• 16 inches (40 cm) of solid brick
  
• 16 inches (40 cm) of hollow concrete blocks filled with mortar or sand
  
• 2 feet (61 cm) of packed earth - 3 feet (1 meter) if loose
  
• 5 inches (12.7 cm) of steel
  
• 3 inches (7.6 cm) of lead
  
• 3 feet (1 meter) of water³
  

The reality is most of us will not have the means, time or motivation to build it, so now what.


AFTER THE BLAST

The main concern will be radioactive fallout. It usually looks like light-colored, small grains of dust, sand or grit. Look on smooth surfaces like the hood (bonnet in Australia) of a car to spot it.

Two rules of thumb for fallout generally hold true, but not for every instance:

1. The greater the density, the greater the hazard.
2. For every seven fold increase in time, radioactivity decreases ten fold. For example, after seven hours, fallout has lost about 90% of its strength one hour after the explosion. After two days it has lost 99%; in two weeks 99.9% of its strength is gone.

This does not mean we are safe at this point because even 0.1% could be dangerous. Radiation can not be seen or smelled, and not felt until after the damage is done. Long hours of exposing vital organs to low levels of radiation can be fatal in just a few days so wait for a statement from officials before venturing outside.


SYMPTOMS

There is a lot of confusion about what happens after exposure to radiation. Assuming most of us survive, what might we expect? Let's assume we appear uninjured though probably we are in a great deal of shock. Hopefully we were far enough away from the blast and protected to be healthy. If not, symptoms may be mild and pass with little drama. If severe, depending on the type of radiation, dose received, and rate of exposure, symptoms can include weakness, loss of appetite and hair, vomiting, diarrhea, tendency to bleed, inflammation of the mouth and throat, and increased susceptibility to infection. Vomiting and diarrhea can also result from stress so don't panic if you experience this.

In severe cases of exposure, death occurs within a few days to four weeks. Those who survive six weeks after exposure to a single large dose of radiation to the whole body generally recover.

Radiation sickness is NOT contagious! You can't get sick by helping those who have been exposed.


WHAT'S HAPPENING? - WHO KNOWS?

The good news is most people will survive unless they are simply too close to the bomb blast. It's a pretty safe bet, though, most things will be in chaos and "normalcy" as we know it will have ceased for the time being. For starters, electricity probably won't be functioning and now would not be a good time to venture outside to start your generator. This is when having back up power that can be activated from indoors is clever. A good supply of flashlights, candles and matches would be helpful, along with propane heaters/indoor cookers.

Everything is relative and how close you and public utilities were to the blast governs what is still functioning. You may or may not have television or radio. Having a crank type or short-wave radio would be a big plus. Chances are the ordinary citizen is not going to have a dosimeter (instrument for measuring radiation) to see if it's safe to go outside so most people will have to rely on the all-clear from authorities.


WATER

Water will be safe if it is in covered containers, comes from covered wells or undamaged water systems. For people who collect water via roof catchment, it will be necessary to thoroughly wash the roof collection surfaces before the next rain washes particles into the storage containers. Given sufficient warning a strike is imminent, disconnect the downspout which funnels the water into your storage tanks. Contrary to popular belief, water does not become radioactive. Using chlorine bleach or boiling water will do nothing to get rid of radioactive elements; they only kill germs and bacteria. Water can be filtered to remove most fallout. (See Chapter 8 of Nuclear War Survival Skills.)

Be sure to have stored a minimum requirement of water. This means at least 1 gallon (4 liters) drinking water only per person per day. You will need to factor in extra water for hygiene purposes. In crisis times like a nuclear attack, I wouldn't even worry about water for laundry and dishes and conserve water for absolute necessities. Consumption heads the list! Don't forget to store food and water for pets. They too will need to be inside to survive. Dare To Prepare has an entire chapter devoted to pet preparedness ideas and requirements for any emergency not found on our web site.


FOOD

First, clean the kitchen removing any fallout grit and thoroughly wash all surfaces. Make sure your hands and under the fingernails are clean after touching any contaminated surfaces and before handling food.

Most food will be fine to eat especially if it has never been opened or is in sealed cans. Foods which have been previously opened like grains and cereals should be examined carefully to see that no fine particles have slipped into the packaging. Foods with "jackets" like bananas, peanuts, apples and peaches should be washed and then removed before eating.

Before opening any food product, wash the containers in a stream of water so no contamination is accidentally introduced into the package. There is not a lot of radiation at this point that can cause you harm, but the key is not to ingest any contaminated particles. It can build up in internal organs and bone marrow.

Like with any disaster, expect to not have electricity, and this time, not being able to cook on the BBQ grill since it's outside. It may also be that you are unable to get to your generator which further limits cooking abilities, unless there is an indoor activation switch. This means you will need a minimum two week supply of nonperishable food. Depending on whether or not you have a camping stove or a Volcano cooker, both of which can safely cook food indoors, means many foods may have to be consumed as-is. A few Heater Meals and MREs could provide warm meals with a minimum of fuss. You will find sources of each here.

One unavoidable problem is the issue of gardening and foods we eat further down the food chain. For example, cows eat grass which may be full of contamination and in turn, we drink their milk or eat the meat. With each successive link in the food chain, radiation is concentrated, not lessened. When eating meat, it is best to avoid cuts where radioactive materials concentrate: thyroid glands, kidneys, liver, meat next to the bones and bone marrow.⁴

Our initial thought of growing our own food may not work if the soil is radioactive. Crops that have not been harvested and survive the blast will take radioactivity into their plant structures. When we eat them, we will be consuming contaminated food. Radiation from a nuclear blast is not the same as nuclear waste that hangs around for many years. Depending on how much radiation your growing soil took in, it should be suitable within a year for crops again, but it should be tested first. This process can be expedited by replacing the topsoil. For more information on this topic, see Duncan Long's Getting Food After a Nuclear War.


HYGIENE

Preparing for this type emergency is similar to preparing for any other disaster minus the luxury of being able to go outside, probably for several weeks. This means all toilet activity will have to be completed inside using little or no water unless you have a huge supply stored. Even then we would be hesitant to waste it on toilet business. Instructions for making indoor compost toilets and bucket toilets can be found in Dare To Prepare. These work well for substitute toilets in times of no electricity, are very inexpensive, quick to make and require no water.

Be sure to have a plentiful supply of good quality, heavy duty trash bags for waste, used paper plates/cups, food containers, empty cans, bottles, or dirty diapers. Plan enough trash sacks for double bagging as this is no time for gagging odors, rips or spillage to escape.

"Hey Taco, do you think The Parents remembered to pack dog food? "Dunno Seis, personally I'm looking forward to people food! Besides we've got more to worry about than lunch. Haven't you noticed all our stuff keeps disappearing? Yesterday it was our mats and beds. This morning our food bowls. . ." "I know Tac, and I've stuck to The Parents like a second skin all week. Just like we agreed - one of us always has to be on lookout." "I don't get it Seis. Thought Mom and Dad were happy here. I know we were - swimming in the dam every day, chasing birds, snakes and mice. . ." (Taco stops abruptly) "Hey Seis, don't look now, but four of those mover guys just picked up our doghouse er, uh, outside domicile!"

"Buggah! Taco, this is serious! What if they drop it?"
"This is seriously GOOD! Seismo"
"Huh?"
"Gee, ya big goof! Why would they take the doghouse without the dogs??"
"That cinches it! We're going too! But just in case, you watch one direction and I'll watch the other. That way all the bases covered."
"Gee, being a watchdog is tough work!"

Sources:
¹Questions Surround 60 Minutes Suitcase Nuke Report; Steve Macko; ERRI Risk Analyst
²Jim Bramlett, PLO Reported To Have Nukes, August 20, 2000
³11 Steps to Survival; Canada Emergency Measures Organization, Department of National Defence, Blueprint for Survival
No. 4. The Queen's Printer, Ottawa, 1969; http://www.webpal.org/survival/books/11Steps/index.htm
⁴Getting Food After a Nuclear War; Duncan Long; http://www.zoomnet.net/~grsc/bible/nuke.html

11 Steps to Survival; Canada Emergency Measures Organization, Department of National Defence, Blueprint for Survival No. 4. The Queen's Printer, Ottawa, 1969; http://www.webpal.org/survival/books/11Steps/index.htm

Recommended Reading:
You Will Survive Doomsday; Bruce Beach
Potassium Iodide Dosage, Shelf Life and Sources
Nuclear Weapons FAQs, Carey Sublette
11 Steps to Survival