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How
to Survive Nuclear Armageddon
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Excerpted from the
Defender Publishing book How
to Overcome the Most Frightening Issues You
Will Face This Century
Posted: March 4, 2010
11:00 am Eastern
Thomas Horn,
General Editor
Chapter Excerpt By Shane Connor
 Some
will be tempted to skip or skim over the
topic of 'nuclear Armageddon' assuming it's
much too overwhelming and un-survivable.
Unfortunately, for their families, they will
then have tragically missed the essential
life-saving 'good news' awaiting them below.
What possible good news could there ever be
about nuclear destruction coming to America,
whether it is dirty bombs, terrorist nukes
or ICBMs from afar?
In a word, they are all survivable for the
vast majority of American families, if they
know what to do beforehand and have made
even the most modest preparations.
Tragically, though, most Americans today
won't give much credence to this good news,
much less seek out such vital life-saving
instruction, as they have been jaded by our
culture's pervasive myths of nuclear
un-survivability.
Most people think that if nukes go off, then
everybody is going to die, or will wish they
had. That's why you hear such absurd
comments as: "If it happens, I hope I'm
at ground zero and go quickly."
This defeatist attitude was born as the
disarmament movement ridiculed any
alternatives to their agenda. The sound
Civil Defense strategies of the '60s have
been derided as being largely ineffective,
or at worst a cruel joke. With the supposed
end of the Cold War in the '80s, most
Americans neither saw a need to prepare, nor
believed that preparation would do any good.
Today, with growing prospects of nuclear
terrorism, we see emerging among the public
either paralyzing fear or irrational denial.
People can no longer envision effective
preparations for surviving a nuclear attack.
In fact, though, the biggest surprise for
most Americans, if nukes are really
unleashed, is that they will still be here!
Most will survive the initial blasts because
they won't be anywhere near close enough to
any "ground zero," and that is
very good news. Unfortunately, though, few
people will be prepared to next survive the
coming radioactive fallout, which will
eventually kill many times more than the
blast. However, there is still more good
news: Well over 90 percent of the potential
casualties from fallout can be avoided if
the public is pre-trained through an
aggressive national Civil Defense
educational program. Simple measures taken
immediately after a nuclear blast, by a
trained public, can prevent agonizing death
and injury from radiation.
The
National Planning Scenario No. 1, an
originally confidential internal 2004 study
by the Department of Homeland Security,
demonstrated the above survival odds when
they examined the effects of a terrorist
nuke going off in Washington, D.C. They
discovered that a 10 kiloton nuke, about
two-thirds the size of the Hiroshima bomb,
detonated at ground level, would result in
about 15,000 immediate deaths and another
15,000 casualties from the initial blast,
thermal flash and radiation release. As
horrific as that is, the surprising
revelation here is that over 99 percent of
the residents in the D.C. area will have
just witnessed and survived their first
nuclear explosion. Clearly, the good news is
most people will survive the initial blast.
However, the study also determined that
another 250,000 people would soon be at risk
from lethal doses of radiation from the
fallout drifting downwind toward them after
the blast. These much larger casualty
numbers are what is avoidable, and that's
more good news, but only for those
pre-trained by a Civil Defense program in
what to do before that ill wind arrives.
Another study, released in 2006 by the Rand
Corporation, looked at a terrorist
10-kiloton nuke arriving in a cargo
container and being exploded in the Port of
Long Beach, Calif. Over 150,000 people were
estimated to be at risk downwind from
fallout, again, many more than from the
initial blast itself. Other, more recent
studies, continue to show the same much
higher population percentages at risk
downwind from fallout and away from the
ground zero blast.
Today, lacking any meaningful Civil Defense
program, millions of American families
continue to be at risk and could perish
needlessly for lack of essential knowledge
that used to be taught at the grade school
level.
The public urgently needs to be instructed
in Civil Defense basics, like the good news
that thousands can be saved employing the
old "Duck and Cover" tactic,
without which most people will instead run
to the nearest window to see what the big
flash was just in time to be shredded by the
glass imploding inward from the shock wave.
They next need to also know when later
evacuating, that doing so perpendicular to
the coming downwind drift of the fallout
would be their best strategy to safe ground.
They must also be taught how to effectively
shelter in place for a brief time if they
can't evacuate, while the radioactive
fallout loses 90 percent of it's lethal
intensity in the first seven hours and 99
percent of it in two days. For those
requiring sheltering from fallout, the
majority would only need a couple or three
days of hunkering down, not weeks on end.
The good news
continues because an effective improvised
family fallout shelter can be put together
at home both cheaply and quickly, but only
if the public is trained beforehand, as was
begun in the '60s with our national Civil
Defense program.
Unfortunately,
our government today is doing little to
promote nuclear preparedness and Civil
Defense instruction among the general
public. Regrettably, most of our officials,
like the public, are still captive to the
same illusions that training and preparation
are ineffective against a nuclear threat.
Department of Homeland Security head Michael
Chertoff demonstrated this attitude in 2005
when he responded to the following question
in USA Today:
Q: In the last four years, the most horrific
scenario a nuclear attack may be the least
discussed. If there were to be a nuclear
attack tomorrow by terrorists on an American
city, how would it be handled?
A: In the area of a nuclear bomb, it's
prevention, prevention, prevention. If a
nuclear bomb goes off, you are not going to
be able to protect against it. There's no
city strong enough infrastructure-wise to
withstand such a hit. No matter how you
approach it, there'd be a huge loss of life.
Mr. Chertoff fails to grasp that most of
that "huge loss of life" is
preventable if the survivors of the blast
and those downwind knew what to do
beforehand. He only acknowledges that the
infrastructure will be severely compromised
responders won't be responding. Civil
Defense training of the public beforehand is
clearly the only hope for those in the
fallout path. Of course, the government
should try and prevent it happening first,
but the answer he should have given to that
question is: "preparation, preparation,
preparation" for when prevention might
fail.
The federal government must launch a
national mass media, business-supported and
school-based effort, superseding our most
ambitious public awareness campaigns like
for AIDS, drug abuse, drunk driving, seat
belts, anti-smoking and smoke detectors. The
effort should percolate down to every level
of our society. Let's be clear - we are
talking about the potential to save, or
lose, many times more lives than those saved
by all these other noble efforts combined!
Instead, Homeland Security continues to be
focused primarily on two missions:
1. Interdiction -- Catching nuclear
materials and terrorists before an event
2. COG -- Continuity of Government
for when No. 1 fails
The most important mission has been largely
ignored:
3. Continuity of the Public -- proven
mass media Civil Defense training of the
public that would make the survival
difference for the vast majority of
Americans affected by a nuclear event.
This
tragic and deadly oversight won't improve
until the crippling myths of nuclear
un-survivability are banished by the good
news that a trained and prepared public can,
and ultimately has to, save themselves.
National Civil Defense is an issue we hope
and pray both political parties would try to
outdo each other in proposing aggressive
Civil Defense educational programs. We are
not asking billions for provisioned public
fallout shelters for all, like what already
awaits many of our politicians. We are just
asking for a comprehensive mass media,
business and school-based re-release of the
proven practical strategies of Civil Defense
education, similar to what already has been
embraced by the Chinese, Russians, Swiss,
Israelis and even Singapore.
In the meantime, though, don't wait around
for the government to instruct and prepare
your own family and community. Educate
yourself today, and share with others, how
to establish your own family nuclear
survival preparations, beginning with the
emergency guide;
WHAT TO DO IF A NUCLEAR DISASTER IS
IMMINENT!
This guide is for families preparing for
imminent terrorist or strategic nuclear
attacks with expected severe destruction,
widespread radioactive fallout downwind, and
extensive disruptions of services.
IF ONLY A 'Dirty Bomb' Attack (Not the
vastly more devastating nuclear weapon
blasts with fallout discussed below.) - You
can expect localized and downwind
contamination from the explosion and
dispersed radioactive materials. If you are
near enough to see or hear any local bomb
blast, assume that it includes radiological
or chemical agents. You should move away
from the blast area as quickly as possible.
If the wind is blowing toward you from the
direction of the blast, travel in a
direction that is crosswise or perpendicular
to the wind as you move away from the blast
area. If possible cover your face with a
dust mask or cloth to avoid inhaling
potentially radioactive dust. Upon reaching
a safe location, remove your outer clothing
outside and shower as soon as possible.
Refer to local news sources for additional
instructions about sheltering or evacuation.
The government is better prepared to direct
and assist the public in a 'dirty bomb'
incident, unlike an actual nuclear weapon
attack discussed below.
In a national crisis of imminent nuclear
weapon attacks, read all the way through
this guide first,
THEN TAKE EFFECTIVE PROTECTIVE ACTION
WITH CONFIDENCE... FAST!
#1 - STAY OR GO?
You must decide FIRST if you need to prepare
where you are, or attempt evacuation. The
nature of the threat, your prior
preparations, and your confidence in your
sources of information should direct your
decision. If you know already you will be
preparing to stay at your own home or, at
least, the immediate local area, go now to
#2 below.
If you are considering evacuation, your
decision requires a very high confidence
that it is worth the risk. You do not want
to get stuck between your current location
and your hoped for destination, as there
will probably be no easy getting back. If
you fail to get to your destination, you may
be exposed without shelter, in a dangerous
situation with little effective law
enforcement, perhaps among panicked hordes
of refugees. Whatever supplies you have may
be limited then to what you can carry on
foot. IF you are in a big city or near a
military target, AND you have relatives or
friends in the country that you know are
awaiting you, AND the roads between you and
them are clear, AND you have the means and
fuel, evacuation may be a viable option for
a limited time. DO NOT attempt evacuation if
all of the above is not clearly known, or if
the situation is deteriorating too quickly
to assure the complete trip. Again, you do
not want to get stuck exposed and/or become
another refugee amongst the panicked masses.
If evacuation is truly a viable option, do
not wait - GO NOW! Do so with as many of the
supplies listed at #7 below as possible.
Better to be two days too early in arriving
than two hours too late leaving and getting
snagged mid-way, potentially exposing your
family to a worse fate than having stayed
where you were. Because of the very real
danger of getting caught in an evacuation
stampede that stalls, almost all families
will be better off making the best of it
wherever they currently are when events are
moving too fast.
#2 - WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
FIRST
Because time is of the essence, you need to first delegate
and assign to different adult family members specific tasks
so they can all be accomplished at the same time. Your first
priorities to assure your family survival are Shelter,
Water, and Food/Supplies. While some are working on the
water storage and shelter at home, others need to be
acquiring, as much as possible, the food and supplies.
#3 - FOOD/SUPPLIES
Because much of the food and supplies listed at the
conclusion of this guide at #7 may quickly become
unavailable, you need to assign someone NOW to immediately
go to the stores with that list! Get cash from the bank and
ATM's first, but try and use credit cards at the stores, if
at all possible, to preserve your cash.
#4 - WATER
With one or more adults now heading to the stores with the
list at #7, those remaining need to begin storing water
IMMEDIATELY! Lack of clean water will devastate your family
much more quickly and more severely than any lack of food.
Without water for both drinking and continued good sanitary
practices in food preparation and for bathroom excursions
(which often become less sanitary than normal), debilitating
sickness could rampage through your household with little
hope of prompt medical attention. That is an avoidable
disaster, but ONLY IF you have enough clean water stored.
Every possible container needs to be filled with water RIGHT
NOW! It will be very hard to have stored too much water.
When the electricity/pumps go down or everybody in your
community is doing the same thing, thus dropping the water
pressure, what you've got is all you might be getting for a
very long time. Empty pop bottles (1-3 liter) are ideal for
water storage, also filling up the bathtub and washing
machine. (Remember, later you'll have some in your hot water
tank.) If you have any kiddie pools or old water beds, pull
them out and fill them up, too. (Water from a water bed
should be used only for bathing or cleaning, not for
drinking as it may contain traces of algaecide and/or
fungicides.) Anything and everything that'll hold water
needs to be filled up quickly RIGHT NOW!!
One of the shopping items listed in #7 is new garbage cans
and liner bags which you'll also use for storing water. If
you can't get any more new cans, you could clean out an
existing garbage can and scrub it throughout with bleach,
then put in a new garbage bag liner and fill it with water.
Even sturdy boxes or dresser drawers could be used with bag
liners. Choose well where you fill up garbage cans with
water because they won't easily be moved once full and many
of them together could be too heavy for some upper floor
locations. Ideally, they need to be very near where your
shelter will be constructed and can actually add to its
shielding properties, as you'll see below. BE ASSURED, YOU
CANNOT STORE AND HAVE TOO MUCH WATER! Do not hesitate, fill
up every possible container, RIGHT NOW!
#5 - SHELTER
The principles of radiation protection are simple - with
many options and resources families can use to prepare or
improvise a very effective shelter. You must throw off any
self-defeating myths of nuclear un-survivability that may
needlessly seal the fate of less informed families.
Radioactive fallout is the particulate matter (dust)
produced by a nuclear explosion and carried high up into the
air by the mushroom cloud. It drifts on the wind and most of
it settles back to earth downwind of the explosion. The
heaviest, most dangerous, and most noticeable fallout, will
'fall out' first close to ground zero. It may begin arriving
minutes after an explosion. While the smaller and lighter
dust-like particles will typically be arriving hours later,
as they drift much farther downwind, often for hundreds of
miles. As it settles, whether you can see it or not, fallout
will accumulate and blow around everywhere just like dust
does on the ground and roofs. Wind and rain can concentrate
the fallout into localized 'hot spots' of much more intense
radiation with no visible indication of its presence.
This radioactive fallout 'dust' is dangerous because it is
emitting penetrating radiation energy (similar to x-ray's).
This radiation (not the fallout dust) can go right through
walls, roofs and windows. Even if you manage not to inhale
or ingest the dust, and keep it off your skin, hair, and
clothes, and even if none gets inside your house, the
radiation penetrating your home, from fallout outside, is
still extremely dangerous, and can injure or kill you
inside.
Radioactive fallout from a nuclear explosion, though very
dangerous initially, loses its intensity quickly because it
is giving off so much energy. For example, fallout emitting
gamma ray radiation at a rate of 500 R/hr (fatal with one
hour of exposure) shortly after an explosion, weakens to
only 1/10th as strong 7 hours later. Two days later, it's
only 1/100th as strong, or as deadly, as it was initially.
That is really very good news, because our families can
readily survive it IF we get them into a proper shelter to
safely wait it out as it becomes less dangerous with every
passing hour.
What stops radiation, and thus shields your family, is
simply putting mass between them and the radiation source.
Like police body armor stopping bullets, mass stops
(absorbs) radiation. The thicker the and denser (heavier)
the mass, the more radiation it stops. Thus, the more
effective it is with every inch more you add to your fallout
shelter. The thickness in inches needed to cut the radiation
down to only 1/10th of its initial intensity for different
common materials is: Steel 3.3", concrete 11",
earth 16", water 24", wood 38", etc. The
thickness required to stop 99% of the radiation is: 5"
of steel, 16" of solid brick or hollow concrete blocks
filled with mortar or sand, 2 feet of packed earth or 3 feet
if loose, 3 feet of water. You may not have enough steel
available, but anything you do have will have mass and can
be used to add to your shielding - it just takes more
thickness of lighter wood, for example, than heavier earth,
to absorb and stop the same amount of radiation. Maximizing
the distance between your family inside and the fallout
producing radiation outside also further reduces their
radiation exposure.
The goals of your family
fallout shelter are:
- To maximize the distance
away from the fallout 'dusting' outside on the ground
and roof
- To place sufficient mass
between your family and the fallout to absorb the deadly
radiation
- To make the shelter
tolerable to stay in while the radiation subsides with
every passing hour
While a fallout
shelter can be built anywhere, you should see what your best
options are at home or nearby. Some structures already
provide significant shielding or partial shielding that can
be enhanced for adequate protection. If you do not have a
basement available, you can still use the techniques shown
below in any above ground structure, but you'll need to use
more mass to achieve the same level of shielding. You may
consider using other solid structures nearby, especially
those with below ground spaces, such as commercial
buildings, schools, churches, below ground parking garages,
large and long culverts, tunnels, etc.. Some of these may
require permissions and/or the acquiring of additional
materials to minimize any fallout drifting or blowing into
them, if open ended. Buildings with a half-dozen or more
floors, that did not sustain blast damage, often provide
good radiation protection in the center of the middle
floors. This is because of both the distance and the
shielding the multiple floors provide from the fallout on
the ground and roof.
Bottom Line: choose a structure nearby with both the
greatest mass and distance already in place between the
outside, where the fallout would settle, and the shelter
occupants inside.
If you have a basement in your home, or at a nearby
relatives' or friends' house that you can use, your best
option is probably to fortify and use it, unless you have
ready access to a better structure nearby.
For an expedient last-minute basement shelter, push a heavy
table that you can get under into the corner that has the
soil highest on the outside. The ground level outside
ideally needs to be higher than the top of the table shelter
inside. If no heavy table is available, you can take
internal doors off their hinges and lay them on supports to
create your 'table'. Then pile any available mass on and
around it such as books, wood, cordwood, bricks, sandbags,
sacks of cement or feed, heavy appliances, full file
cabinets, full water containers, your food stocks, and boxes
and pillow cases full of anything heavy, like dirt.
Everything you could pile up and around and atop it has mass
that will help absorb and stop more radiation from
penetrating inside - the heavier the better. However, be
sure to reinforce your table and supports so you do not
overload it and risk collapse. BTW, lead is nothing special
for stopping radiation, it's the same as anything else pound
for pound, it just takes fewer inches compared to other less
weighty materials.
Leave a small crawl-through entrance and more mass there
that can be easily pulled in after you to seal it up. Have
at least two gaps or 4-6" square air spaces, one high
at one end and one low at the other. Use more if crowded
and/or hotter climate. A small piece of cardboard can help
fan fresh air in if the natural rising warmer air convection
current needs an assist moving the air along. This incoming
air won't need to be filtered if the basement has been
reasonably sealed up, however any windows or other openings
in the basement will require some solid mass coverage to
assure glass does not break and to provide additional
shielding protection for the basement. More details on this
in the next (#6) section.
With more time, materials, and carpentry or masonry skills,
you could even construct a more formal fallout shelter.
Adding mass on the floor above your chosen basement corner,
and outside against the walls opposite your shelter, can
dramatically increase your shielding protection. Every inch
thicker adds up to more effective life-saving radiation
shielding.
An effective fallout shelter constructed in a basement may
reduce your radiation exposure 100-200 fold or even more.
Thus, if the initial radiation intensity outside was 500
R/hr (fatal in one hour), the basement shelter occupants
might only experience 5 R/hr or even less, which is
survivable, especially as the radiation intensity will be
decreasing with every passing hour.
As cramped as that crawl space fallout shelter might seem,
the vital shielding provided by simply moving some mass into
place could be the difference between exposure to a lethal
dose of radiation and the survival of your family.
The majority of people requiring any sheltering at all will
be many miles downwind, and they will not need to stay
sheltered for weeks on end. In fact, most people will only
need to stay sheltered full-time for a few days before they
can start coming out briefly to attend to quick essential
chores. Later, they can begin spending ever more time out of
the shelter daily, only coming back in to sleep. As
miserable as it might seem now, you and your family can
easily endure that, especially compared to the alternative.
It's really not so difficult to build a truly effective
family fallout shelter... RIGHT NOW!
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#6 - ESSENTIAL DETAILS
If you've accomplished the above; securing your supplies,
stored water, and built your family fallout shelter,
CONGRATULATIONS! You have now succeeded in improving the
odds of survival for your family 100-fold, or more! Now, you
need to expand your knowledge and fine-tune the tactics that
will make the most of your family survival strategy.
Government information and guidance is a vital resource in
your response to a nuclear crisis, but for many reasons it
may be late, incomplete, misleading or simply in error.
While evacuation might be prudent for individuals who act
quickly in response to a threat, governments will be slow to
call for mass evacuations because of their potential for
panic and gridlock. As the recent government calls for duct
tape and plastic sheeting led to sold-out stores, anxiety,
and derision from the press, there will be great reluctance
to issue similar alarms. If you want to assure that you have
successfully evacuated or sheltered with adequate food and
supplies for your family you must act BEFORE the panic
without first waiting for government instructions that may
never come or as urgently as warranted. You alone are
ultimately responsible for your family.
Filtering the air coming into your basement inner shelter
from the basement itself won't be required. Air does not
become radioactive, and if your basement is reasonably snug,
there won't be any wind blowing through it to carry the
radioactive fallout dust inside. Simply sealing any basement
windows and other openings prevents significant fallout from
getting inside. To improve both the radiation shielding
inside the basement, and to protect the windows from being
broken and letting fallout blow in later, you should cover
them all with wood, and then, if possible, with sandbags or
solid masonry blocks or earth, etc. on the outside or
inside, too. If the basement air gets seriously stale later
on, you could re-open a door into the upper floors of the
still closed house. You can also use a common furnace air
filter over an outside air opening, such as a window,
leading into your basement because radioactive fallout is
dust sized that can be filtered out with one.
Regarding fallout contamination, any food or water stored in
sealed containers, that can later have any fallout dust
brushed or rinsed off the outside of the container, will
then be safe to use. As long as the fallout dust does not
get inside the container, then whatever radiation penetrated
the food/water container from the outside does not harm the
contents. If you suspect that your clothes have fallout on
them, remove your outer clothing before you come inside and
leave them outside. A cheap plastic hooded rain poncho that
can be easily rinsed off or left outside is very worthwhile.
Have water and baby shampoo near the entrance (hose and
containers) to wash and thoroughly rinse any exposed skin
and hair. Exposure to fallout radiation does not make you
radioactive, but you need to assure that you don't bring any
inside. If any are stricken with radiation sickness,
typically nausea, it is when mild (<100 Rads) 100%
recoverable and cannot be passed on to others. Before
fallout arrives, you might also try to cover up items you
want to protect outside for easier rinsing off of the
fallout dust later when it's safe to come out and do so. For
instance, if you have a vegetable gardening spot, you might
try covering much of it with plastic or tarp and weighting
them down.
If without sufficient time to acquire radiological
instruments of your own, like Geiger counters and
dosimeters, you'll need to be extra sure that your portable
radios function properly from inside your shelter and that
you have plenty of fresh batteries stocked for them. Without
radiological instruments, listening for official guidance
about the radiation threat levels in your particular area
will be the only way you'll know when it's becoming safe to
venture out. It might also be the only way you'll know when
you first need to take your initial maximum protective
action. When not in use, they should not be attached to any
outside antenna or even have their own antenna extended.
And, they should be wrapped in any non-conducting
insulation, like layers of paper, cloth or bubble wrap
plastic and then stored in a metal container or wrapped in
aluminum foil to minimize the potential of EMP ruining the
electronics. Having back-up radios would be very
prudent.
With extra radios, you can have one always tuned to the
closest likely target city and, if it suddenly goes off the
air, that could be your first indication of an attack.
If close to a target, your first indication of a nuclear
detonation may be with its characteristic bright flash. The
first effects you may have to deal with before radioactive
fallout arrives, depending on your proximity to it, are
blast and thermal energy. Promptly employing the old
"Duck & Cover" strategy will save many from
avoidable flying debris injuries and minimize thermal burns.
Those very close will experience brief tornado strength
winds and should quickly dive behind any solid object or
into any available depression, culvert, etc. Even in the
open, just laying flat on the ground reduces by 8 times the
chances of being hit by shrapnel or becoming airborne
shrapnel. A very large 500 kiloton blast, 2.2 miles away,
will arrive about 8 seconds after the detonation flash with
a very strong three second wind blast. That time delay is
much greater further away. That is a lot of time to duck
& cover if trained and alert and you should stay down
for up to 2 minutes. Most will not be near any target
'ground zero' and will only, like the vast majority, have to
deal with the fallout later.
When fallout is first anticipated, but has not yet arrived,
anyone not already sheltered should begin using a N95 dust
protector filter mask and hooded rain ponchos. Everyone
should also begin taking Potassium Iodide (KI) or Potassium
Iodate (KIO3) tablets for thyroid protection against cancer
causing radioactive iodine, a major product of nuclear
weapons explosions. The further downwind, as all the 200 or
so radioactive isotopes released become ever more dissipated
over distance, radioactive iodine becomes the greater
relative threat because it re-concentrates itself in the
tiny thyroid gland where other isotopes disperse more evenly
in one's body with comparatively less harmful effects. If no
KI or KIO3 tablets available, you can topically (on the
skin) apply an iodine solution, like tincture of iodine or
Betadine, for a similar protective effect. (WARNING: Iodine
solutions are NEVER to be ingested or swallowed.) For
adults, paint 8 ml of a 2 percent tincture of Iodine on the
abdomen or forearm each day, beginning ideally at least 2
hours prior to initial exposure. For children 3 to 18, but
under 150 pounds, only half that amount painted on daily, or
4 ml. For children under 3 but older than a month, half
again, or 2 ml. For newborns to 1 month old, half it again,
or just 1 ml. (One measuring teaspoon is about 5 ml, if you
don't have a medicine dropper graduated in ml.) If your
iodine is stronger than 2%, reduce the dosage accordingly.
Absorption through the skin is not as reliable a dosing
method as using the tablets, but research shows that it will
still be very effective for most. Do not use if allergic to
iodine. If at all possible, inquire of your doctor NOW if
there is any reason why anybody in your household should not
use KI or KIO3 tablets, or iodine solutions on their skin,
in a future nuclear emergency, just to be sure.
When you know that the time to take protective action is
approaching, turn off all the utilities into the house,
check that everything is sealed up and locked down, and head
for the shelter. You should also check that you have near
your shelter additional tools, crow bars, and car jacks for
digging out later, if required, and fire extinguishers
handy, too. Also, any building supplies, tools, sheet
plastic, staple guns, etc. for sealing any holes from
damage. Your basement should already be very well sealed
against fallout drifting inside. Now, you'll need to seal
around the last door you use to enter with duct tape all
around the edges, especially if it's a direct to the outside
door.
You don't need to risk fire, burns, and asphyxiation trying
to cook anything in the cramped shelter space, if you have
pre-positioned in your shelter enough canned goods, can
opener, and other non-perishable foods, that are
ready-to-eat without preparation. More food, along with
water, can be located right outside your crawl space
entrance that you can pull in quickly as needed when safe to
do so.
For lighting needs within the shelter have a couple small
LED flashlights or LED head-lamps to stretch your battery
life. Try not to have to use candles if at all possible.
Bring in some books for yourself and games for the children.
Pack in a small/thin mattress, some cushions, blankets,
pillows, etc.
Toilet use will be via the 5 gallon bucket with a seat
borrowed from one of the house bathrooms, if you did not
purchase a separate one. Garbage bag liners, preferably
sized for it, should always be used and a full-size and bag
lined garbage can should be positioned very close to the
shelter entrance for depositing these in when it is safe to
do so quickly. Hanging a sheet or blanket will help provide
a little privacy as shelter occupants 'take their turn'. The
toilet needs to have its new 'deposits' sealed up tight with
the plastic liner after each use. Use a very secure top on
the bucket and position it near the wall with the outgoing
upper air vent. The baby wipes will be useful here with no
sink for cleaning hands afterwards.
Pets, and what to do about them, is a tough call. Letting
dogs run free is not a humane option, both for their
potential to die a miserable death from radiation exposure
outside and/or to be a danger to others, especially if they
get diseased and/or run in the inevitable packs of
multitudes of other abandoned pets. Caring for them is
ideal, if truly realistic and not a drain on limited
resources, while 'putting them down' might eventually become
a painful, but necessary reality if the disruption of
services and food supplies was very long term and you had
not secured sufficient feed for them.
Boiling or bleach water treatments will be used for cleaning
your stored water later for drinking. (This is for killing
bacteria, not for radiation contamination, which is never a
concern for any stored and covered water containers or even
sealed food.) Tap water recently put into clean containers
won't likely need to be purified before using. To purify
questionable water, bring it to a roiling boil and keep it
there for 10 minutes at least. If you don't have the fuel to
boil it, you can kill the bacteria by mixing in a good
quality household bleach at the rate of 10 drops per gallon,
and letting it sit for at least 1/2 an hour. The bleach
should be at least 5.25% pure, like Clorox, but be sure it
has no additives such as soap or fragrance. You can later
get rid of the flat taste from boiling, or some of the
chlorine taste when using bleach, by pouring it from one
container to another several times.
There's much more that can be learned to better understand
what you are up against and to acquire to help your family
survive and to better endure all of this. While time allows,
and if the Internet is still up & running, task someone
with getting and printing out additional information, like
the book Nuclear War Survival Skills.
#7 - LIST OF SUPPLIES TO ACQUIRE LOCALLY
If stores are still at all stocked, and safe to go to, try
to buy as many of the following items as possible...
IMMEDIATELY! There are no quantities listed here on the food
items below as family size varies and because, as the
emergency and panic widens, many items will become quickly
sold-out or quantities restricted and you'll need to try to
get more of what does remain on the shelves. At a minimum
you should be looking at two weeks of provisions, but much
better to be aiming for two months or more. The reality is,
if/when we are attacked, it will be a very long time before
anything is ever 'normal' again, especially at any grocery
stores. Hurricane victims can attest to the prolonged misery
and disruptions from even a localized disaster, and that's
with the rest of the country still able to help out. Nobody
can begin to imagine how bad the suffering and disruptions
will be, and for how long it could go on, if nuclear weapons
have gone off... especially if in multiple locations!
The half-dozen top listed items below are primarily for use
while in the shelter. They are mostly ready-to-eat that
requires no cooking or preparation, just a can opener at the
most. (The iodine solution is included here because of its
importance for its thyroid-blocking topical use detailed
above, but it's NEVER to be ingested or swallowed.) The
other foods listed below there are better cost/nutrition
staples for later use during the extended recovery period.
Then follows general non-food supplies, tools and equipment.
Go Acquire It All Now QUICKLY!
It's much better to risk being a little early when securing
your families essential food and supplies, rather than a few
hours too late...
-
Canned goods (pasta, soups, chili, vegetables, fruit, tuna,
meats, beans, peanut butter, etc.)
-
Ready-to-eat foods (pop-tarts, raisins, cheese,
granola/energy/protein bars, snack-paks, etc.)
-
Some perishable foods (breads and fruits like bananas,
apples, oranges, grapes, etc.)
-
Assorted drink mix flavorings (with no cold drinks, just
plain water, kids will appreciate it!)
-
Plenty of potent Multi-Vitamins, Vit C, etc.
Iodine solution, like Betadine (16 ounces)- NOT TO BE
INGESTED OR SWALLOWED!
-
Multiple big boxes of dried milk (Could include/use some
inside shelter, too.)
-
Multiple big boxes of pancake and biscuit mix & syrup
Largest bags of rice
-
Largest bags of beans
-
Largest bags of flour
-
Largest bags of potatoes
-
Largest bags quick oats and other grains
-
Largest bags of macaroni
-
Large bag of sugar
-
Large jar of honey
-
Large 2 gallons or more of cooking oil
-
Baking powder & baking soda & spice assortment pack
-
Bottled water (especially if home supplies not secured yet)
-
Paper or plastic plates/bowls/cups/utensils
-
Quality manual can opener, 2 if you don't already have one
at home
-
Kitchen matches and disposable lighters
-
New garbage cans and lots of liner bags (water storage &
waste storage)
-
5 gallon bucket and smaller garbage bags sized for it
(toilet)
-
Toilet seat for the bucket (or use one from inside the
house)
-
Toilet paper and, if needed, sanitary napkins, diapers, etc.
-
Baby wipes (saves water for personal hygiene use)
-
Flashlights (ideally LED) and more than one portable radio
-
Plenty more batteries, at least three sets, for each of the
above
-
Bleach (5.25%, without fragrance or soap additives)
-
Aspirin/Tylenol/Motrin, Pepto Bismol, Alcohol, Hydrogen
Peroxide, etc.
-
Prescription drugs filled, and as much extra as possible
-
First aid kits
-
Fire extinguishers
-
Plenty of inexpensive N95 dust filter mask respirators
-
Cheap plastic hooded rain ponchos for everyone
-
Water filters and all other camping type supplies, such as
Coleman cook stove and fuel, ammo, etc., if any sporting goods stores
still stocked.
-
And, of course, rolls of plastic sheeting, duct tape, staple
guns, staples, etc.
BOTTOM LINE:
The above guide was written assuming it would not be read by
the majority of its intended audience until a nuclear crisis
was already fully upon us and time and resources then
extremely limited. If you are fortunate enough to have been
reading this well before any nuclear threat occurs, or
appears to be imminent, there's a great deal more that can
and should be done beyond the scope of this last-minute
expedient guide that expects, at best, only some few locally
available resources remaining in that time of panic.
The ongoing bigger challenge, though, will be that after
having survived the nuclear event, and emerging safely after
the fallout threat has diminished, the disruption of
services in your region could be very extensive and long
lasting. There are no assurances that you won't see many
months of little or no food deliveries, water or sewer,
gasoline, electricity, lights, heat, phones, medical, banks,
law enforcement or fire protection, etc.
With more time to research, plan and be shipped supplies,
families would be well served to acquire more in-depth
training, reference books, long-term food, water, fuel,
medical, security, communication, radiation monitoring
instruments, equipment, tools, supplies, etc. There are many
informative web sites and suppliers for all of the above
where you'll find MRE's, dehydrated and freeze dried foods
and buckets of beans, rice, grains, etc. Also, solar
cookers, water purifiers, water barrels, compost toilets,
comprehensive medical kits and manuals, shortwave and local
2-way radios, alternative energy systems, long term packaged
seeds, gardening tools and canning equipment, etc.
One strategy to preparing, that makes this dire prospect a
little less overwhelming, is to break it down by two's.
First, acquire all that your family would ever need for two
weeks if totally cut off and stuck at home with no services.
Think extended camping and all that you would need to do so
for two weeks in any season, winter or summer. Then, once
that's accomplished, begin to expand upon that base to where
you could stay home for two months with no utilities or
services. Then, start adding additional months with the
eventual goal of two years. Hopefully, two years is
excessive, but you'll no doubt discover that with any
disruptive event there will always be numerous friends,
neighbors and relatives in need that you would want to help,
if you could. Ideally, you want them all to be preparing
their own families as you are doing, and sharing with them
this information hopefully may help get them started. You
also, for your own families security, want to try and be
surrounded by like-minded people doing the right things
preparation-wise, as they would then become helpful allies,
instead of becoming a drain on your limited resources or
possibly even a threat later if things dragged on and became
ever more desperate.
One thing to keep in mind for yourself, or even in
convincing a spouse, for investing in prep supplies, is that
many of them save you money buying in bulk and that if
nothing bad ever happens, for most of them, you can always
eventually just eat or use them. They will also serve you as
insurance for numerous other disasters besides just nuclear
'events'. Having 2-4 months of food already at home, for
example, would certainly relieve a lot of the stress of a
job loss while looking for another. Or, we could see a
pandemic unleashed someday that required families having to
self-quarantine themselves at home for weeks on end to avoid
public contact so as not catch whatever was going around.
Or, any of a number of, or cascading combinations of,
natural disasters, economic dislocations and civil
disruptions could all be ridden out in much better shape if
you were sufficiently prepared. Being prepared and stocked
up makes a lot of sense on numerous different levels,
especially in an age where costs for essentials, like food
and fuel and ammo, will surely continue to increase and you
just saved money buying more of them now.
It's important to also realize that when tough times come
you'll likely discover that people overall today are not as
resilient as in times past. Our grandparents generation was
composed of a higher percentage of self-reliant rural folks
who made do on less and also many grew and raised their own
food. Today, we have a much higher percentage of people who
are well removed from the land and feeding themselves, many
even have a government dependent entitlement mentality. The
morality that both sustained, and restrained, previous
generations during tough times is not as widely evident in
this present population and will result in more then quickly
embracing theft, robbery, looting and rioting when they fear
hunger and deprivation. Crime is already a problem today
with nobody being hungry and law enforcement in-place and
could explode when both of those situations deteriorate
concurrently. It would therefore be prudent for any
seriously preparing to also include plans for maintaining
their own security if law enforcement is either not
available or can not keep pace with a greatly increasing
crime rate. If you do not own or use guns, then I would
strongly urge you to re-evaluate your vulnerability and, if
found lacking, to acquire some immediately, along with the
safety and practical tactical training in the use of them.
Any gun store can provide or point you to such training
locally. For any that do have some weapons, be sure they are
effective models and calibers for self-defense and that you
have stocked plenty of ammunition and high-capacity
magazines, too, if needed. Weapons and ammo will quickly
disappear, and/or be prohibitively expensive or restricted,
once the essential need is more widely recognized.
Once you are well on your way to acquiring your families
prep tools, equipment and supplies, you may even explore
getting some extra to help others and as future barter
goods, like extra garden seeds, batteries, antibiotics,
water filters and ammo, to later trade for other products or
services locally. Some are even converting a small % of
their traditional paper investments into some gold and/or
silver bullion coins for trading purposes, too, as well as
just for prudent wealth diversification today. Having some
wealth in other forms, like goods/gold/silver, rather than
just solely in paper dollars, plastic, or a monthly 401k
statement, may be the essential difference for somebody
someday getting their deathly ill child to the front of a
mile long line for the only overworked doctor or dentist in
town.
To better avoid unhealthy and overwhelming angst trying to
prepare for all future dislocations and disruptions, keep in
mind, too, that each step is like insurance, same as
acquiring medical insurance. We all hope/pray none of it
will ever be needed, we've got kids, too, but if it is ever
required our families won't find us lacking then in our
fundamental primary responsibility to provide for their
safety and welfare. Once started prepping, strive then to
stay balanced by counting your blessings that you have
begun, thanking God, and begin, too, to relax and more fully
enjoy life and your family with the knowledge that you're
now solidly on the road to better handle most anything to
come in this quickly changing world.
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