Nuclear Explosion

Posted 3 years ago by Prolific Panda

Surviving a Nuclear Explosion

If you are close enough to see a nuclear explosion, there is a chance that you can survive if you take the right actions.  Here are some of the factor that will matter for you to survive.

 

Yield of the device.  You will not be able to tell, but this is an important factor.

  • Smaller yields are similar to Nagasaki, Hiroshima (10-13 kilotons).  Dirty bombs, suitcase bombs, improvised nuclear devices.  Fireball can consume a few city blocks.  Estimated 10-30k deaths.  75k injured.
  • Larger yields have fireballs that can consume an entire city the size of New York.  Estimated 2 million deaths, 4 million injured.  Largest test ever recorded was from Russia 50 megatons (5000 kilotons).

Proximity to the blast.

  • Small blast (10kilotons).
    • 1/2 mile from blast, 10% chance of survival.
    • 2 miles from blast, 50% chance of survival.
    • 8 miles from blast, 10-20% chance of survival.
    • The shock wave would damage buildings up to 4 miles (6.4km) away.
  • Large blast,
    • 15.5 miles from blast, 10% chance of survival.
    • 31 miles from blast, 50% chance of survival.
    • 124 miles from blast. 10-20% chance of survival.
    • The shock wave would damage buildings up to 62 miles (100km) away.

When the blast occurs. Your immediate reaction.  Sheltering from the shock wave, no time to spare.  You have seconds.

  • DO NOT LOOK AT THE FLASH.  It will cause temporary to permanent blindness.
  • Shelter in the center of a concrete or brick building.  More layers, the better.  Put as much brick, cement and/or soil between you and the blast as possible.
  • If in your car, get out.  Seek shelter.
  • The shock wave is similar to tornado winds, lay flat and in a ditch or under an overpass to avoid debris.

What you do in the first hour.

  • 20 mins to 1 hour to escape nuclear fallout.  If you are in a 2 mile radius and survive, you have 15 minutes after the blast to seek shelter it escape fallout from the cloud.
  • Shelter indoors, deep within a building or underground.
  • Pay attention to wind direction.  Evacuate into the wind.  Don’t forget in the north the jet stream blows from west to east.  Stay away from anything east of the blast.
  • If East of the blast, evacuate north, south or further east.
  • Remove your clothes, shower.  Clean your skin of radioactive dust and particles.
  • Do not breathe the fall out.  Cover your nose, eyes and mouth.

What you do in the days to follow.

  • Radiation will be all over.  You will have to wait 48 hours – 2 weeks for the radiation to decay.  Even after it decays, it will still be very harmful and will lead to death.
  • Wind will continue to blow the fallout to the North East, distance will depend on wind speeds and weather.  Avoid remaining east of the blast.
  • Cover all access points to the outside world.  Vents, windows, AC…  anything that brings air in from the outside.
  • Fallout will affect everything in it’s path, but not necessarily stay there.  Animals will be contaminated, water that filters into sewers, water treatment plants, river and streams will be carrying the fallout material.  Avoid consuming, bathing or interacting with anything that has been contained.

 

 

 

There are a lot of conditions to consider, so here are a couple of vidoes that I like that will help you make those decisions.