Nuclear Survival

[Beo]

Before the Berlin Wall fell, before the Soviet Union imploded, we feared mutually assured destruction. From the 1950s until some 40 years later, the threat of nuclear war loomed large, inspiring nightmares among children and adults alike. In fact, for years, being a survivalist implied having a bomb shelter. But with the fall of communism, that all changed. The United States was the only superpower, and the threat of nuclear war diminished. But the threat of a nuclear attack or accident did not. While we may not have to fear thousands of nuclear warheads raining down on our centers of population and industry, the threat of a "suitcase" nuclear bomb carried into place by suicidal terrorists is more real than ever.
Traditionally, people think of dying in the nuclear blast when a nuclear warhead goes off, but there are other dangers, too. Don't get me wrong the blast itself will certainly kill you if you are close to it. Death and serious injury will also be caused by the thermal effects of the bomb, which can give third degree burns six to eight miles away and first degree burns to someone 10 to 12 miles away from a one megaton blast. More death will be caused by the bomb's radiation and even more by the high dose of radiation carried downwind as nuclear fallout.
To protect yourself from the radiation and fallout, you need a fallout shelter. To protect yourself from the bomb's blast, you need a blast shelter. Blast shelters are usually buried deeper than fallout shelters, have hardened doors blast valves and are designed to withstand over pressure and negative pressure associated with a nuclear blast. If you live at or near a place that could be ground zero because it is of strategic importance, you are better off with a blast shelter. For most of us, however, a fallout shelter will do.
But will you really be able to survive the fallout which could last for several months to a year or more?
So can you? It means having enough food and water for that time, and don't forget that just because the fallout stops does not mean when you emerge everything will be fine, you will still need food and water to survive until the fallout is cleared, the vegitation has returned, life returns too.
Would you be able to survive until that time?

[wildWoman]

I think I'd prefer to shoot myself if I was very close to some really major nuclear disaster. I was in Europe when Chernobyl happened and that was already unnerving, avoiding stepping on grass and not drinking milk etc, the sort of baloney goobernments feed the people in times of crisis. Can't imagine wanting to live in some nuclear wasteland if a big blast occured close to me. But this area isn't too likely to get nuked any time soon, I hope, so I'll keep the rifle for other purposes for now.

[RobertRogers]

Any area can "get nuked". Think about it...even when a group of top scientists are trying to send a specific missile off to a specific target they often miss due to some kind of unforeseen problem.

OK, so now what is going to happen if 1,000+ missiles are sent out by a country, such as Russia, to strike all over the USA? Do you think each missile will strike its intended target? Yeah, right. Just because you live in the boonies far from any city or military target does not mean you are completely safe from the initial blast.

Is a nuclear war survivable? Yes. And it will be TEOTWAKI to be sure. The entire infrastructure will be down for quite some time. Those who make it will have skills and preps set up ahead of time.

[Ole WV Coot]

I could survive don't know for how long. I know of a coal mine within 10 miles that is covered with a concrete building, vending machines, cafeteria etc with whatever I and probably others could haul to the elevator plus what we brought. The shaft is 360' deep, then over to a blast proof door. I can bring their generators online if nobody is there, have ran them many times. I can drive a buggy back to the face and the seam is a 5' cut. Plenty of space and don't know if the air filtration system would do the job. The elevator has 30 man cap. so plenty could be taken down at a time. After that who knows??? 400' underground, air filtration, don't know how good. generators, depends on how much fuel at the time. Safe for awhile but trapped if a very close hit and lingering radiation, most everyone would also be armed and if someone cracks????

[wildWoman]

...but would it be worthwhile surviving? If the water, vegetation and animals around you are all radioactive for next few thousand years, if you'll be slowly (or quickly) wasting away from whatever dose of radiation you ended up getting, in addition to losing many of your friends and family? Wouldn't make me come out of any bunker, or want to go into one in the first place.

[dilligaf2u2]

I am 55 yrs old. I have arther in half my body! TDW(The Dear Wife) has had joint replacement of her knees, wrists and shoulders.

Would I want to survive knowing I would be living in a contaminated area with no way to get away from it? NO!

I have had Kimo. I never will live threw that again.

Just take my supplys that are useful and pass them out and write me and TDW off!

Don

[GVan]

I lived in south Florida during the Cuban situation of the 60's and I learned that it doesn't pay to get all worked up over things that you may not have the power to alter.
The resulting stress and high blood pressure is far more deadly. They WILL kill you.

So........, don't worry, stay mellow, and be happy. We're all going to die eventually any way.

[Fargus]

I live 18" above sea level in a major population center with insufficient highways. I would just head to the beach and watch the pretty colors like the father/daughter in the movie Deep Impact. Pretty much doomed here.

[Beo]

Robert Rogers and everybody, you all seem to be thinking of a massive nuclear strike. But it could be one or two small suitcase nukes, say one in DC that takes out the power station that lights more than half the east coast, fries everything, and then maybe one more in say Cali to even the coast line. Or maybe one in DC (I think its the no. 1 target) and one in Florida and between the two the east coast and part of the south are in huge trouble. Doesn't have to be thirty nukes rainind down on us, if DC, and New York are gone that would hurt the US economy.... well pretty badly, but if there were just 4 suitcase nukes explosions in say New YorK, Miami, Los Angles, and Chicago that would hurt the U.S. pretty bad for quite some time and the fallout in LA would drift east into other states, Chiago would drift east & north. Doesn't have to be a major nuke strike.

[Beo]

What would happen if they put a suitcase nuke into the San Andreas fault in Cali, or dropped one in a fly over of a volcano? Only striking a small area that makes a bigger impact with combo of a natural disaster.

[Fargus]

if there were just 4 suitcase nukes explosions in say New YorK, Miami, Los Angles, and Chicago

Miami? Why would Miami be a target? All things considered, a nuke in Miami would have me dead, but would also be a very positive urban renewal for the U.S. If Miami were on a target list, nuke away. The only thing I'd be sorry about is that I'd miss the chance to see palmetto bugs mutate into giant death dealing roaches.

[crashdive123]

I'd miss the chance to see palmetto bugs mutate into giant death dealing roaches.

Hmmm? While everybody is worried about surviving, business could be good.

[Rick]

Lets see if I have this correct. Giant sun like burst that you can't look at (Hey! Look at that oooooooh!) . Mega heat wave (get the hot dogs ready kids!). Body bombarded with multiple types of radiation (Dude! I saw your skeleton in that flash!). Radioactive snow (Let's build a snowman, kids!). Contaminated water (taste this and tell me what you think.) Giant mushroom cloud (Dude! look at the size of the 'shroom!)

Could I survive that? No.

Dear Diary,

CNN says the missiles are inbound. I'm at ground zero. This should be really cool......

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[Beo]

Why does it always have to be a giant missle with a warhead? Why can't it be terrorist with suitcase nukes... hmmm...

[Rick]

Okay, okay. Here...

Lets see if I have this correct. Tiny sun like burst that you can't look at (Hey! Look at that oooooooh!) . Really warm wave (get the hot dogs ready kids!). Body bombarded with multiple types of radiation (Dude! I saw your skeleton in that flash!). Radioactive snow (Let's build a snowman, kids!). Contaminated water (taste this and tell me what you think.) Little mushroom cloud (Dude! look at the size of the 'shroom!)

Could I survive that? No.

Dear Diary,

CNN says the suitcase bomb contaminated 30 square miles. The ocean will probably kill me first. Sad.

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[Fargus]

Here Rick, I fixed that image for you:

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Hmm, that mushroom cloud looks a little distorted. Probably just post-blast atmospherics.

[Rick]

I don't know why but bacon comes to mind. Hhhmmmmm.