Surviving a Nuclear Explosion: What You Need to Know

In the event of a nuclear explosion, the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends staying home for at least 24 hours. After 48 hours, the exposure rate to a 10-kiloton explosion (the kind that could damage but not destroy a city) drops to just 1%.

It is important to stay where you are inside and meet later to avoid exposure to hazardous radiation. Stay tuned for updated instructions from emergency response officials and if you are advised to evacuate, listen to information about routes, shelters, and procedures. Mobile protective equipment is imperative for medical and security personnel to perform containment, evacuation and any other important public safety objectives in the event of a nuclear catastrophe. The United States conducted the first surface nuclear weapons test in southeastern New Mexico on July 16, 1945 and the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 was proof that the safety of international nuclear reactors should not be taken lightly. Staying indoors can also limit the amount of invisible nuclear radiation produced by an explosion that will reach the body. When Hawaii's ballistic threat system issued a statewide alert on Jan.

13, many people didn't know where to go, what to do, or if they could survive a nuclear attack. The dangers of nuclear fallout are not limited to an increased risk of cancer and radiation sickness, but also include the presence of radionuclides in human organs from food. High atmospheric radioactivity remains measurable after widespread nuclear testing in the 1950s and since the end of nuclear weapons tests on the ground, daily radiation in air readings from monitoring sites has decreased. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a legally binding global ban on the testing of nuclear explosives. With recent threats of terrorism, many people have expressed concern about the likelihood and effects of a nuclear explosion. This ultimately led to the world's first controlled nuclear chain reaction, achieved by Fermi and his group on December 2, 1942, on the squash court under the stands of the university's Stagg Field. While full body shielding in a safe rain shelter as described above is the most optimal form of radiation protection, it requires being enclosed in a very thick bunker for a significant period of time.

Nuclear explosions can cause significant damage and casualties from explosion, heat and radiation, but you can keep your family safe if you know what to do and if you prepare if it happens. The development of EMP is determined by the initial nuclear radiation of the explosion, specifically by gamma radiation. It established a “nuclear” threshold, banning tests with a yield greater than 150 kilotons (equivalent to 150,000 tons of TNT).The most important thing to remember if a nuclear bomb is supposed to explode is to take refuge in place.