Answer to Question #2496 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Q

What are the best ways to withstand a nuclear blast?

A

The best way to survive a nuclear blast is to be somewhere else. Temperatures within the fireball are high enough to vaporize just about anything, and the combination of blast, radiation, and heat near a nuclear blast is very lethal.

On the other hand, if you are far enough away to avoid the immediate effects (say, a few miles away) you can reduce your risks by going indoors and closing doors and windows to reduce the amount of fallout you can be exposed to. If there is any advance warning of a nuclear attack, going into the basement will help to reduce your radiation exposure, but if your basement has windows, you should try to stay away from them. Listen to the radio or TV to find out the extent of damage and recommended actions. Most of the fallout should settle to the ground within several hours, and fallout will only be a problem if you are downwind of the explosion.

Finally, you should stay off the roads until you hear it is safe to travel. First, the roads will probably be clogged with people who are panicking, so traffic will be moving slowly and there will be a lot of people driving unsafely. It would be a shame to die in a traffic accident! In addition, clogging the roads will make it difficult for emergency responders to get to where they need to go and could cost the lives of others who are in need of immediate attention. Also, staying put in your basement (or in any building) will give you more protection against radiation or blast effects than sitting outside in your car.

You can find more information in a booklet published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Andrew Karam, CHP, PhD