Nuclear and Radiological Attack
Electromagnetic
pulse | What to do before a nuclear or radiological attack
What to do during a nuclear or radiological attack | What to do after a nuclear or radiological attack
Returning to your home
Nuclear explosions can cause deadly effects blinding light, intense heat
(thermal radiation), initial nuclear radiation, blast, fires started by
the heat pulse, and secondary fires caused by the destruction. They also
produce radioactive particles called fallout that can be carried by wind
for hundreds of miles.
Terrorist use of a radiological dispersion device (RDD) often called "dirty
nuke" or "dirty bomb" is considered far more likely than use of a nuclear
device. These radiological weapons are a combination of conventional explosives
and radioactive material designed to scatter dangerous and sub-lethal amounts
of radioactive material over a general area. Such radiological weapons appeal
to terrorists because they require very little technical knowledge to build
and deploy compared to that of a nuclear device. Also, these radioactive
materials, used widely in medicine, agriculture, industry and research,
are much more readily available and easy to obtain compared to weapons grade
uranium or plutonium.
Terrorist use of a nuclear device would probably be limited to a single
smaller "suitcase" weapon. The strength of such a weapon would be in the
range of the bombs used during World War II. The nature of the effects would
be the same as a weapon delivered by an inter-continental missile, but the
area and severity of the effects would be significantly more limited.
There is no way of knowing how much warning time there would be before an
attack by a terrorist using a nuclear or radiological weapon. A surprise
attack remains a possibility.
The danger of a massive strategic nuclear attack on the United States involving
many weapons receded with the end of the Cold War. However, some terrorists
have been supported by nations that have nuclear weapons programs.
If there were threat of an attack from a hostile nation, people living near
potential targets could be advised to evacuate or they could decide on their
own to evacuate to an area not considered a likely target. Protection from
radioactive fallout would require taking shelter in an underground area,
or in the middle of a large building.
In general, potential targets include:
- Strategic missile sites and military bases.
- Centers of government such as Washington, DC, and state capitals.
- Important transportation and communication centers.
- Manufacturing, industrial, technology and financial centers.
- Petroleum refineries, electrical power plants and chemical plants.
- Major ports and airfields.
Taking shelter during a nuclear attack is absolutely necessary. There are
two kinds of shelters blast and fallout.
Blast shelters offer some protection against blast pressure, initial radiation,
heat and fire, but even a blast shelter could not withstand a direct hit
from a nuclear detonation.
Fallout shelters do not need to be specially constructed for that purpose.
They can be any protected space, provided that the walls and roof are thick
and dense enough to absorb the radiation given off by fallout particles.
The three protective factors of a fallout shelter are shielding, distance,
and time.
- Shielding. The more heavy, dense materials thick walls, concrete,
bricks, books and earth between you and the fallout particles, the better.
- Distance. The more distance between you and the fallout particles,
the better. An underground area, such as a home or office building basement,
offers more protection than the first floor of a building. A floor near
the middle of a high-rise may be better, depending on what is nearby
at that level on which significant fallout particles would collect.
Flat roofs collect fallout particles so the top floor is not a good
choice, nor is a floor adjacent to a neighboring flat roof.
- Time. Fallout radiation loses its intensity fairly rapidly.
In time, you will be able to leave the fallout shelter. Radioactive
fallout poses the greatest threat to people during the first two weeks,
by which time it has declined to about 1% of its initial radiation level.
Remember that any protection, however temporary, is better than none at
all, and the more shielding, distance and time you can take advantage of,
the better.
Electromagnetic pulse
In addition to other effects, a nuclear weapon detonated in or above
the earth's atmosphere can create an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), a high-density
electrical field. EMP acts like a stroke of lightning but is stronger,
faster and briefer. EMP can seriously damage electronic devices connected
to power sources or antennas. This include communication systems, computers,
electrical appliances, and automobile or aircraft ignition systems. The
damage could range from a minor interruption to actual burnout of components.
Most electronic equipment within 1,000 miles of a high-altitude nuclear
detonation could be affected. Battery powered radios with short antennas
generally would not be affected.
Although EMP is unlikely to harm most people, it could harm those with
pacemakers or other implanted electronic devices.
What to do before
a nuclear or radiological attack
-
Learn the warning signals and all sources of warning used in your community.
Make sure you know what the signals are, what they mean, how they will
be used, and what you should do if you hear them.
- Assemble and maintain a disaster supply kit with food, water, medications,
fuel and personal items adequate for up to 2 weeks the more the better.
(See the "Emergency Planning and Disaster Supplies"
chapter for more information).
- Find out what public buildings in your community may have been designated
as fallout shelters. It may have been years ago, but start there, and
learn which buildings are still in use and could be designated as shelters
again.
- Call your local emergency management office.
- Look for yellow and black fallout shelter signs on public buildings.
NOTE: With the end of the Cold War, many of the signs have
been removed from the buildings previously designated.
- If no noticeable or official designations have been made, make
your own list of potential shelters near your home, workplace and
school: basements, or the windowless center area of middle floors
in high-rise buildings, as well as subways and tunnels.
- Give your household clear instructions about where fallout shelters
are located and what actions to take in case of attack.
- If you live in an apartment building or high-rise, talk to the manager
about the safest place in the building for sheltering, and about providing
for building occupants until it is safe to go out.
- There are few public shelters in many suburban and rural areas. If
you are considering building a fallout shelter at home, keep the following
in mind.
- A basement, or any underground area, is the best place to shelter
from fallout. Often, few major changes are needed, especially if the
structure has two or more stories and its basement or one corner of
it is below ground.
- Fallout shelters can be used for storage during non-emergency periods,
but only store things there that can be very quickly removed. (When
they are removed, dense, heavy items may be used to add to the shielding.)
- All the items you will need for your stay need not be stocked inside
the shelter itself but can be stored elsewhere, as long as you
can move them quickly to the shelter.
- Learn about your community's evacuation plans. Such plans may include
evacuation routes, relocation sites, how the public will be notified and
transportation options for people who do not own cars and those who have
special needs. See the "Evacuation" chapter for more
information.
- Acquire other emergency preparedness booklets that you may need.
What to do during
a nuclear or radiological attack
-
Do not look at the flash or fireball it can blind you.
- If you hear an attack warning:
- Take cover as quickly as you can, BELOW GROUND IF POSSIBLE, and
stay there unless instructed to do otherwise.
- If you are caught outside, unable to get inside immediately, take
cover behind anything that might offer protection. Lie flat on the
ground and cover your head.
- If the explosion is some distance away, it could take 30 seconds
or more for the blast wave to hit.
- Protect yourself from radioactive fallout. If you are close enough
to see the brilliant flash of a nuclear explosion, the fallout will arrive
in about 20 minutes. Take shelter, even if you are many miles from ground
zero radioactive fallout can be carried by the winds for hundreds of miles.
Remember the three protective factors: shielding, distance and time.
- Keep a battery-powered radio with you, and listen for official information.
Follow the instructions given. Local instructions should always take precedence:
officials on the ground know the local situation best.
What to do after a
nuclear or radiological attack
In a public or home shelter:
-
Do not leave the shelter until officials say it is safe. Follow their
instructions when leaving.
- If in a fallout shelter, stay in your shelter until local authorities
tell you it is permissible or advisable to leave. The length of your stay
can range from a day or two to four weeks.
- Contamination from a radiological dispersion device could affect
a wide area, depending on the amount of conventional explosives used,
the quantity of radioactive material and atmospheric conditions.
- A "suitcase" terrorist nuclear device detonated at or near ground
level would produce heavy fallout from the dirt and debris sucked
up into the mushroom cloud.
- A missile-delivered nuclear weapon from a hostile nation would
probably cause an explosion many times more powerful than a suitcase
bomb, and provide a greater cloud of radioactive fallout.
- The decay rate of the radioactive fallout would be the same, making
it necessary for those in the areas with highest radiation levels
to remain in shelter for up to a month.
- The heaviest fallout would be limited to the area at or downwind
from the explosion, and 80% of the fallout would occur during the
first 24 hours.
- Because of these facts and the very limited number of weapons terrorists
could detonate, most of the country would not be affected by fallout.
- People in most of the areas that would be affected could be allowed
to come out of shelter and, if necessary, evacuate to unaffected areas
within a few days.
- Although it may be difficult, make every effort to maintain sanitary
conditions in your shelter space.
- Water and food may be scarce. Use them prudently but do not impose
severe rationing, especially for children, the ill or elderly.
- Cooperate with shelter managers. Living with many people in confined
space can be difficult and unpleasant.
Returning to your home
-
Keep listening to the radio for news about what to do, where to go,
and places to avoid.
- If your home was within the range of a bomb's shock wave, or you live
in a high-rise or other apartment building that experienced a non-nuclear
explosion, check first for any sign of collapse or damage, such as:
- toppling chimneys, falling bricks, collapsing walls, plaster falling
from ceilings.
- fallen light fixtures, pictures and mirrors.
- broken glass from windows.
- overturned bookcases, wall units or other fixtures.
- fires from broken chimneys.
- ruptured gas and electric lines.
- Immediately clean up spilled medicines, drugs, flammable liquids, and
other potentially hazardous materials.
- Listen to your battery-powered radio for instructions and information
about community services.
- Monitor the radio and your television for information on assistance
that may be provided. Local, state and federal governments and other organizations
will help meet emergency needs and help you recover from damage and losses.
- The danger may be aggravated by broken water mains and fallen power
lines.
- If you turned gas, water and electricity off at the main valves and
switch before you went to shelter:
- Do not turn the gas back on. The gas company will turn it back
on for you or you will receive other instructions.
- Turn the water back on at the main valve only after you know the
water system is working and water is not contaminated.
- Turn electricity back on at the main switch only after you know
the wiring is undamaged in your home and the community electrical
system is functioning.
- Check to see that sewage lines are intact before using sanitary
facilities.
- Stay away from damaged areas.
- Stay away from areas marked "radiation hazard" or "HAZMAT."
For more information relevant to terrorism consult the following chapters:
Emergency Planning and Disaster Supplies
| Emergency Planning | Disaster
Supply Kits | Evacuation
Shelter | National Security Emergencies | Terrorism
| Chemical and Biological Weapons
Nuclear and Radiological Attack | Homeland
Security Advisory System | For More Information
Helpful Websites | Useful
Telephone Numbers
|