Captain Dave's Survival Center

Nuclear Survival Skills

What To Do if Nuclear War Breaks Out

Part I

The world is probably closer to the use of nuclear arms in an aggressive manner today than it has been since the Cuban Missile Crisis. There’s the possibility of a terrorist attack with nuclear weapons, the possibility that Iran has nuclear weapons, North Korea's growing nuclear arsenal and the sorry state of security for old Soviet Union weapons.

So let’s say the worst happens and you hear on the radio that a nuclear device has exploded somewhere in the world. Here are Captain Dave’s suggestions for what to do:

Don’t Panic. Those of us who grew up during the cold war have a grave fear of nuclear war and many are likely to assume that because one or more nuclear warheads or device has exploded, the world as we know it will end. This could result in all sorts of panic, especially since it will take some time for real facts and figures to be known. (We’ll cover the effects of panic more extensively below.) So your first step is to separate yourself from the masses by not panicking. Take a deep breath and remember that if you are not in the blast radius or down wind from it, you are in no immediate danger form the blast. So calm down and don’t do anything foolish. Instead of acting out of panic, take a few minutes to make a plan or to activate an existing plan (which we can help you develop). Remember, just because those around you are losing their heads does not mean you need to do so also.
Keep Informed. Turn on the news and try to learn as much as you can about the attack as well as local events. This will affect how your plan. Later, you will need to monitor reports of fallout (see below.) The location, number and size of the detonations are important, as are the wind currents and weather patterns. How people around the world and around your neighborhood react is also something you should monitor, as it will effect your immediate well being more than the actual explosions will.
Gather Your Family. During any period of unrest, it’s best to have your immediate family around you. People who are traveling should return home on the first available flight or should rent cars and drive home if flights are booked or grounded. Everyone will perform better knowing that their loved ones are safe.

If your kids are in school or day care, there is probably no reason to get them immediately. They should return home safely through regular means, such as the school bus or carpool. Remember Rule One (don’t panic) and do nothing to panic your children. This will be a stressful time for everyone, and getting young children panicky or upset will not help the situation. You will have to decided whether or not to send them back to school the following days based on your plan and what you have learned from Step 2. If your children are at an away camp or boarding school, you will have to determine if they are possibly safer there than at your residence.

Cancel extracurricular activities and plans outside the home until you can be sure (by monitoring the news) that the situation is stabilized and there is no danger or unrest locally.
Lock Your Doors. Once you have all gathered at home, lock your doors and secure your perimeter as best as possible. Then try to go about life as you normally would. Have a good dinner and play a game with the kids. Watch a video. Try to seek normalcy and be reassuring so that the kids can sleep well. Don’t bombard them or yourself with repeated images of death and destruction on TV, as this is not healthy. Don’t do anything dangerous or risky as police, fire and ambulance services may be responding to other emergencies. But remember, unless civil unrest develops as a result of panic, a nuclear detonation in the Middle East or Asia will cause no immediate danger to people in North America. A detonation in the U.S. could have much more serious effects, but this really depends on the target and your location. The closed you are to the blast radius, the more immediate the danger.

Now, you may think it is foolish to watch TV and take it easy, but if you have planned and prepared and have ample supplies of food and survival gods, there is no reason to act otherwise. If you have not prepared, then going out to buy up supplies at the last minute will only add to the panic and endanger you. So take advantage of what may be your last day of calm and family togetherness.
Understand What Panic May Do. If a large number of people learn of the nuclear exchange at the same time several things may be expected to happen at once:
- Telephone lines will be clogged as people immediately call loved ones and decide what to do. The Internet will also grow much busier, especially news sites, as people at work look for breaking information.
- The stock market will crash until trading is suspended. And even when trading resumes, prices will continue to fall. A nuclear exchange will create tremendous economic disruption, and this will be reflected in the markets. Have some money available if the ATMs are empty and the credit card machines go down, and have some liquid wealth outside the market.
- Major roads will be jammed as people leave work and return home, creating a super rush hour. Other people will leave their homes for "safer" locations, such as friends in the country, vacation homes or even campgrounds. Clogged highways will be especially bad in cities and in areas with a limited numbers of bridges and tunnels, such as New York and Washington, D.C. This is a situation where civil violence could break out.
- There may be lines or delays at gas stations as everyone decides to fill their tanks before it is "too late." Some stations could run out of gas. Others may rise prices or ask for cash only. This is another situation where civil violence could break out.
- People will shop for food and supplies, causing lines and shortages of everything from bread and milk to bottled waterbatteries and toilet paper. Most grocery stores rotate their stock so quickly they have only a two to three day supply of key items in stock. Thanks to just-in-time production and distribution methods, if everyone panics and shops at one time, we could well see empty shelves very quickly.
- There may be civil unrest as people panic, especially if there are shortages at the grocery store. If local police forces are overwhelmed, this could escalate to riots and looting, especially in densely populated urban areas.
- Riots and civil unrest could cause general lawlessness, as law enforcement is overwhelmed and unable to respond to calls. Depending on where you live, you could be in danger form fires (arson), or you could be targeted for home invasion robberies and other acts of violence. You could also get caught up in a riot or random acts of violence. Again, proper planning for this possibility will help you be prepared. Remember that the Korean merchants in South Central demonstrated the value of firearm ownership in this type of situation.

Having a plan can save you from getting caught up in the worst panic. Know where to go and what to do once you are there.

Once all family members are at home and you know whether or not there is local civil unrest, you can plan for the next few days or, better yet, implement your existing plan. Your key concerns will be protecting yourself and your loved ones from possible radiation dangers, making sure you are safe from local unrest and ensuring that you have enough supplies to live through the next few weeks or even months.

Part II

Fallout can be deadly. Radiation poisoning is an ugly wan to die. Protect yourself and your loved ones by understanding how fallout works and how to shelter from it.

Understand Fallout. Simply put, fallout is radioactive dust created when a nuclear explosion throws dust and dirt (made radioactive by the bomb) miles into the air. The heaviest dirt and dust "fall out" and land downwind of the explosion, creating "hot zones" or areas of radioactive danger outside the area where the bomb’s explosive effects are felt. It is people caught in these zones that will need to shelter underground or in fallout shelters to avoid death and serious illness from radiation poisoning. So in a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan, this will be in Pakistan and points east, including India and parts of China. (Korea, Japan and other parts of Eastern Asia will also suffer from fallout, though less than in the immediate area downwind of the detonations.)

Whether there is an exchange in the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula or India, none of the heavy fallout will reach the United States, but lighter particles are carried by the winds for thousands of miles and may drift to the ground days or even weeks later. These particles could reach the West Coast of the United States a week or so after the initial explosions. Some parts of the country could miss the fallout entirely as the jet stream and prevailing weather conditions will carry it across some regions wile avoiding others. The government and major broadcasters will track the fallout clouds, juts as they track hurricanes. Again, keeping informed (Rule 2) will help you plan to avoid the fallout danger.

The good news is that the radioactive isotopes degrade and lose their radioactivity relatively quickly over time. So a particle of fallout that lands on Korea two days after an explosion is only 1/100th as dangerous as the fallout than landed during the first hour. And the fallout that drifts to earth two weeks after an explosion is only 1/1000th as dangerous as it was in the first hour after the explosion.

Fallout particles that land on your home and nearby can be disturbed by the wind and washed away by rainwater or a blast from your hose. While this means that a good rain should wash away much of it and reduce the level of ambient radiation, it also means that fallout may be washed into low lying areas where puddles form leaving behind pockets of higher background radiation. Having a good Geiger counter can help identify these areas and other hot spots both during fallout and afterwards. While expensive, a Geiger counter takes the guesswork out of exposure monitoring.
Protect Yourself from Fallout. Even low levels of radiation can be dangerous when you are exposed for prolonged periods of time. And it is especially dangerous to young children, who should be protected to the greatest extent possible. If you cannot avoid being in an area where fallout lands, then you should minimize your exposure and create a barrier between yourself and the fallout. This is especially important for young children and pregnant women.

Dirt, concrete, bricks and other dense, solid objects offer the best protection from fallout. While people immediately downwind of a nuclear event should have at least three feet of cement or four feet of dirt around them to form a good fallout shelter, a traditional basement offers significant protection from the low levels of fallout expected in the United States after a bomb blast in Asia of th Middle East. Once fallout is predicted to start, sleep in the basement, especially along the walls that are underground, to enhance the minimal protection offered by your house. Pile items on the floor above you – such as books and heavy or thick furniture, because everything between you and the fallout on your roof will offer you some degree of protection, and when dealing with long-term exposures, even a slight improvement in your protection is worth it. If you do not have a basement, sleeping in an interior room as far as possible from exterior walls and the roof will offer a small degree of protection. Again, pile thing along the outside of the walls and floor above the room to absorb as many rays emitted by the fallout as possible.

Some people advocate piling dirt on the floor of the room above the basement in which you are sleeping. While this will absorb additional radiation, it is not likely to be necessary with the low levels of radiation expected from blasts on the other side of the pacific. If terrorists hit Seattle, however, and you are down wind 1,000 miles, that could be a different story. Again, a Geiger Counter will help you determine this, as will watching the newscasts. Should a nuclear bomb detonate closer to your home, this might be a good spur-of-the-moment tactic to consider.

The most dangerous form of fallout is particles that you breathe in, as they will expose your internal organs to whatever radioactive power they posses. So do not go outside during periods of active fallout and avoid breathing unfiltered air at any time the forecast predicts heavy fallout. Also during period of fallout, turn off heating or air conditioning systems that bring outside air into the house, unless they are equipped with a HEPA filter (and few residential systems are). Dusts masks will help some, N95 or N100 particlate masks will help mor and gas masks with a NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) rating will provide the best protection. Also, if you go outside during periods of fallout, avoid bringing clothes contaminated with fallout into your house. Remove your clothes and wash yourself under a hose to remove accumulated fallout. Leave the clothes outside to be disposed of or decontaminated later. Once inside, immediately shower again with a good soap to remove radioactive particles from your skin and hair. This will protect you and other members of your household.
Take Potassium Iodide or Iodate. One proven long-term effect of exposure to low levels of radioactive fallout is cancer of the thyroid. This is because the thyroid absorbs radioactive iodine, concentrating the dangerous isotopes and causing long-term harm. You probably won’t get sick that week, but years down the road it could cause serious problems, including cancer. Medical science has demonstrated that by taking potassium iodide or iodate orally before and during fallout, the thyroid will be flush with iodine and, as a result, will not absorb damaging amounts of radioactive iodine isotopes. You should obtain a source ahead of time, as the pills can be safely kept for years. You can order these products online or talk to your pharmacist. Some communities are providing pills to consumers who live near nuclear plants.
Do not Ingest Fallout. In Russia, cows downwind of Chernobyl ate grass that had radioactive particles on it. Radioactive isotopes were excreted in their milk, which was then consumed by children, to their detriment. In other places, crops with fallout on them were consumed. So be careful not to gather food during or shortly after periods of fallout. Do not drink fresh milk after fallout. Vigorous washing will reduce fallout on vegetables, and peeling items will also remove it. But care must be utilized for a year or more to avoid consuming reductive particles. Canned food and other commercially packaged food that was grown and packaged prior to exposure to fallout will be safe as long as the packaging is well sealed and the containers are rinsed before opening.

If you drink water from surface sources – such as ponds, rivers or streams – or collect rainwater, it must be filtered to remove tiny radioactive particles. The water itself will not become radioactive, but fallout particles in it will need to be filtered out. And remember that when enough particles are trapped in your filter, it will be radioactive, so don't store it in your shelter.

Every day the sun shines, your body absorbs radiation, but the gamma rays and other radiation you can pick up from fallout is much worse than a sun burn. Radiation sickness is serious and high levels of exposure are terminal. Your goal is to minimize exposure to radiation by:
1. Reducing its intensity by blocking it with mass (dirt and concrete or even books, stacks of newspaper or water) and the passage of time (its power fades over time).
2. Reducing avenues of exposure by filtering drinking water and washing foods, so that you do not ingest it, and by filtering the air so you do not breath it.
3. Reducing the time you are exposed to radiation by taking shelter. The longer you can stay in your shelter (basement) the better, especially when fallout is predicted.

Part III

As you can see, coming through a nuclear emergency unscathed is unlikely to be accomplished by simple chance. You stand a much better chance of protecting yourself and your family if you are prepared and have a plan before hand. One thing you should plan for is shortages. You can avoid problems with shortages by preparing ahead of time and keeping some basics on hand.

Stock up on Food. If panic breaks out, you can expect shortages similar to those before a blizzard strikes an area or during a hurricane warning. That means many staple items – such as milk, bread, bottled water, flashlights, batteries, gasoline and ammunition -- will be purchased by people who are concerned that there may be shortages in a few days. Their panicked buying will, of course, cause prices to rise and create the very shortages they fear.

We suggest having plenty of these items stored at home prior to the emergency, as well as foods that can be safely stored without refrigeration for some time such as rice, dried beans, pasta, breakfast cereals, oatmeal, peanut butter, crackers, canned goods, powdered milk, pancake mix, flour, sugar, dried soups, powdered milk, powdered drink mixes, hard candy, etc. In addition to store bought foods, MREs are good to have on hand, as are special foods designed to store 10, 12 or even 15 years, such as the Ready Reserve Foods we sell. These items are available in special units designed to feed a person, a couple or a family of four for three months, six months, a year, or longer.

Worse than the immediate panic are possible long-term effects of radiation on crop and even animal proteins. Will you still want to eat vegetables grown in the San Fernando Valley if a nuclear weapon went off in Asia? What about corn that was exposed to fallout when it was in the field. Is it safe to eat bread made from flour that came from wheat that was planted on ground that had fallout on it? Can you eat a steak from a cow that ate cantaminated corn or grass? What about eggs from a chicken fed corn or other grain that was exposed? And if the government tells you that it is safe, what happens if 10 or 20 years down the road, they decide they made a mistake?

These are difficult questions to answer. But having a large supply of food that you know is radiation-free can make you feel better and may well protect you and your family in the long term.

The ultimate survival food is grain, which you can buy and store yourself, or buy pre-packed for long term storage. Rice is a staple in the diets of billions of people and a 5-gallon plastic pail can hold close to 50 pounds. The plastic pail will keep fallout out of your food, an protect it from rodents. Wheat is one of the best food storage products. It can be ground for flour, sprouted for greens, cracked or broken to make wheat pilaf, or boiled and eaten as porridge. A 50-pound bag of rice at the warehouse club or a bushel of grain can feed your family for weeks. Wheat is not as easily available as rice, but you can buy it from feed stores and farmers. Just make sure your wheat is dry and is not treated with pesticides or other chemicals.
Stock up on Essentials. If you or your family rely on medications, try to have at least a month’s supply on hand. To be safe, get your key prescription(s) filled as soon as things calm down or in the lull between the news of an attack and the arrival of the fallout. If you have young children, stock diapers and formula. If you have pets, make sure you have ample pet food.

What you consider essential may be different than what I consider essential. People with addictions, for example, should have coffee, cigarettes or whatever they are addicted to available so they can weather tough times more easily.
Stock up on Items from the Far East and South Asia. What if our government bans imports from the Far East for six months or a year after bombs explode there? Not only will imports have to be screened to prevent radiation from entering the country, but also sanctions against any country that uses nuclear weapons will immediately go into effect. So anything from India or Korea or wherever will suddenly be in short supply. There could be massive disruption of commerce. So while these are not critical items, you might be well served to buy videotapes, computer memory, spices and consumer electronics before such shortages take place.
Stock up on Cash and Pay down Debt. Nuclear war will play havoc with not only our economy, but with the global economy. Expect the stock market to crash, imports and exports to be disrupted and to experience unpredictable swings in currency values. Consumer confidence will probably plunge and we could be sent into a recession or depression. Will your job survive? Will you be able to pay your rent or mortgage? The best way to survive financially is to avoid debt and stash some extra cash for a rainy day. Outside of long-term storage food, we believe gold, silver and real estate are the best investments in such a scenario.

Survivalists who believe the world as we know will come to an end stock up on everything from beans and bullion to Bibles and bullets. They store extra laundry detergent, nails, chains for the chainsaw, automotive fluids and spare parts, extra boots and just about anything else they can think of. In the event of a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan or Iraq and Israel, you probably won’t need all that because while our world will be changed, no one expects the electrical power grid to be disrupted in the U.S. (although the flow of oil to our tanks could be disrupted.) But there will be changes, and anything you can do to prepare for the change is worth while. So stock up on anything you think you might need.

What you decide to store should work hand in hand with your plan, so let’s take a look at planning:
Plan Where to Go Under What Circumstances and How to Get There. You should make a plan with your immediate family members on where to go in the event of a nuclear war, and it should include alternate locations and transportation modes.

So if you decide you will meet at home (a logical choice unless you have reason to believe you could be at ground zero) then you should have several plans on how everyone will get there. And if you cannot meet at home for some unknown reason, then there should be alternate meeting spots.
Inventory what Resources You Have on Hand and Identify What You Need. Inventory what survival needs are already filled. For example, you might have camping gear that includes a water filter. Or perhaps your larder is well stocked because you grow and can your own vegetables. Maybe you always buy on sale and have 20 rolls of toilet paper in the linen closet. All of these items should go on your list.

You should also look at what you have and do not have under these primary categories:
- Food: Enough to feed your family for a minimum of three weeks and preferably three months or, ideally, a year.
- Water: A way to store it and filter or purify it, plus a list of local natural water sources.
- Nuclear protection: Potassium Iodate or Iodide, gas masks and a basement in which to shelter. Make a list of ways you could improve your basement's ability to block radiation.
- Self defense: Traditionally firearms, but could include keeping a low profile and avoiding conflict.
- Communications gear: cell phones, portable AM/FM and short wave radios to monitor world news, spare batteries, lists of people to call.
- Household goods, such as toiletries and cleaning supplies.

Again, perhaps you can use items you already own to fill in some blanks on your list. For example, maybe your hunting rifle or target pistol will be sufficient for self defense, but you should add some extra ammo, just to be safe, because it will be difficult to find afterwards. (When 9/11 hit, stores like K-Mart stopped selling guns and ammo. Of course, K-Mart later went bankrupt – Hmm, I wonder if there is a connection? In any case, flags and ammunition were two of the biggest sellers.)

Preparing for the unknown of a nuclear exchange isn’t an easy topic that can quickly be covered. Entire books have been written on it. Many of the general topics on this site can help, and we also encourage you to read Nuclear War Survival Skills.