Got nuke questions?

[Lowdown3]

OK so we are possibly staring down a nuclear threat, either by missiles or small devices.

Anyone have any questions in relation to nuclear protection, fallout, radiation monitoring, etc. etc?

[Grand58742]

This site, on the left side are some free downloads. You need a DjVu reader to see some of them, but one is in .pdf.

http://www.homelandcivildefense.org/view/homelandcivildefense/index.htm

That first one, the Nuclear War Survival Skills is like an encyclopedia for everything nuke.

[Grand58742]

But I'll also ask the first question...

Mister LD3, just how important are iodine tablets for radioactivity exposure?

[WiseOwl]

But I'll also ask the first question...

Mister LD3, just how important are iodine tablets for radioactivity exposure?

Do you need the ones that come in the packs of 14 (iosatat?) or will any potassium iodide work from the health nut shoppe?

[thedreamers]

question 2: we live in Fl nothing is under ground, best way to get 3ft (or equivalent)of earth around us? different books say different things.

[Rmplstlskn]

question 2: we live in Fl nothing is under ground, best way to get 3ft (or equivalent)of earth around us? different books say different things.

Without the land where you could make your own mountain of dirt and bury a CONEX conatainer, FL is one of the toughest places to survive a nuke event...

Some alternative options... Basement of a tall building that has minimal windows for the first few floors. Lots of concrete above you, but reflected gamma is the one you may have to be worked on from the sides...
Another option, if it was really bad and you would not get arrested doing such a thing: Take over a hospital radiation treatment wing... The treatment rooms are made of lead lined walls to protect from the radiation generated inside against the patient... It will also do the opposite, block radiation from the outside... Some of those rooms are very big, with huge safe type doors, but not set up for long term living, as you might have guessed...

Otherwise, if in Florida, hope for another doomsday scenario...

Rmpl

[Rmplstlskn]

Do you need the ones that come in the packs of 14 (iosatat?) or will any potassium iodide work from the health nut shoppe?

If the science is correct, the IODATE (Medical Corps) will do just as good of job as IODIDE (ioSat), maybe even better with less adverse symptoms... I have never tested it personally, nor do I hope to... Right now, IoSat is less than $12 bucks on eBay... No brainer to have one or two for each person. The Medical Corps stuff needs to come from their web site...

Rmpl

[Rmplstlskn]

I presently don't have any nuke-capable shelter for the LONG TERM needed to survive a true nuke event... My hope is that I have time to borrow a excavator and make one in the back yard quickly, but not very likely. My second option is to bug out and go to a few deep caverns we have in our area, but I will most likely have to share with others that have the same idea... Hopefully those with NOTHING for preps would be too stupid to think about a cavern and those who show up have their preps in order...

I really pray a nuke event is an EMP rather than actual thermonuclear device just above ground detonation... I am very weak on the shelter for such a thing. I may die...

Rmpl

[Matt In Oklahoma]

If the science is correct, the IODATE (Medical Corps) will do just as good of job as IODIDE (ioSat), maybe even better with less adverse symptoms... I have never tested it personally, nor do I hope to... Right now, IoSat is less than $12 bucks on eBay... No brainer to have one or two for each person. The Medical Corps stuff needs to come from their web site...

Rmpl

Some info on KI and KIO3

http://campingsurvival.com/potiodpilkio.html

[Lowdown3]

"Radiation pills"- just keep in mind with any flavor of these you are protecting ONE organ in the body against ONE specific isotope.

They will NOT-
*Cure radiation
*Block radiation (unless your talking specifically about the thyroid.

Now let's look at this from a survivalist's standpoint.

RadioIodine has a very short half life- 8 days IIRC (it's been a while since I've talked on nuke stuff). Your going to have the possibility of taking it in several ways-

1. A radioactive gas if your CLOSE to the hit. "Close to the hit" being the key, which means you got bigger problems.
2. You drink contaminated water or food.

Now from a survivalists standpoint- you don't eat or drink anything you don't have in storage for 2 weeks (you'll be in a shelter or basement at least 2 weeks) and you wear a gas mask if/when you go outside for the first couple weeks at least. Ideally you'd just stay in the shelter/basement for 2 weeks.
That would mitigate most of the threat.

Should you still take KI or something similar WHEN an attack happens? Sure. Just know what it will do and won't do for you.

[rockriver]

borrow an excavator while the nuke is exploding.... ?
get it to your bol and dig a hole and build cover... ?
before the rad. gets to you?

NAH...

sounds like the folks who declare they will buy up their
survival stuff after the event.

doesn't sound like a plan.
oops. yes it does....
sounds like a plan that has already determined... that there is no nuke exposure!!

i hope you are right.

[motesjm]

Since the closest probable target city to us is about 50 miles away as the crow flies I'm curious about the following:

Given a dentonation near that city:

1) Would we be able to see the mushroom cloud?
2) Would we be able to hear the explosion or feel ground conducted shockwaves from that distance?

In other words, would there be any doubt that a nuke had gone off, or would we get any physical indicators at all? At night I'm sure we'd see the flash and glow over the horizon, but at noon? Not sure if we'd see a difference in light or shadows or what.

3) I have some expectation that our hazard radio will alarm in the event of an attack. Is this reasonable considering the NWS broadcasts come from near that same city?

4) What will the effect to bridges and roads be at different distances? I'm across a wide river from my kids during the day, and there's only two bridges across it within 50 miles of me. I sometimes wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to have a good inflatable boat stashed at my office.

5) What are the safe approach distances to ground zero at day 1, 2, 5, or ever ect... Can I go get my widowed sister that lives 20 miles outside of the city at day 3?

If we had an all out nuke exchange with a power like Russia or China I'm just about positive this city would be hit. If its with a limited power like NK or Iran, I think they would expend their bombs on bigger targets of which there are plenty to choose from.

[1Admin]

Since the closest probable target city to us is about 50 miles away as the crow flies I'm curious about the following:

Given a dentonation near that city:

1) Would we be able to see the mushroom cloud?
Depends on size of the device, is it a ground burst or airburst?

2) Would we be able to hear the explosion or feel ground conducted shockwaves from that distance?
See answer to #1 also considerations include soil type in the area, atmospheric conditions.

I'm guessing YOU'D KNOW.

In other words, would there be any doubt that a nuke had gone off, or would we get any physical indicators at all? At night I'm sure we'd see the flash and glow over the horizon, but at noon? Not sure if we'd see a difference in light or shadows or what.

3) I have some expectation that our hazard radio will alarm in the event of an attack. Is this reasonable considering the NWS broadcasts come from near that same city?



4) What will the effect to bridges and roads be at different distances? I'm across a wide river from my kids during the day, and there's only two bridges across it within 50 miles of me. I sometimes wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to have a good inflatable boat stashed at my office.

5) What are the safe approach distances to ground zero at day 1, 2, 5, or ever ect... Can I go get my widowed sister that lives 20 miles outside of the city at day 3?

Only a survey meter will be able to tell you that. I'd have the sister lay low in a basement, perhaps hiding if need be, for 2 weeks. Honestly, I wouldn't attempt travel at that point unless their was no other way. Then (no other way), recirculate the air in your car, keep windows up tight, a furnace/AC filter cut up in sizes just bigger than the air vents inside duct taped over might be handy. The recirculating the air in the car will help also. Your Air filter will likely be "hot" afterwards. Park a good ways away from your home or shelter, ditch the clothes you were wearing, rinse over VERY well, double check with a survey meter for small particles in hair, etc.

If we had an all out nuke exchange with a power like Russia or China I'm just about positive this city would be hit. If its with a limited power like NK or Iran, I think they would expend their bombs on bigger targets of which there are plenty to choose from.

See answers in bold.

Knowing the TARGETS in your area is step one and it looks like you have that figured out already.

[Rmplstlskn]

i hope you are right.

On our finances, we have to pick and choose our SHTF events, and full-blown thermo-nuclear war is far down on my list of possibles... I am also under no illusion that I can or will survive all possible things... I said previously here that I would most likely die if it were thermo-nuclear... Can't cover all the bases, I am at peace with it... But I will die trying to do what I can none the less...

I am very thankful that I live in a small valley tucked in between solid granite mountains between me and any possible target... That is my primary defense... Then if the winds are working for me (they usually are for most possible targets), then I would have some time...

Rmpl

[Rmplstlskn]

My comments is BOLD

3) I have some expectation that our hazard radio will alarm in the event of an attack. Is this reasonable considering the NWS broadcasts come from near that same city?

The recent bombing in Boston has shown us that the "authorities" plan on and will cut CELL PHONE service if an attack happened, so plan on that right off the bat. I would not trust them to broadcast any details on the radio, as I suspect they would want people to stay where they are...AKA containment.

4) What will the effect to bridges and roads be at different distances? I'm across a wide river from my kids during the day, and there's only two bridges across it within 50 miles of me. I sometimes wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to have a good inflatable boat stashed at my office.

Too many variables like type of bridge, construction method, age of structure, etc... You need to take a close look at it yourself and evaluate if it would hold up or not... We have very little known data to work with on nuclear explosions on modern structures...

5) What are the safe approach distances to ground zero at day 1, 2, 5, or ever ect... Can I go get my widowed sister that lives 20 miles outside of the city at day 3?

If we had an all out nuke exchange with a power like Russia or China I'm just about positive this city would be hit. If its with a limited power like NK or Iran, I think they would expend their bombs on bigger targets of which there are plenty to choose from.

Like my previous post, I hold true, all-out, thermo-nuclear war between nation states as LOW on my possible meter... And EMP or dirty bomb is much more likely, then it would depend WHERE it happened...

Rmpl