The Essential Guide to Surviving a Nuclear Attack

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Be prepared

The best thing to do to survive a nuclear attack is starting to plan early. Before the sabre-rattling of world leaders boosts a nuclear conflagration, you can take some simple steps to protect yourself.

First and foremost, get yourself a PS4, PC or XBOX, buy Fallout 4 and start training! Or you could do something a bit more productive, it's your choice. The most obvious preparation you can make is to stock up on provisions. You'll need plenty of fresh water, long shelf life consumables like tinned food, basic survival goods and medical supplies that need to last for around two weeks. The longer the better of course. Medical centers are likely to be decimated in the attack as they tend to be concentrated in large population centers. During the WW2 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it is estimated that 90 percent of all medical staff were killed during the attacks.

It would be advisable to find out if there are any fallout shelters or places that could service as one in your community. If none of them exists, you should try to find potential shelters near your home, workplace and school. These facilities don't need to be reinforced concrete bunkers like the ones in the Fallout game series. Any basements or windowless central core areas of high rise buildings would do. An underground tunnel would make a great shelter as well.

If you want a good overview of how to build a shelter check out this great article.

What to do right after a nuclear attack

Official channels such as the radio or TV would be expected to notify the public, so be sure to monitor these for regular updates on the attack. Once it's officially announced,  go to a shelter immediately. You should put as many walls and as much concrete as possible between you and the radioactive material outside.

If separated from your family and friends you must try to remain inside where it is safe.  You won't be much use as a nuclear shadow on the ground.

However, if you do find yourself outside during the blast you do have some options to survive. First and foremost, DO NOT STARE AT THE EXPLOSION! That would blind you! Also, drop to the ground or take cover behind anything you can find to avoid the worst of the shockwave, which can travel a long distance.

Once it passed, you should seek shelter indoors immediately and if it rains, get out of the rain. The wind can carry nuclear materials around for miles. Once you do find shelter, be sure to wash thoroughly with soap and water. This would remove radioactive material from your skin. If impractical, use a cloth to remove contaminants.

If you shower, do not use conditioner. It would bind the contaminants to your hair. You should aim to remove all clothing and dispose of them in a plastic bag to reduce further contamination. You should expect to stay inside for at least 24 hours and wait for further advice from authorities and await evacuation. Radiation levels are extremely dangerous after a nuclear detonation but they decrease rapidly.

Post-apocalypse

Congratulations you've defied all the odds and survived the insanity. You have survived the worst of it, unless society collapses and chaos ensues of course. But your ordeal is not over yet. Time to implement the next stage of your plan for surviving a nuclear attack.

Keep listening to the radio or the television for updates, news advice about what to do, where to go and where to avoid. Stay away from damaged areas at all times, especially those marked with "radiation hazard" or "HAZMAT" signage. You can't smell or taste radiation.

Ready.gov states that radioactivity decay rates are the same for any nuclear device. Clearly, the amount would vary depending on the size of the device and its proximity to the ground. For those closest to the blast site, it might be likely for you to stay in your shelter for up to a month.

The heaviest fallout would be limited to those areas downwind from the impact site. Around 80 percent of the fallout would occur during the first 24 hours or so. Most people in these areas would likely to be allowed to exit their shelters within a few days and evacuate the affected areas ASAP.

As for Radscorpions, super mutants, crazy scavengers, giant lizards or mutated ninja turtles, there is little we can advise you on. If you haven't taken our advice about Fallout 4 you could always try playing this game from the BBC. We wish you good luck surviving a nuclear attack!

Source: Ready.gov

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