Much of the destruction from nuclear explosion obtained from a shock wave rushing at supersonic speed (in the atmosphere - more than 350 m / s). While no one saw, we took the 475 kiloton W88 thermonuclear warhead, which is in service with the United States, and found out that when it explodes within a radius of 3 km from the epicenter, absolutely nothing and no one will remain; at a distance of 4 km, the buildings will be thoroughly destroyed, and at a distance of 5 km and further, the destruction will be medium and weak. The chances of survival will appear only if you are at least 5 km from the epicenter (and then if you have time to hide in the basement).
light emission
Causes ignition of combustible materials. But even when you are far from gas stations and warehouses with Moment, you risk getting burns and eye damage. Therefore, hide behind some obstacle like a huge stone block, cover your head with a sheet of metal or other non-combustible thing and close your eyes. After exploding W88 at a distance of 5 km, you may not be killed by the shock wave, but the light beam can cause second-degree burns. These are the ones with nasty blisters on the skin. At a distance of 6 km there is a risk of getting first-degree burns: redness, swelling, swelling of the skin - in a word, nothing serious. But the most pleasant thing will happen if you manage to be 7 km from the epicenter: an even tan is guaranteed.
electromagnetic pulse
If you are not a cyborg, the impulse is not terrible for you: it disables only electrical and electronic equipment. Just know that if a mushroom cloud appears on the horizon, it is useless to take a selfie in front of it. The range of the pulse depends on the height of the explosion and environment and ranges from 3 to 115 km.
penetrating radiation
Despite such a terrible name, the thing is cheerful and harmless. It destroys all living things only within a radius of 2-3 km from the epicenter, where you will be killed anyway by a shock wave.
radioactive contamination
The meanest part of a nuclear explosion. It is a huge cloud consisting of radioactive particles raised into the air by an explosion. The area of distribution of radioactive contamination is highly dependent on natural factors, primarily on the direction of the wind. If you blow up W88 with a wind at a speed of 5 km / h, the radiation will be dangerous at a distance of up to 130 km from the epicenter in the direction of the wind (the infection does not spread further than 3 km against the wind). The rate of death from radiation sickness depends on the remoteness of the epicenter, weather, terrain, the characteristics of your body and a bunch of other factors. Infected people can either die instantly or live for years. How this happens is purely a matter of luck.
HOW TO SURVIVE A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION In the face of death, there is no one to rely on, you can only believe in your own strength. How can an ordinary layman somehow resist the nuclear threat? Most of us remember only life safety lessons in schools: turn on the radio or receiver, wait for signals from the Civil Defense, then, following their instructions, take cover in the nearest bomb shelter. As elsewhere in our country, it's smooth only on paper - an explosion atomic bomb within the city limits will instantly turn off radio points, and television, and computer networks. It is not a fact that the Civil Defense and Emergency Situations headquarters itself will survive and be able to take the situation under its control. Everyone remembers the earthquake that shook Kuzbass in the fall of 2003? Where was this headquarters then, why were the radio stations silent while people ran out of their high-rise buildings in a panic? Yes, someone was punished for negligence, but who can guarantee that something has changed since then? Since the middle of the last century, many of the houses under construction have been equipped with bomb shelters that can save people from a nuclear catastrophe. The people lived quietly, but then someone decided that the threat had passed, giving way to much more pressing issues. The shelters were privatized, turning into warehouses, clubs and shops, some were simply abandoned and plundered by non-ferrous metal seekers. Now in all of Kemerovo there are only TWO "active" shelters capable of receiving people in case of war. Both are located in the city center. It is clear that they will be intended for "those in power", but someone has simply saved on our security! The death of one person is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic? One of the places where people can be saved from the consequences of an atomic bomb explosion are the basements of residential buildings. True, one can speak very conditionally about salvation here, such an impromptu shelter provides radiation protection only basic, and in the event of a building being destroyed it is easy to be locked under the rubble (in specially equipped shelters there is an additional exit to an unfilled territory, that is, remote from the nearest buildings at a distance equal to their height + 3 meters). However, there is water in the basement that has not yet been contaminated with radiation, which cannot be said about its external sources. It is necessary to seal the room as carefully as possible with improvised means in order to reduce the penetration of radiation and harmful substances. Depending on the type of charge and proximity to the epicenter of the disaster, staying in the shelter should last from a day to a month; in the absence of any reliable information, one should stay in the shelter for the maximum possible time. If a nuclear explosion is taken by surprise, the task of survival becomes more difficult. In no case do not look at the outbreak and its attendant phenomena - light emission at almost any distance, it can not only instantly deprive a person of sight, but also cause severe burns, as well as ignite combustible surfaces. Next damaging factor- penetrating radiation, the flow of gamma rays and neutrons, destroying the living tissues of the body and leading to radiation sickness. And finally, a powerful shock wave will appear, causing large-scale destruction by analogy with traditional bombs. How to escape from the explosion? First of all, you need to hide from the deadly effects of particles. Everything is decided by the speed of human reaction. Between the radiation source and own body you need to create an obstacle from any material, whether it be a concrete fence, a car or a trash can. It is better not to hide behind the walls of houses and tall objects - they can collapse from the shock wave, filling up with debris. Metal retains radiation most effectively, although much depends on the thickness of the material. In case there is nowhere to hide or there is no time for this, the easiest way is to fall to the ground, covering your head with your hands. This will help reduce the impact of the explosion. At home, it is best to hide in the bath, its thick cast iron will help the reinforced concrete walls to significantly reduce radiation exposure. In addition, in the event of the destruction of the house, being in the bath will help not to be crushed by the slabs and will give access to at least some water reserves under the rubble. At the very first safe opportunity should leave the space subjected to nuclear contamination, moving in the direction opposite to the epicenter of the explosion (usually the trees felled by the shock wave are directed there). And before that, protect yourself from radiation as much as possible by putting on yourself as much as possible more clothes from dense material. Our skin itself is a protection against some part of the residual radiation, so the most dangerous penetration of deadly particles through Airways. You need to breathe only through a gas mask or respirator, and in the absence of such - through a moistened cloth. Fatal will also be the consumption of food found in the contaminated area and water from open sources. The main goal is to meet other survivors on your way and unite with them. Some people can be aggressive, so contact should be made with caution. Don't touch the corpses and the dying - it's dangerous. It is possible that local authorities will even organize evacuation activities, but the number of able-bodied Vehicle not enough even for those few who will be saved in this hell! What will happen next? Nobody knows about it. Probably, those who die will be considered lucky by the survivors, the catastrophe will be so global and terrible. The world will change, transformed beyond recognition, but still let's hope that people will find the strength to unite and cope with the consequences of a devastating war. The most annoying thing is to realize that this is our future, which we don’t want to think about, but which is inevitable. After all, the world has accumulated not only too much a large number of weapons, but also more people who do not realize their responsibility for the future of mankind.
So, let's say a low-yield nuclear bomb exploded in your city. How long will you have to hide and where to do it to avoid the consequences of radioactive fallout?
Michael Dillon, a scientist at the Livermore National Laboratory, spoke about radioactive fallout and how to survive. After numerous studies of radioactive fallout, analysis of many factors and possible development events, he developed a plan of action in the event of a disaster.
At the same time, Dillon's plan is aimed at ordinary citizens who have no way to determine where the wind will blow and what the size of the explosion was.
small bombs
Dillon's fallout protection technique has so far been developed only in theory. The fact is that it is designed for small nuclear bombs from 1 to 10 kilotons.
Dillon argues that everyone now associates nuclear bombs with the incredible power and destruction that could occur during cold war. However, such a threat seems less likely than terrorist attacks using small nuclear bombs, several times less than those that fell on Hiroshima, and simply incomparably less than those that could destroy everything if there was a global war between countries.
Dillon's plan is based on the assumption that after a short nuclear bomb the city has survived, and now its inhabitants must escape from radioactive fallout.
The diagram below shows the difference between the range of a bomb in the situation Dillon is investigating and the range of a bomb in the Cold War arsenal. The most hazardous area is shown in dark blue (the psi standard is psi, which is used to measure the force of an explosion, 1 psi = 720 kg/m2).
People who are within a kilometer of this explosion zone are at risk of radiation doses and burns. The range of radiation hazard after the explosion of a small nuclear bomb is much less than from thermonuclear weapons cold war.
For example, a 10 kiloton warhead will create a radiation threat 1 kilometer from the epicenter, and radioactive fallout can travel another 10-20 miles. So it turns out that a nuclear attack today is not instant death for all living things. Maybe your city will even recover from it.
What to do if the bomb exploded
If you see a bright flash, do not go to the window - you may get hurt while looking around. As in the case of thunder and lightning, the blast wave travels much more slowly than the explosion.
Now you have to take care of fallout protection, but in case of a small explosion, you do not need to look for a special isolated shelter. For protection, it will be possible to hide in an ordinary building, you just need to know which one.
30 minutes after the explosion, you must find a suitable shelter. In 30 minutes, all the initial radiation from the explosion will disappear, and the main danger will be radioactive particles, the size of a grain of sand, which will settle around you.
Dillon explains:
If you're in an unreliable shelter that can't provide tolerable protection during a disaster, and you know there isn't any such building nearby within 15 minutes, you'll have to wait half an hour and then go look for it. Make sure you don't have any radioactive substances the size of sand particles.
But what kind of buildings can become a normal shelter? Dillon says the following:
There should be as many obstacles and distance as possible between you and the consequences of the explosion. Buildings with thick concrete walls and roofs, lots of earth, like when you sit in a basement surrounded by earth on all sides. You can also go deep into large buildings in order to be as far away from open air with the consequences of the disaster.
Think about where you can find such a building in your city, and how far it is from you.
Maybe it's the basement of your house or a building with large quantity interiors and walls, a library with bookshelves and concrete walls, or something else. Just choose buildings that you can reach within half an hour, and don't rely on transportation - many will flee the city and the roads will be completely clogged.
Let's say you got to your shelter, and now the question arises: how long to stay in it until the threat has passed? The films show different developments events ranging from a few minutes in a shelter to several generations in a bunker. Dillon claims that they are all very far from the truth.
It's best to stay in the shelter until help arrives.
Considering that we are talking about a small bomb with a radius of destruction of less than a mile, the rescuers must react quickly and begin the evacuation. In the event that no one comes to help, you need to spend at least a day in the shelter, but still it is better to wait until the rescuers arrive - they will indicate the desired evacuation route so that you do not jump out to places with high level radiation.
The principle of operation of radioactive fallout
It may seem strange that it will be safe enough to leave the shelter in a day, but Dillon explains that the most great danger after the explosion comes from early radioactive fallout, and they are heavy enough to settle within a few hours after the explosion. As a rule, they cover the area in the immediate vicinity of the explosion, depending on the direction of the wind.
These large particles are the most dangerous because of the high levels of radiation that will ensure the immediate onset of radiation sickness. In this they differ from smaller doses of radiation, which are many years after the incident.
Taking refuge in a shelter will not save you from the prospect of cancer in the future, but it will prevent a quick death from radiation sickness.
It is also worth remembering that Nuclear pollution- this is not a magical substance that flies everywhere and penetrates into any place. There will be a limited region with a high level of radiation, and after you leave the shelter, you will need to get out of it as soon as possible.
This is where you need rescuers who will tell you where the border of the danger zone is and how far you need to go. Of course, in addition to the most dangerous large particles, many lighter ones will remain in the air, but they are not capable of causing immediate radiation sickness - what you are trying to avoid after an explosion.
Dillon also noted that radioactive particles decay very quickly, so that being outside the shelter 24 hours after the explosion is much safer than immediately after it.
Our pop culture continues to relish the theme of a nuclear apocalypse, when only a few survivors remain on the planet, taking refuge in underground bunkers, but a nuclear attack may not be as devastating and large-scale.
So you should think about your city and figure out where to run if something happens. Maybe some ugly concrete building that has always seemed to you a miscarriage of architecture will one day save your life.
1. Do not look at the flash or fireball - you may go blind.
2. If you hear an attack warning:
Take cover ASAP, UNDERGROUND IF POSSIBLE, and don't come out until you've received other instructions.
- If you are outside at this time and cannot immediately enter the room, take cover behind any object that may offer protection. Lie flat on the ground and cover your head.
- If the explosion occurred at some distance, the blast wave may take 30 seconds or more to reach you.
3. Protect yourself from radioactive fallout. If you are close enough to see a blinding flash or a nuclear explosion, the fallout will appear in about 20 minutes.
Take cover, even if you are several miles away from the epicenter - the wind can carry radioactive particles for hundreds of miles. Don't forget the three protective factors: reflection, distance, and time.
4. Keep a battery-operated radio with you and listen to official announcements. Follow the instructions you receive. The instructions of the local authorities must always be followed first: they know the situation better on the ground.
What to do after a nuclear explosion or radiation contamination
In a public or home shelter:
1. Do not leave shelters until officials say it is safe. Once out of hiding, follow their instructions.
2. In a special radiation shelter, do not go out until local authorities they will not say that it is possible or desirable to go out. The length of your stay can vary from one day to two to four weeks.
Contamination from a radiation spreading device can cover a wide area, depending on the amount of conventional explosives used, radioactive material, and atmospheric conditions.
A terrorist's "suitcase" nuclear device, detonated on the ground or near the surface of the earth, will drag soil and debris into the explosion cloud and produce a large amount of radioactive fallout.
A nuclear weapon delivered by a missile from a hostile country will likely produce a much larger explosion and create a larger cloud of radioactive fallout.
The decay time of radioactive fallout is the same, that is, residents of areas with the highest levels of radiation must necessarily remain in the shelter for up to a month.
The most intense precipitation will be limited to the explosion area and the area along the wind direction. 80% of precipitation will fall within the first 24 hours.
In this regard, and because of the extremely limited number of weapons that terrorists could use, most of countries will not be affected by precipitation.
In most affected areas, people will be allowed to leave the shelter in a few days and, if necessary, evacuate to uncontaminated places.
3. Although it may be difficult, make every effort to maintain sanitary conditions in the shelter.
4. Water and food may not be enough. Use them sparingly, but do not set a rigid diet, especially for children, the sick or the elderly.
5. Help the shelter managers. Being with a lot of people in a confined space can be difficult and frustrating.
Homecoming
1. Listen on the radio for information on what to do, where to go and what places to avoid.
2. If your home was within the bomb's shockwave radius, or if you live in a high-rise or apartment building that was subjected to a conventional explosion, check for signs of collapse or damage, such as:
Tilting chimneys, falling bricks, crumbling walls, crumbling plaster.
Fallen small pieces of furniture, paintings and mirrors.
Broken window panes.
Upside down bookcases, walls, or other solidly standing objects.
Fire escaping from damaged fireplaces.
Breakthrough of gas and electric lines
3. Clean up spilled medications, flammable liquids, and other potentially hazardous substances immediately.
4. Listen to a battery powered radio for instructions and information about services in your community.
5. Listen regularly for information about help, which may be announced on the radio and TV. Local, state, federal governments and other organizations will help meet all emergency needs and repair damage or loss.
6. The danger may be aggravated by damage to water mains and power lines.
7. If you turned off gas, water and electricity before going to the shelter:
Do not turn on the gas yourself. It will turn on gas company, or you will receive different instructions.
Turn on the water, the main faucet, only after you know that the water supply is working and the water is not contaminated.
Turn on the electricity, the main node, only after you know that the wires in your house are not damaged and the power supply in your area is functioning.
Check the sewage system for damage before using the sanitary facilities.
8. Stay away from damaged areas.
9. Stay away from areas marked "Radiation Hazard" or "Hazardous Materials"
So, let's say a low-yield nuclear bomb exploded in your city. How long will you have to hide and where to do it to avoid the consequences of radioactive fallout?
Michael Dillon, a scientist at the Livermore National Laboratory, spoke about radioactive fallout and how to survive. After numerous studies of radioactive fallout, analysis of many factors and possible developments, he developed a plan of action in the event of a disaster.
At the same time, Dillon's plan is aimed at ordinary citizens who have no way to determine where the wind will blow and what the size of the explosion was.
small bombs
Dillon's fallout protection technique has so far been developed only in theory. The fact is that it is designed for small nuclear bombs from 1 to 10 kilotons.
Dillon argues that everyone now associates nuclear bombs with the incredible power and destruction that could have happened during the Cold War. However, such a threat seems less likely than terrorist attacks using small nuclear bombs, several times less than those that fell on Hiroshima, and simply incomparably less than those that could destroy everything if there was a global war between countries.
Dillon's plan is based on the assumption that after a small nuclear bomb, the city survived, and now its inhabitants must escape from radioactive fallout.
The diagram below shows the difference between the range of a bomb in the situation Dillon is investigating and the range of a bomb in the Cold War arsenal. The most hazardous area is shown in dark blue (the psi standard is psi, which is used to measure the force of an explosion, 1 psi = 720 kg/m2).
People who are within a kilometer of this explosion zone are at risk of radiation doses and burns. The range of radiation hazard from the explosion of a small nuclear bomb is much less than from Cold War thermonuclear weapons.
For example, a 10 kiloton warhead will create a radiation threat 1 kilometer from the epicenter, and radioactive fallout can travel another 10-20 miles. So it turns out that a nuclear attack today is not instant death for all living things. Maybe your city will even recover from it.
What to do if the bomb exploded
If you see a bright flash, do not go to the window - you may get hurt while looking around. As in the case of thunder and lightning, the blast wave travels much more slowly than the explosion.
Now you have to take care of fallout protection, but in case of a small explosion, you do not need to look for a special isolated shelter. For protection, it will be possible to hide in an ordinary building, you just need to know which one.
30 minutes after the explosion, you must find a suitable shelter. In 30 minutes, all the initial radiation from the explosion will disappear, and the main danger will be radioactive particles, the size of a grain of sand, which will settle around you.
Dillon explains:
If you're in an unreliable shelter that can't provide tolerable protection during a disaster, and you know there isn't any such building nearby within 15 minutes, you'll have to wait half an hour and then go look for it. Make sure that before you enter the shelter, you will not have radioactive substances the size of sand particles on you.
But what kind of buildings can become a normal shelter? Dillon says the following:
There should be as many obstacles and distance as possible between you and the consequences of the explosion. Buildings with thick concrete walls and roofs, lots of earth, like when you sit in a basement surrounded by earth on all sides. You can also go deep into large buildings in order to be as far as possible from the open air with the consequences of the disaster.
Think about where you can find such a building in your city, and how far it is from you.
Maybe it's your basement or a building with lots of interior spaces and walls, a library with bookshelves and concrete walls, or something else. Just choose buildings that you can reach within half an hour, and don't rely on transportation - many will flee the city and the roads will be completely clogged.
Let's say you got to your shelter, and now the question arises: how long to stay in it until the threat has passed? The films show different developments, ranging from a few minutes in a shelter to several generations in a bunker. Dillon claims that they are all very far from the truth.
It's best to stay in the shelter until help arrives.
Considering that we are talking about a small bomb with a radius of destruction of less than a mile, the rescuers must react quickly and begin the evacuation. In the event that no one comes to the rescue, you need to spend at least a day in the shelter, but still it is better to wait until the rescuers arrive - they will indicate the desired evacuation route so that you do not jump out to places with high levels of radiation.
The principle of operation of radioactive fallout
It may seem strange that it would be safe enough to leave the shelter after a day, but Dillon explains that the biggest danger after the explosion comes from early radioactive fallout, and they are heavy enough to settle within a few hours after the explosion. As a rule, they cover the area in the immediate vicinity of the explosion, depending on the direction of the wind.
These large particles are the most dangerous because of the high levels of radiation that will ensure the immediate onset of radiation sickness. In this they differ from smaller doses of radiation, which are many years after the incident.
Taking refuge in a shelter will not save you from the prospect of cancer in the future, but it will prevent a quick death from radiation sickness.
It is also worth remembering that radioactive contamination is not a magical substance that flies around and penetrates anywhere. There will be a limited region with a high level of radiation, and after you leave the shelter, you will need to get out of it as soon as possible.
This is where you need rescuers who will tell you where the border of the danger zone is and how far you need to go. Of course, in addition to the most dangerous large particles, many lighter ones will remain in the air, but they are not capable of causing immediate radiation sickness - what you are trying to avoid after an explosion.
Dillon also noted that radioactive particles decay very quickly, so that being outside the shelter 24 hours after the explosion is much safer than immediately after it.
Our pop culture continues to relish the theme of a nuclear apocalypse, when only a few survivors remain on the planet, hiding in underground bunkers, but a nuclear attack may not be so devastating and large-scale.
So you should think about your city and figure out where to run if something happens. Maybe some ugly concrete building that has always seemed to you a miscarriage of architecture will one day save your life.
