Survive after a nuclear explosion. How to escape from a nuclear explosion

The world is on the verge of a new world war. The political, economic and social conflicts that have sharply escalated in recent decades have pushed humanity to the brink of the abyss, in such conditions a global armed conflict is inevitable, and, according to independent analysts, will take the lives of more than a third of the world's population. At least half of the survivors will receive various injuries and diseases, and all the rest will face post-war famine and epidemics even more terrible than all the trials before. And this will happen because of the massive use of nuclear, chemical and bacteriological weapons in a future war. No one can escape the terrible fate! However, as many people as possible must remain on the planet in order to restore the destroyed economy, and the first task that a person who has taken care of this goal faces is to survive the atomic bombing.

Now, in the pre-war period, officials and the media are saying that the use of nuclear weapons in the coming conflict is unlikely. The main argument in favor of this point of view is the environmentally fatal consequences of such bombardments, making their use suicidal. In fact, it is believed that the assessment of the impact of nuclear explosions on the environment is greatly exaggerated. In particular, I would like to remind you that during the entire existence of this type of weapon on Earth, more than one thousand test explosions of various capacities were carried out, but this did not lead to irreversible consequences, "nuclear winter" did not come, the climate did not change. Of course, in a real war, the scale of the use of weapons (and, accordingly, the results) will be different, the bombing will affect rivers, fertile lands, cities, which will put humanity on the brink of extinction, but this will not stop the military!

To date, only two Russian cities are considered protected from a direct missile strike: Moscow and St. Petersburg. And according to intelligence data, now only the United States is targeting about two thousand different objects on the territory of our Motherland. In the very first minutes of the war, Russian silo-based missiles capable of delivering a retaliatory strike on the aggressor, as well as radar stations and fleet bases, will be destroyed. The next target will be the production facilities of the Urals and the Volga region, and Siberia will undergo the least massive blows in order to preserve natural resources: the Siberian taiga, Tyumen oil and Kuzbass coal. The atom is a blitzkrieg weapon, and the very first attack is capable of decapitating a country, leaving behind telecommunications destroyed by neutron radiation, destroyed production and transport routes. Massive forest fires will start, due to which the air will be mixed with poisonous smoke. The population will panic, and the majority of officials and deputies, accustomed to only care about their own well-being, will betray their homeland by fleeing to the southern hemisphere. Russia will plunge into chaos, but this will only be the beginning!

In the face of death, there is no one to rely on, it remains only to 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 is smooth only on paper - an atomic bomb explosion in the city limits will instantly turn off radio stations, 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 destruction it is easy to be locked under the rubble (in specially equipped shelters there is an additional exit to a non-filled 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 flash and its attendant phenomena - light radiation at almost any distance can not only instantly deprive a person of vision, but also cause severe burns, as well as ignite combustible surfaces. The next damaging factor is penetrating radiation, the flow of gamma rays and neutrons, which destroys the living tissues of the body and leads 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 source of radiation and your 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 first safe opportunity, you should leave the space that has undergone nuclear contamination, moving in the direction opposite to the epicenter of the explosion (usually trees felled by the shock wave are directed there). And before that, protect yourself from radiation as much as possible by putting on as many clothes made of dense material as possible. Our skin itself is a defense against some of the residual radiation, so the most dangerous is the penetration of deadly particles through the respiratory tract. 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. Perhaps the local authorities will even organize evacuation activities, but the number of serviceable vehicles will not be enough even for the 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, not only too many weapons have accumulated in the world, but even more people who do not realize their responsibility for the future of mankind.

Nuclear war is one of the most common and real options for the end of the world. This manual will briefly tell you how to protect yourself from the consequences of a nuclear apocalypse.

So, comrades, you live your measured life, go to work / study, make plans for the future, and suddenly this harsh moment has come - the nuclear apocalypse. Hundreds of nuclear "Polaris", "Tridents" and other global sowers of democracy with a joyful whistle flew to the borders of our country. This whole "overseas gift" will arrive in about 30 minutes - about the time it takes for a rocket to fly from the launch silo to the "recipient". And a completely natural question arises: "What to do?" (Of course, after the question - "Why did this happen to me?"). First of all, comrades, do not really hope to quickly go to another world and light it up with angels / devils / houris. There are not so many thermonuclear munitions in the world, and they will be spent primarily on the destruction of retaliatory strikes hidden in the depths of Siberian ores / in the expanses of Texas and Oklahoma. Democracy and spirituality will be delivered to the bulk of the population by "usual" versions of this subject, that is, by nuclear devices.

For starters, despite statements such as: "In Russia, everything is through the wrong place," early warning and civil defense systems still work, and are even being modernized little by little. So you will be warned. They will warn you in the most simple and intelligible form, you do not need to memorize any three green whistles. The horns of the public address system that hang on houses and at all intersections will simply roar (no, these are not the scenery of the Soviet period), after which the voice of an elderly frightened aunt (or a wooden military uncle) will utter the words: "ATTENTION EVERYONE !!" and in the same voice it will be stated what kind of apocalypse is approaching us. In our case, it will be about a nuclear missile attack. If you heard a signal, but it's far from the swear-box, turn on the radio or the zombie box - it will be the same on all channels. The voice, by the way, will also give advice on how to behave and where to run, as long as it has time. Then he will be silent forever.

On the first day after the impact, the speed of movement will be vital - scrabble away from the epicenter, every kilogram of weight taken will directly affect your chances of surviving and the rest of your life later. You should definitely take documents with you: passports, birth certificates (if you are a schoolboy or vice versa, you have already planed your Pinocchio), registration certificate / military ID. Do not think that after the blow, mother-anarchy will come, some kind of power will surely survive, like its tools: the police, the army, officials, and all of them will check the documents first. Persons without documents will be stuffed into filtration camps, and if they behave inappropriately, they can be soaked - citizens in uniform will also be very nervous. Take the money - communism will not come either. Food - to eat until you leave the zone of infection, you still can’t, and you won’t take it out of it “clean”. Household radiation dosimeters are practically useless if it does not turn sour from an electromagnetic pulse and penetrating radiation, their sensor is still not designed for action in conditions of severe infection, it quickly degrades and will show delirium. Unless then to get food and water to check, but the batteries will sit down quickly. The devices of nuclear scientists and the military require certain knowledge, and most importantly, they are heavy - the weight has already been said. But be sure to take the radio receiver, just disconnect the antenna and the battery, otherwise it will burn out from the pulse. And don't forget the map of the city and its immediate surroundings, if available.

Leave your cell phone at home - cellular networks will be turned off once and for all. Due to objective reasons, immediately after the alarm, it is most likely that you will not be able to get through anywhere. About special drugs-antirads: for sure they will slip expired, improperly stored. In general, then contact the military or the Ministry of Emergencies, they will give you something suitable and in the right concentration (by the way, about swell: vodka does not remove radiation! It reduces its damaging effect, so you need to thump before, not after, but it’s better not to , because you won’t be able to run fast anymore - and this is important). Immediately, as soon as all this nuclear rigmarole subsides, there is a choice of two options ..

Option number 1: Sit in the basement for as long as there is enough air and grub. In the first day after the impact, radiation levels are expected in the surrounding area, at which the existence of protein bodies is very difficult. Remember - the great law of half-life works for you, according to which the level of radiation will steadily subside. In addition, not everyone is able to quickly cover the 10 to 20 kilometers of cross-country required to escape from an area with a deadly level of infection. If we assume that the explosion was just nuclear (if it was still thermonuclear, in which case you are already dead and you don’t care), then already at a distance of 500 meters from the epicenter, just an hour after the explosion, the radiation level will not exceed 1 R / h. This level of radiation already poses a small threat to life. At a distance of 1 km, the radiation level in an hour will be completely less than 0.1 R / h. The danger is only the ingress of radioactive dust into the body (but you will die from this not immediately, but after years). So, if there is a respirator, there is no point in sitting in anticipation of a drop in the level of radiation for more than an hour. A respirator or gas mask is your best friend in this case. Yes! You also need to choose the right direction in which to drape, otherwise you can run completely where you don’t need to.

Option number 2: It comes from the fact that it will not be possible to sit out in the basement, you should get out and move further, while you can still walk. If there is gas in your house, you will have to get out immediately, otherwise you will quickly feel like a grilled chicken. However, even without gas, fires will pose a much more obvious threat than radiation. If the basement is completely filled up, breathing problems will quickly begin, and if it is plowed up by a shock wave, its remains will not protect against radiation. Absolutely cosmic levels of radiation will be closer to the epicenter than your basement (since you survived the penetrating and shock waves in it), and in the first hours after the explosion, the bulk of the radioactive shit is still hanging high in the atmosphere. It is quite possible to leave the most dangerous zone of infection during this time.

Regardless of when you got out, determine from the blockage of surrounding buildings where the shock wave came from, and quickly stomp in the opposite direction, but towards the exit from the city (only not in the wind!). Do not get too distracted by saving others, in general - stay away from people who have obvious signs of falling under the distribution - severe burns, torn off paws, etc. You will not save them, just die yourself, because they are already self-propelled Chernobyls, and not people. The faster you get out of the city, the less radiation you pick up, and the less likely you are to fall under a second blow.

The main threat in the first few days will be dust enriched with both primary nuclear fission products and secondary sources. Inhaling it or swallowing it means passing radiation directly to vital organs, and it is extremely undesirable to contact it with bare skin. Do not breathe through your mouth and in general breathe only through a rag, do not eat, drink only tap water, at worst running water (unless, of course, it flows from the side of the last observation of mushroom clouds), do not sit / lie down on the ground, avoid lowlands (there will be the highest concentrations canoe), do not go downwind unless this is the only available direction from the epicenter. Excretory processes hold back as long as possible. The worst thing that can happen is that it will rain and this rain will be so vigorous that at the first sign of it, immediately hide under awnings, trees, etc.

As you get out of the city so that the city is barely visible, turn on the radio and listen to alerts. The army and other services will arrange public service points, look at the map, which is the closest, and stomp there. A real paranoid will find out in advance the collection points, they will tell you about them at the local Ministry of Emergencies - the main thing is to inquire in advance. Upon arrival, go through control (remember or write down the results), decontamination - eat the medicines given out, take off and throw away outer clothing. Further, little will depend on you, just do not worsen the situation, especially with cries like: "Everything is lost !!" - this is breeding panic, they have the right to shoot. Help (or at least don't interfere with) those who save you.

Most civil defense shelters built from the late 1970s to the present for civilians are designed for a shock wave pressure of 0.1 MPa (type A-IV), and now only this type is being built. The best and smallest shelters (type A-I) - by 0.5 MPa, 0.3 MPa (A-II), 0.2 MPa (A-III). But do not flatter yourself: as a rule, the stronger the shelter, the more strategic the object next to it, which means the higher the probability of a pinpoint strike on the object. Since the late 1950s, facilities for 0.15 and 0.3 MPa have been built. Pre-war structures were not designed for a nuclear explosion, but ordinary basement shelters can withstand some kind of shock wave, no more than 0.5 MPa, rather 0.1 - 0.2 MPa. More durable defenses, except for the metro, are not intended for us, ordinary citizens. In the 1960s - 1970s, shelters of the fifth class (0.05 MPa), fourth (0.1 MPa), third class 0.4 - 0.5 (MPa), second and first classes were built - this is the metro and some special bunkers . Subway stations located at a depth of about 20 meters (second-class shelters) will withstand not only in the epicenter of the air, but even in the immediate vicinity of a small-caliber ground explosion (up to 10-15 kilotons). Deeply located, over 30 m, stations and tunnels (first-class shelters) will withstand a medium-caliber explosion (with a capacity of up to 100 kilotons) in the immediate vicinity. In the immediate vicinity - does not mean that directly under the explosion, it is somewhere in a few tens - a hundred or two meters from the boundaries of the funnel; 15 kt in an explosion on the surface is a funnel 22 m deep and 90–95 m in diameter, 100 kt, respectively, 42 m and 350 m.

A nuclear explosion looks like a flash brighter than the sun. Trees, hedges, people around immediately light up. The only reason you can survive is if you're inside a building and in a cast-iron bath when the shock wave passes. The dilapidated area is engulfed in flames. Deadly radioactive fallout is approaching. Should you stay in your crumbling home or run across town to the public library to defend yourself in its basement? Perhaps a new mathematical model will tell you how to behave in such a situation.

The author of the algorithm is Michael Dillon, an atmospheric scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). About five years ago, he began researching the topic after the US government called for more research into the nuclear danger. One day his family asked him what to do if a mushroom cloud was seen in the distance.

“I realized that I really can’t give them a comprehensive answer,” he says and continues. “The official advice of the US government encourages people to take refuge in the nearest most secure building. For most people, this is the basement of their homes. Although in California almost everyone has a basement For those people who do not have such a place, it is suggested to look for a good shelter, ideally hidden under a thick layer of concrete and with food and water available.But if you spend too much time under radioactive fallout, you won't survive."

During the Cold War, scientists simulated almost every possible effect of a nuclear explosion. However, Dillon found a significant gap in the strategy for rescuing people who were far enough from the epicenter to survive the initial explosion, but still in the zone of radioactive fallout.

He focused on relatively low-yield explosions, like those that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The nuclear weapons of the world powers have changed significantly since then. Today's warheads can do thousands of times more damage than those low-yield projectiles. However, security experts believe that low-yield bombs could be used in the event of a terrorist attack.

The hardest part of the study was figuring out which variables influence fallout survival. The longer a person stays outside, the higher their dose of radiation, but the intensity of radiation also decreases over time. So the total dose received must be calculated as the sum of the distance from the detonation, the time spent seeking cover in the open, and the radiation shielding within the local environment.

Dillon simplified the calculations by assuming that while searching for a safe shelter, a person is completely exposed to radiation. He also ignored the limitations of the ordinary human dwelling. In the end, the math came down to one critical number: the ratio of time spent in the first (imperfect) shelter to time spent looking for a high-quality shelter. Dillon then tried to figure out what was going on with the different shelter options and different search times.

The results surprised him. After a low power explosion, hiding indoors will cause more damage than being in open areas, but you need to keep track of the time and know the surrounding area well. If the current shelter is too weak, and a more reliable one is less than 5 minutes away in open areas, then you must immediately go there. In any case, a safe haven must be reached no later than 30 minutes after the explosion. Depending on the size of the affected city, following these tips could save between 10,000 and 100,000 lives.

Despite the extensive work that Dillon has done, his conclusions have been criticized. So, Lawrence Wein from Stanford University in Palo Alto believes that the author did not take into account a number of factors. For example, a person who finds himself in the middle of an apocalyptic wasteland will not have the slightest idea of ​​how much time his search for shelter will take (destruction and stress will not allow him to adequately assess the situation).

Dillon is currently working on an analysis of high-quality shelters in the United States. According to him, preliminary results show that the country is well equipped with them, and most people have a chance to get to the shelter in 15 minutes. Details of the current study are published in the publication

One day this guide may save your life.

Recently, residents of Hawaii received a warning about a missile attack. However, after a few minutes it turned out that the alarm was false. But during this time, many have realized that they absolutely do not know how to behave in such a threat.

So, let's imagine that you find yourself in a similar situation: an intercontinental ballistic missile or other nuclear weapon is fired at your city. What to do?

Flash on the left, flash on the right

In order to be saved, one must first of all know what the danger of a nuclear explosion is and how it manifests itself. This is a range of effects:

1. Light flash;
2. Thermal impulse;
3. radioactive radiation;
4. Fire ball;
5. Explosive wave;
6. Fallout.

The first three phenomena propagate at the speed of light, so they overtake the victims immediately after the explosion. At the same time, exposure to heat can last several seconds and cause burns even a few kilometers from the epicenter.

The last two effects, that is, the blast wave and radioactive fallout, occur almost simultaneously, although the distance of the blast wave is somewhat greater. It is she who inflicts the greatest damage - overturns cars, destroys houses, etc. The main mass of radioactive fallout spreads last - the explosion lifts them into the atmosphere, from where they fall down.

It must be remembered that, being indoors, we are largely protected from these effects. In addition, it is important to understand that the power of a nuclear weapon is not infinite, but is limited by the amount of explosive material in a bomb or missile. Thus, a single explosion - or even several explosions - leaves most people with a good chance of survival.

Arms control experts suggest that, for example, North Korea's arsenal may contain rocket warheads with a yield of 10 to 30 kilotons of TNT - the lower limit of this corridor is slightly less than the power of the bomb dropped by the Americans on Japan in 1945.

The greatest destruction and the least chance of survival are characteristic of the “zone of severe destruction”. For a 10-kiloton bomb (that's two-thirds of the power of the explosion in Hiroshima), this is about a kilometer radius.

It is possible that North Korea is also capable of launching a miniature thermonuclear weapon that will produce an explosion equivalent to 100 kilotons, but even in this case, the zone of severe destruction will be limited to a radius of about two kilometers.

Brooke Buddemeyer, a civil defense and radiation specialist at Livermore National Laboratory, says: "You don't need a bomb shelter for protection - a conventional building will greatly increase your chances."

However, the buildings are different, and after the blast wave has passed, it may be wiser to move.

Where to hide before an atomic explosion

It's hard to find a shelter worse than a car, Buddemeyer says. The machine provides almost no protection from radiation, including radioactive fallout. In addition, the driver can be temporarily blinded by the flash of the explosion - and lose sight for a period of 15 seconds to a minute.

“The rods and cones in your retina become overwhelmed and take time to regain sensitivity – and in that time you can easily lose control of the machine. If you are driving on the road and suddenly lose your sight - like the rest of the drivers around - an accident cannot be avoided, ”explains the expert.

So if a missile alert caught you driving, your best bet is to drive to the nearest place where you can safely park, get out of your car, and drive to the nearest building.

“Once inside, go to the middle of the house or the basement to avoid injury from broken glass, flash glare and thermal burns,” Buddemeyer says.

The expert says that the technique of protection against a blast wave is similar to protection against a tornado: "If your house is in the path of a tornado or a blast wave, it is better to be in the most durable part of it."

Another tip: avoid rooms with a lot of ceiling tiles, lights or moving objects - it's better if there is nothing to fall on you.

In an office building, take cover on the stairs:

“It is located in the center of the building, surrounded by load-bearing walls, and there are few unnecessary items, so this is an ideal place.”

If anxiety catches you at home, go down to the first floor and stay closer to the center. If there is a basement - run there. In the country, an ordinary cellar can save you.

In a building, you are also partially protected from a radiation wave, and this is important, since its excessive exposure for a short time can cause very severe damage to the body - it will stop recovering, fighting infections, and so on - this is called acute radiation sickness.

It is believed that several hours of exposure to an intensity of about 750 millisieverts leads to illness - this is about 100 times the natural and medical exposure that an average person receives during the year. With a 10-kiloton explosion, such a dose can be obtained, being approximately in a radius of two kilometers, in a zone of moderate destruction. (With a distance of several kilometers, the radiation dose drops to tens of millisieverts.)

However, Buddemeyer clarifies that most of the estimates are based on nuclear tests that were conducted in deserts.

He says: "This does not take into account that there may be some obstacles between you and the explosion - reinforced concrete, steel and other building materials that absorb radiation."

So a suitable shelter can reduce the dose of radiation by a factor of ten or more. However, it is not a fact that you need to stay in the shelter that you find before the explosion after.

How to protect yourself from radioactive fallout

The next danger is radioactive fallout. This is a mixture of products of the splitting of atoms, the so-called radioisotopes.

During the explosion, these particles rise high into the sky and can settle to the ground for another 15 minutes, and although their concentration is highest in the area of ​​​​the explosion, the wind can carry them over hundreds of square kilometers.

The danger of these particles is that they continue to decay, emitting gamma radiation - it is invisible, but carries a lot of energy with it, penetrates deep into the body and can cause significant damage.

However, from the point of view of radiation contamination, a ground-based nuclear explosion is more dangerous than a missile warhead explosion, since the latter are usually designed to explode high above the target, which means they raise less dust into the air.

“If the first building you come across where you took shelter from the explosion is not very reliable, and there is a better one nearby, you should move there to protect yourself from radioactive fallout,” he advises.

After the explosion, you have 10-15 minutes - depending on the distance to the epicenter - to change shelter. Ideally, this should be a windowless basement so that the earth and concrete will protect you from radiation.

However, if you do not know where to go, it is better to stay in the first shelter - there may be fires or obstacles in the form of fragments of destroyed structures around.

Buddemeyer notes: "The main thing is to be indoors both during the explosion and during the period of radioactive fallout."

A 2014 study found that in some situations it can be beneficial to wait in the first shelter for an hour after detonation, and then move to a more suitable location if it is within 15 minutes of travel.

Buddemeyer's advice is to follow the rule of "hide, don't go anywhere, get in touch" (i.e. choose a shelter, don't leave it, and try to get official instructions on where to go next via radio or mobile phone).

“The consequences of radioactive fallout can be avoided - if it happens in a big city, then understanding how to behave can save hundreds of thousands of people from death or radiation sickness,” the expert notes.

There are other tricks you can use to increase your chances of survival.

So, it is useful to have at home, at work and in the car a set of the most necessary things: a radio, water, a couple of nutrition bars and the medicines you need - this will not be superfluous in any disaster, not necessarily nuclear.

To protect against radioactive fallout, you can cover broken windows or doors with plastic wrap, as well as turn off all ventilation systems that draw in air from the street. In addition, it is good if bottled drinking water and canned food or other non-perishable and non-cooking food is available.

If you have been exposed to radioactive fallout, the particles can be removed as follows:

• Take off your outer clothing, put it in a plastic bag and throw it out of the shelter.
• If possible, take a shower; wash your skin and hair thoroughly, with shampoo but no conditioner, or wipe your body with a damp cloth.
• Blow your nose to remove radioactive dust from your nose.
• Rinse eyes, nose and facial hair (including eyebrows and eyelashes) with water or wipe them with a damp cloth.
• Put on clean clothes (from a drawer or from a plastic bag).

Potassium iodide tablets, often considered the most important anti-radar drug, are not a very effective means of protecting against radioactive fallout. Buddemeyer estimates that radioactive iodine makes up only 0.2% of the total amount of rainfall that you can expect on the street, and these pills are more likely to solve long-term problems associated with food contamination.

He reminds: "If you received a warning about a nuclear danger, the most important thing is to find shelter." And he adds: “In Hiroshima, people survived 300 meters from the epicenter. They didn't try to find shelter - they just ended up in the building at the time of the explosion. And they received the most serious injuries from flying glass.

Prepared by Evgenia Sidorova