Many people fear dying in a nuclear war. Given recent world events, this is a perfectly reasonable concern. The situation in Ukraine also reminds us that anything is possible in no time! In this context, many people are wondering how to survive in the event of a nuclear disaster?
Indeed, since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, all countries are moving towards an increasingly important armament. Add to that failed treaties, and nuclear war now seems like a real possibility. So does surviving it!
The Last War and Its Consequences
Today's nuclear weapons are devastating nightmares, but people can and do survive even when they are close to the bomb's blast radius. The Japanese Tsutomu Yamaguchi survived the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and died at the age of 93. Yamaguchi was not the only person to survive both explosions, either, but just the most famous. The horrific American bombings killed over 200,000 people, but about 70% of the population of each city survived. Many lived with serious complications from the bombing, but they lived.
Time to survive in case of nuclear disaster
A nuclear explosion occurs in six stages. There is a flash of light, a heat wave, a release of nuclear radiation, a fireball, a blast of air, and finally the radioactive fallout.
This all happens very quickly – in just a few seconds – but modern early warning systems will probably give you a little time to react. In January 2018, for example, the state of hawaii warned residents that a ballistic missile was on its way. It was a false alarm, but state officials estimated that if it were a real missile, the time between warning and impact would likely have been 12 minutes.
Surviving a Nuclear Disaster in the Blast Zone
The blast zone of a nuclear explosion is divided into three parts: the severe, moderate, and light damage zones. If you find yourself in the severe damage zone, where the fireball hits, your chances of survival are very low. However, if you have time to reach a fallout shelter, your chances of survival increase by 95%.
On the other hand, on the edges of the explosion, in the areas of moderate and light damage, there is an even greater chance of survival. Your first instinct might be to hit the road when the announcement is made? Stop! That could be a deadly mistake. The only thing to do is to get safe in your bunker.
Investing in a bunker is therefore always a good idea in these uncertain times. Contact us for more information on how to build a bunker to survive.
The power released…
Shelter in a building is extremely important to survive the next stage of an explosion: the heat wave. For example, the power of a warhead like the Tsar bomb would deliver 50 megatons. Such power would absolutely destroy everything within a radius of 35 to 50 km and the heat wave would spread over a distance of about 100 km. This explosion is so powerful that at a distance of 100 km from the point of impact, it would still cause third-degree burns. At these distances, only a fallout shelter can save you. To imagine that you can protect yourself in a building is heresy!
Surviving after the bomb drops
Surviving the initial explosion requires a bit of luck but staying safe after the initial detonation will definitely require a lot of patience.
The nuclear explosion will suck up thousands of tons of dirt and debris, coat that dirt and debris with the fission products created during the explosion, and after settling miles in the air, the heavier particles will then descend. They will be radioactive…
About 15 minutes after the initial explosion, this fallout will begin to move through the atmosphere and settle on the ground. Being safe from this radioactive fallout is what will save you in the second instance. Enter your fallout shelter and stay there waiting to receive news from outside using your radio.
The good news about radiation is that it decays quickly. An hour after the explosion, about 50% of the fallout will have already disappeared. It will then have decreased by 80% after 24 hours. Eventually, it will be time to leave your fallout shelter and to brave a new world.
Our Conclusion for Surviving a Nuclear Disaster
Being inside a fallout shelter during a nuclear explosion is your only chance of survival. This is also the case after the explosion! Indeed, your shelter will serve as a refuge for a period of time that could be several months. If the atomic weapon were to be used in a generalized conflict, the world afterward would no longer be the same. We can illustrate this point with the following quote from Albert Einstein:
"I don't know how World War III will be fought, but I know that World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."
Albert Einstein
Investing in a fallout shelter is therefore your only chance of survival in a post-nuclear runaway world. In addition, this shelter could also protect you against many other risks to come in the years to come. In this context, our engineers advise you free of charge during a construction study. Take advantage of contact us to get a no-obligation quote!
