What to do in case of a nuclear explosion. In case of nuclear war

So, let's say a low-yield nuclear bomb explodes in your city. How long will you have to hide and where to do it to avoid consequences in the form of radioactive fallout?

Michael Dillon, a scientist at Livermore National Laboratory, spoke about radioactive fallout and survival techniques. After much research, 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 which way the wind will blow and what the magnitude of the explosion was.

Little bombs

Dillon's method of protection against 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 nuclear bombs are now associated with the incredible power and destruction that would have occurred 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 residents need to escape from the radioactive fallout.

The diagram below shows the difference between the radius of a bomb in the situation Dillon examines and the radius of a bomb from a Cold War arsenal. The most dangerous area is indicated in dark blue (psi is the pound/in² standard used to measure the force of an explosion; 1 psi = 720 kg/m²).

People located a kilometer from this zone risk receiving a dose of radiation and burns. The range of radiation hazards from a small nuclear bomb is much smaller than from Cold War thermonuclear weapons.

For example, a 10 kiloton warhead would create a radiation threat 1 kilometer from the epicenter, and radioactive fallout could travel another 10 to 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 a bomb exploded

If you see a bright flash, do not go near the window: you could get hurt while looking back. As with thunder and lightning, the blast wave travels much slower than the explosion.

Now you will have to take care of protection from radioactive fallout, but in the event of a small explosion, you do not need to look for a special isolated shelter. For protection, you can take refuge in an ordinary building, you just need to know which one.

30 minutes after the explosion you should find a suitable shelter. In half an hour, all the initial radiation from the explosion will disappear and the main danger will be radioactive particles the size of a grain of sand that will settle around you.

Dillon explains:

If, during a disaster, you are in a precarious shelter that cannot provide reasonable protection, and you know that there is no such building nearby, within 15 minutes, you will have to wait half an hour and then go look for it. Before you enter the shelter, make sure that there are no radioactive substances the size of sand particles on you.

But what 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, a large amount of earth - for example, when you are sitting in a basement surrounded on all sides by earth. You can also go deep into large buildings to be as far away from the open air as possible with the consequences of a disaster.

Think about where you can find such a building in your city and how far from you it is.

Maybe it's the basement of your home, or a building with a lot of interior spaces and walls, with bookshelves and concrete walls, or something else. Just choose buildings that you can reach within half an hour and don't rely on transport: 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 sit in it until the threat passes? The films show different paths of 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 is best to stay in the shelter until help arrives.

Given that we are talking about a small bomb with a blast radius of less than a mile, rescuers must react quickly and begin evacuation. In the event that no one comes to help, you need to spend at least a day in the shelter, but it’s still better to wait until the rescuers arrive - they will indicate the necessary evacuation route so that you do not jump out into places with high levels of radiation.

The principle of operation of radioactive fallout

It may seem strange to be allowed to leave the shelter after 24 hours, but Dillon explains that the biggest danger after an explosion comes from the early radioactive fallout, which is heavy enough to settle within a few hours after the explosion. Typically they cover the area in the immediate vicinity of the explosion, depending on the wind direction.

These large particles are the most dangerous due to the high level of radiation, which will ensure the immediate onset of radiation sickness. This differs from the lower doses of radiation that can be caused many years after the event.

Taking refuge in a shelter will not save you from the prospect of cancer in the future, but it will prevent you from dying quickly from radiation sickness.

It is also worth remembering that radioactive contamination is not a magical substance that flies everywhere and penetrates into every place. There will be a limited region with high levels 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, there will be many lighter particles 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 being outside the shelter 24 hours after the explosion is much safer than immediately after it.

Our pop culture continues to savor the theme of a nuclear attack, which will leave only a few survivors on the planet, hidden in underground bunkers, but a nuclear attack may not be so destructive 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 you always thought was an architectural miscarriage will one day save your life.

We found out that in the event of a nuclear war, firstly, we would not have time to warn us about a nuclear strike, and, secondly, we would not have time to run to shelters. Ballistic missiles have such a short flight time that they do not allow any effective protective measures to be taken.

However, the question remains: what should we do? On this subject, I will present my thoughts, which, perhaps, are fundamentally different from everything that is written on this subject in manuals, recommendations and other legal documents on civil defense.

The most important point that makes all of these recommendations untenable is that a nuclear attack on a civilian population would most definitely be surprise in the most literal sense of the word. The fact is that before the explosion of a warhead delivered by a ballistic missile, there are no sounds warning of danger. There is no drone of bombers, no howl of a falling bomb or the whistle of a shell, sounds that usually warn of the start of a bombing or shelling, giving a chance to take cover. A greenish ball in the sky opens silently. This, by the way, is clearly visible in the footage of nuclear tests.

A processed frame from the chronicle of the test of the Grable nuclear artillery shell on May 25, 1953. The flash of a nuclear explosion initially has a greenish tint.

The hum occurs some time later, as the shock wave approaches. During this time, all those who were in the “burn radius” (the radius at which light radiation causes severe burns) and stood in open areas already manage to receive severe burns or even die.

For an observer who does not see the light sphere of the explosion and is not affected by its rays (for example, is indoors or under the cover of a house, in its shadow), the light flash will obviously most closely resemble a very strong and close bluish-red lightning bolt shade. Only unusual lightning, occurring without a thunderstorm and not immediately accompanied by thunder. If you saw this, it means that you have already been caught in a nuclear explosion, have received a dose of penetrating radiation, and you have very little time to hide from the shock wave.

Three important consequences follow from this circumstance. Firstly, what you are wearing protects you from a nuclear explosion. Secondly, survival and the extent of your injuries depends on where you are and your position in relation to the nuclear explosion. Thirdly, you can only use what you have on hand.

Advantageous location

Let's start with the second point, which requires some explanation. It is known that the probability of death and injury in a nuclear explosion depends on the location relative to the epicenter. That is, it depends on how far or close you are from it, and whether there are any buildings and structures that can protect you from light radiation and shock waves.

This factor, combined with the suddenness of a nuclear explosion, gives survival under a nuclear attack the character of a lottery: depending on your luck. If someone is caught in a nuclear explosion in a zone of severe destruction and a “burn radius”, in an open place, for example, on the street, he will die. But if such a person turns the corner just before the explosion and finds himself under the protection of a building, then he will most likely survive and may not even receive serious injuries. The repeatedly mentioned Japanese corporal Yasuo Kuwahara survived about 800 meters from the epicenter of a nuclear explosion because he found himself behind a large reinforced concrete fire tank. He was pulled out from the rubble by soldiers who found themselves in a solid reinforced concrete building of a military hospital at the time of the explosion.

Who lives and who dies in a nuclear explosion? This is largely determined by a random confluence of factors. But you can still slightly increase your chances if you roughly determine the most likely location of the explosion, the danger zone and your position in it.

Where will a nuclear warhead explode? Only an approximate answer can be given to this question, since the exact plans for a nuclear war and the coordinates of the targets are secret. But still: what will be damaged in the event of a nuclear war?

Nuclear powers, primarily Russia and the United States, declare a counterforce strategy for nuclear strikes, that is, they declare that nuclear warheads are aimed at military targets, launch silos, missile positions, and so on. However, if you analyze the logically possible course of a nuclear war, you will have to doubt this. Firstly, a successful counter-force strike is possible only with an absolutely sudden attack. But there will be no surprise in the attack, since the missile launch will be detected by satellites and radars of the missile attack warning system. The attacked side still has enough time to launch its missiles, that is, to carry out a retaliatory strike.

So, the attacking side knows that the attacked side will detect the missile launch and fire a response salvo even before its missile positions are destroyed. That is, the blow will fall on mines and installations that have already fired their missiles. Their defeat in this case is meaningless, the ammunition will be wasted. Accordingly, the attacked side also faces a situation where its enemy has already fired its missiles, and hitting their launch positions is also pointless. A retaliatory strike must have some other list of targets in order for it to be effective. So the counterforce strategy in the current conditions is ineffective and exists, apparently, more to intimidate the enemy.

It follows, based on both sides' desire for the most effective nuclear strike possible, that most missiles are not initially aimed at enemy missile positions. Some of them may be intended to destroy command centers, large air and naval bases, but there are relatively few such targets. The maximum damage needs to be done. In general, in my opinion, nuclear warheads are aimed at facilities in the fuel and energy complex: large thermal and nuclear power plants, oil and gas chemical plants, large power grid nodes, oil and gas pipeline nodes. Almost all of these objects are easily damaged by nuclear weapons, most of them burn well, and their destruction deals a knock-down blow to the entire economic and transport system, and it will take several months for the energy system to be restored at least partially.

Some of these facilities are located in or near cities. Based on this, it is not difficult to determine the most endangered areas. It is enough to take a fairly detailed map, for example, a Yandex map, find on it your home or place of work, as well as the nearest large power plant, and measure the distance. If the place where you constantly or regularly stay for more or less part of the day is less than 2 km from the likely target (the radius at which the shock wave causes fatal injuries for a 400-kiloton charge is about 2000 meters), then you have there are reasons for concern. If the location is within 2 to 7 km of the likely target, then you are likely to survive, but you may suffer injuries, wounds or burns, with the probability becoming minimal beyond 5 km. Your location over 7 km from the nearest probable target indicates that you are not in danger. Even if the warhead deviates from the aiming point, neither light radiation, nor shock wave, nor penetrating radiation will be able to reach you.

In general, it is necessary to require the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation or the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation to draw up detailed diagrams of the most threatened parts and areas of settlements and cities. This would greatly simplify the process of preparing to survive in the event of a nuclear attack. But such an assessment can be made on an individual basis, since the necessary electronic cards are freely available.

Due to this circumstance, everything that will be said below concerns those who often and for a long time are in the most threatened zone, which is two radii from the probable epicenter: up to 2 km - a zone of severe danger, from 2 to 5 km - a zone of medium danger.

Home is a refuge

The suddenness of a nuclear explosion leaves no chance of reaching a shelter. But this does not mean that people in dangerous areas are completely defenseless. It is known from the experience of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that it is much better to be in strong reinforced concrete buildings than in open areas. A strong building completely protects from light radiation (with the exception of some areas irradiated through windows), and also provides good protection from shock waves. The house will, of course, collapse, but unevenly. The facade of the building facing the epicenter of the nuclear explosion will suffer the most, while the side and back facades will suffer little, mainly from the shock wave flowing around the building. However, if there are other buildings, structures or trees in front of the facade facing the epicenter, then the shock wave will be greatly weakened and this will give a chance of survival.

Rooms with windows facing the direction of a probable nuclear explosion can be somewhat strengthened. First, stick a transparent film or strips of transparent film onto the glass so that the shock wave squeezes them out entirely and does not break them into fragments. Secondly, hang a thick white cotton curtain. A number of tests have shown that white fabric provides good protection against light radiation. You can paint the windows with white paint. Thirdly, the safest place in such a room is lying under the window opening, standing or sitting in the partition between the window openings. The wall will protect from light radiation; the shock wave will pass above or to the side. You may be seriously injured by shrapnel, debris, and the shock wave reflected from the walls of the room, but your chances of survival are slightly increased.

For rooms whose windows face the side opposite from the epicenter of a probable explosion, the greatest threat is shards of glass broken by a flowing or reflected shock wave. They can also be reinforced with transparent film.

Will the house collapse under the shock wave? Perhaps, but it all depends on the design of the house and the strength of the concrete. Through the efforts of the party and government, the main buildings in Russian cities are reinforced concrete, the most resistant to a nuclear explosion. The most durable and stable houses are block and monolithic.

True, modern monolithic houses, as a rule, have weak enclosing walls, which are most likely to be pressed inward by a shock wave. Through skyscrapers with glass walls, the shock wave can pass through, throwing all the contents out. Such buildings are the most dangerous. The most common panel houses, of course, will be destroyed, but primarily on the side facing the epicenter of a possible nuclear explosion. But, unlike gas or bomb explosions indoors, leading to the destruction of entire entrances, the force of the shock wave will be applied from the outside, and the structure of the house will work in compression. It all depends on the strength of the concrete. If it is strong, then the destruction may be limited to the fact that the external enclosing slabs will fall off from the house, and staircases and elevator shafts may be destroyed. Thus, people on the lower floors may be trapped, and people on the upper floors will not be able to get down.

It seems that the recommendations for surviving a nuclear strike will be generally similar to the recommendations for surviving earthquakes (a house during the passage of a shock wave and an earthquake will experience similar loads), with the difference that during a nuclear explosion it is safer to be inside the building. For this reason, a night nuclear attack will be much less effective than a daytime one, since at night the vast majority of the population is in their homes, protected by reinforced concrete structures.

What's on and what's in your pockets

Surviving a nuclear explosion also depends on what you're wearing. This is in case you had to catch a nuclear explosion in the open. Thick, light-colored cotton clothing provides the best protection from light radiation (tests have shown that light-colored cotton fabric catches fire much more slowly than dark or black fabric). Jeans and a denim jacket are fine. Woolen fabric protects very well from the heat of light radiation. Regular winter clothing, thick and of little thermal conductivity, will provide good protection. The worst thing is light, dark synthetic fabrics. Synthetics will either burst into flames or melt under the light, causing severe and very painful burns. So at a time when the likelihood of nuclear war increases, it is better to change your wardrobe of outerwear and streetwear.

Clothing should be selected so that there are as few uncovered parts of the body as possible. Then the likelihood of receiving extensive burns, wounds and cuts to the skin is sharply reduced. Summer may be uncomfortable and hot, but you don't want photos of your burns to be shown at exhibitions about the horrors of nuclear war.

Civil defense guidelines recommend wearing a gas mask after a nuclear explosion. Moreover, this is written even in modern recommendations. This begs a question for the authors of such works: what, you don’t leave the house without a gas mask on your side, and your dear GP-5 is always with you? The absurdity of this recommendation is obvious. The suddenness of a nuclear explosion virtually eliminates the possibility that you will have gas masks, respirators, special fabric masks and similar protective equipment on hand.

But this does not mean that you cannot always have protective equipment with you so as not to ingest radioactive dust. Wet wipes (usually made of viscose non-woven fabric) and medical masks, which were not available in Soviet times, are now widely available. It is quite possible to always have a small package of wet wipes and 3-4 medical masks with you in your pockets. After the shock wave has passed, you can wipe your face and hands from radioactive dust with wet wipes and put on a medical mask, which filters out the dust well. To leave the area of ​​a nuclear explosion, its capabilities are quite sufficient. If you don't have a mask, you can press a damp cloth to your nose and mouth. Napkins and medical masks are a simple and cheap product that is available to everyone and can always be carried with them.

Thus, personal survival under a nuclear attack is quite possible. Although it is in the nature of a lottery, and someone may be very unlucky, the following principles nevertheless apply.

Firstly, if you are in a dangerous zone of a possible nuclear explosion, it is safer to be in a building than on the street. On the street, it is safer to be not in an open place, but near buildings and structures so that they shield you from the direction of a possible nuclear explosion. Secondly, it is safer to wear clothes made of low-flammability, light-colored materials (cotton or woolen fabrics), which leave a minimum of exposed parts of the body. Thirdly, it is advisable to always have a package of wet wipes and several medical masks with you to protect yourself from radioactive dust.

It banged, but you stayed on your feet and were not seriously injured. Where to go? The two most appropriate options. The first is the nearest large hospital, if it is nearby and the road to it is known. The second is to go to the nearest major highway or main street and wait for help. Rescuers will first appear there, on large streets and roads that are not blocked by rubble.

72 hours after a nuclear disaster

Part one, traditional (introductory)

Having read thematic articles previously published on VO (“Nuclear fears, imaginary and real”, “Useless civil defense”, “Personal survival in a nuclear war”), the author came to the conclusion that these publications do not contain details on how to protect yourself from ionizing radiation.

In an effort to strengthen civil security, I will try to fill this gap without overly burdening the reader with highly specialized terminology. Knowledge is power, helping in the fight against phobias and potential enemies.

I propose to proceed from the assumption that in the event of a nuclear disaster (no matter local or global, peaceful atom or military), rescuers and the military will deal with anyone, but not you. Just compare how many of you (civilians) and how many of them there are. It is known whose business it is to save drowning people.

From the author’s point of view, what is more likely is not a nuclear war, but a global lightning strike with conventional cruise missiles, including on electrical energy generation facilities, including nuclear power plants. On the other hand, an accident at a nuclear power plant is possible “as part of routine operation” and can be caused by a wide range of reasons - from low qualifications of personnel to worn-out infrastructure. In favor of the latter, it should be remembered that the “emergency” units of the Fukushima NPP have been in operation since the 70s and either had already exhausted their service life by the time of the earthquake, or were close to this due to “fatigue” of the structures. Recently, the extension of the service life of a number of nuclear power units took place in our country, and the REA concern received the appropriate expert opinions - naturally, after a thorough examination, but that is a separate story.

Part two, boring but necessary (materiel part)

The detonation of a nuclear weapon (especially one that fell at a nuclear power plant) is accompanied by a powerful burst of ionizing radiation (capable of destroying biological tissues and the normal state of their constituent elements), the peak of which occurs at the very moment of the explosion.

Different types of ionizing radiation have different penetrating powers. For example, alpha radiation is unable to penetrate the skin deeper than a millimeter, so prolonged contact with an alpha emitter can only result in a radiation burn. Gamma radiation passes right through a person and can damage the DNA structure.

A day after the explosion, radioactivity in its place will decrease almost a million times due to the rapid decay of short-lived nuclear reaction products. The radiation level is determined by the dosimeter in strict accordance with the operating instructions.

Atmospheric transfer of radioactivity by wind leads to noticeable radioactive fallout at a distance of several hundred kilometers, but the main (primary) fallout is observed mainly in a 10-kilometer zone from the explosion site.

Specific radionuclides tend to accumulate in specific organs, behaving chemically like their naturally occurring, non-radioactive “counterparts.” Radioactive iodine accumulates in the thyroid gland, cesium in the kidneys, plutonium in the genitals, strontium in the bones, etc. This property of radionuclides can be used for drug replacement therapy.

Irradiation can be external (source outside the body) or internal (source inside the body). Internal irradiation is much more dangerous, since it affects the body constantly and, like external irradiation, you cannot run away or hide from it. For example, The natural half-life of weapons-grade plutonium from the body is 200 years.

Radiation enters the body orally (with water and food), inhalation through breathing and contact, “leaking” through skin pores and open wounds.

From here follow the basic principles of radiation protection:

Time protection (the less you are near the radiation source, the better);

Screen protection (the thicker the wall/clothing you are behind, the better).

Part three, content (useful civil defense)

So, let’s imagine that at hour H a nuclear weapon was detonated, the fireball cooled down, and the shock wave swept past. Fires in the industrial zone and wooden buildings are burning out. There is no electricity, the Internet, television and radio are silent. There is panic and traffic collapse in the city. The entrance to the shelter is blocked. You are at home not very far from the epicenter, the glazing miraculously survived. Where to run and what to do, how to escape?

There is no need to run anywhere, if only because there is panic on the streets, and a reasonable but inadequate person is much more dangerous than the consequences of a nuclear explosion. On the first day, you need to close yourself at home and seal (not tightly, but with the help of filtering agents - for example newspapers) the windows, doors, and ventilation system. If the water supply is damaged, do not rush to flush the water in the toilet: in the flush tank it is guaranteed to be free of radionuclides. Make (even if only from handkerchiefs) the simplest means of respiratory protection, and at the same time you will be able to prevent acute respiratory infections. If there are no radioprotective drugs, take regular iodine orally (20-40 drops per glass of water 3 times a day), this will protect you from radioactive iodine leaking into the room. Conduct an audit of medications. Don't flash in the window openings - you don't need extra attention. Save clean water and food.

Wear a gas mask and thick clothing. If there is no gas mask, clothing should be with a hood and any glasses should be worn (protecting the skin and eyes from alpha and beta radiation). Leave the area of ​​visible destruction (also the area of ​​greatest radioactive contamination) in a direction perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction. Try not to raise dust - if possible, choose expensive asphalt ones. If you go in the opposite direction, you risk getting into the epicenter of the explosion. Bring with you a set of spare clothes and shoes, documents, valuables, money, weapons, matches, twine, a knife, leftover water, and canned food. A map of possible evacuation routes can be drawn up in advance using the wind rose in your locality. Leave relatives and rescuers a note telling them where you went. Look at the nearest pharmacy - pharmacies will be looted by looters first, and you urgently need antibiotics, painkillers and anti-burn medications, as well as drugs that accelerate the natural elimination of radioactive substances from the body. Select the least polluted routes using a dosimeter. As practice and calculations in certified programs show, a distance of 30 km from the epicenter of the explosion will be sufficient, while 10 kilometers is necessary. If possible, make rest stops inside buildings and structures; do not touch anything with your hands unless necessary. If you meet rescuers on the evacuation route, follow them to the shelter. Do not argue with rescuers and do not demand an individual approach to yourself - they have little time and a lot of work. Take care of children - the cells of their growing organisms divide faster than yours, and the radiation consequences will be more severe (this is why the first 300 liquidators of the Fukushima accident were 50 or more years old, unlike the young soldiers at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986).

Settle into your new temporary home (your dacha, relatives’ rural house), wait for help and further instructions from the government. Use available respiratory protection, change them regularly and wash your hands. Leave street clothes and shoes in the area adjacent to the house. Remember that radioactive dust accumulates in the same places as regular dust - on the hair, collar, cuffs, protruding parts (knees, elbows, shoulders, bellies). Wash these places more thoroughly. Do not leave your home unless necessary, only to seek help and replenish water/food supplies. Drink only bottled or artesian water. If only rainwater is available, after boiling it repeatedly and settling, no more than 2/3 of the container’s volume, drain the remaining water. To obtain water from snow, do not use its top layer and avoid collecting snow from the folds between the deposits. Greens and vegetables from open beds are prohibited; allowed from closed greenhouses after thorough washing. Mushrooms are strictly prohibited. Organize a 24-hour watch - beware of the appearance of looters. Do not be afraid of two-headed dogs: firstly, such a mutation makes a newborn animal non-viable, and secondly, mutations are extremely rare and can only appear after generations.

Estimated cost of a “survival kit” per 1 person. (after a nuclear bombing you are unlikely to be able to buy it right away, I don’t deliberately name brands, the price is closer to the minimum):

1) civil filtering gas mask (adult) - 2500 rubles;

2) anti-radiation first aid kit (adult) - 2800 rubles;

3) disposable anti-dust suit with a hood - 600 rubles;

4) a closed set of modular type, lead-lined (far from the epicenter it is useless and even harmful due to its mass) - 44,000 rubles.

5) a set of antibiotics, anti-burn and painkillers, decontamination agents (alcohol) - 1,500 rubles;

6) household dosimeter (radiation indicator) - 6,000 rubles;

7) canned food - 1000 rubles;

8) cash in small bills - at least 5,000 rubles.

Total from 20 to 60 thousand rubles. per adult, but safety cannot be cheap, such is the price of his phobias.

If a military medic is reading this article, I ask you to leave in the comments the names of drugs (available at the nearest pharmacy) that allow you to speed up the natural elimination of radionuclides from the body - I think it will be useful.

And one last thing.

As a citizen with increased social responsibility, I would like to state: drive away, drive away from yourself the thoughts of crawling slowly (so as not to cause panic in these harsh times) towards the cemetery: not all taxes have been paid yet, and someone (who, if not you?) must get even with the aggressor.

With faith in vitality "Perimeter" systems(“Dead Hand” according to NATO classification) and respect for the reader.

Clear instructions. How to survive a nuclear strike

Shock! Nuclear EXPLOSION!!! How to survive??? Documentary

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Nuclear war and its consequences - this topic has always been a vast field for the imagination of writers. Previously... But it seems that such a threat is becoming more real every day. North Korea and the United States have nuclear missiles at the ready. In an interview with CBS, CIA chief Michael Pompeo said that Kim Jong-un will have the opportunity to launch a nuclear strike on the United States within the next few months. A little earlier, The Huffington Post published excerpts of the draft American nuclear doctrine. But no matter who presses the button first, the effect this time may be much stronger than the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Meanwhile, instructions for survival in a nuclear war have long acquired the status of folklore. We found out which of them are myths, and which ones can be used.

"Weapons of mass genocide"

The atomic bomb was first used just over 72 years ago. Hiroshima and Nagasaki, attacked by the Americans during World War II, are the only example in the history of the combat use of nuclear weapons. The effect was so destructive that no one else dared to repeat this experience. Hiroshima was destroyed by a blast wave in 10 seconds. “Little Boy” and “Fat Man,” the names given to the plutonium bombs dropped on Japanese cities on August 6 and 9, killed between 150,000 and 220,000 people. After the tragedy, on August 15, the Japanese government signed an act of surrender, formally ending World War II. Until August 6, 1945, absolutely nothing was known about the effects of radiation on humans. Before this attack, America “conducted experiments” only on rabbits, which developed purple spots and lost hair. The Japanese unknowingly dubbed this condition “Disease X.” The creators of the bomb suffered from radiation sickness.

Sign of a new world

The fear of surviving a third world war with the use of nuclear weapons has penetrated all areas of life. It has spawned numerous science fiction novels, films and computer games. In the post-apocalyptic role-playing game Fallout, there is even a Vault Boy meme emblem - a perky cartoon boy always showing a thumbs up and winking. Gesture a la: “Everything is okay, buddy.” A little inappropriate, since the events take place in the distant future, hundreds of years after the fictional nuclear conflict. The main task is to survive. But Vault Boy knows for sure that if, when you see a nuclear mushroom, you stretch your hand forward in its direction and raise your thumb, you can determine whether you are in the affected area. If your finger covers the mushroom, you can exhale, everything is really okay, buddy. But if not... It’s simply too late to run - you won’t have time.

In reality, seeing a nuclear mushroom means having literally three seconds to hide - followed by a shock wave. Survival and life safety expert, teacher of the highest qualification category Valery Komarov spoke about this in an interview with Channel Five:

“If you saw a nuclear mushroom, then there was a flash in front of it. The same American plane dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The navigator sat in front, and the radio operator-gunner looked back. And everyone had black glasses. And when the flash occurred, he cried out: “Brighter than a thousand suns.” In Hiroshima there is a monument - a block of stone on which is the shadow of a man covering his eyes with his hand. The man simply disappeared. That is, if you see a mushroom, you are lucky, you will already survive. Turn your back to it and look for a place for the high pressure wave to pass by you. It's best to find some kind of hole. If a person is outside the city, there is, of course, little threat there, since the target is usually a city, but a closed cellar with ventilation will be an excellent shelter,” Komarov said.

Why exactly “mushroom”? And what to do next?

The developers of "Baby" calculated that the bomb should detonate at an altitude of 600 meters. Everything happened according to plan: the explosion had maximum destructive power. The shock wave propagating from the epicenter reached the surface of the earth and was reflected from it - the result was a “mushroom collar” - a combination of the reflected and primary waves.

Energy from a nuclear mushroom is released in three forms: light and heat radiation, shock wave and radiation. The radiation caused the residents of Hiroshima, who were 800 kilometers from the epicenter, to burn in a split second, leaving behind only the so-called “atomic shadows.” Those who were further away received varying degrees of burns. Most of them turned out to be fatal. The surviving Japanese, who were one and a half kilometers from the epicenter, said that with a strong flash of light, they saw the bones of their body right through, as if in an X-ray. The effect amazed the United States so much that after the military operation, already in peacetime, tests were actively carried out to study the damaging effect of the shock wave of a nuclear explosion. After the statute of limitations expired, some archives were declassified. Here they are.

Video: youtube

A nuclear explosion is also accompanied by an electromagnetic pulse. The Hawaiian Islands experienced it on July 9, 1962. The American government "tested" a nuclear explosion in outer space. The epicenter of the explosion of the Starfish Prime project was at an altitude of 400 kilometers above the surface of the Pacific Ocean and at a distance of one and a half thousand kilometers from the Hawaiian Islands. However, under the influence of an electromagnetic pulse, three hundred street lights, televisions, radios and other electronics went out in Hawaii at once. For seven minutes people observed the “glow of death” in the sky.

Nightmarish memories came to life in Hawaii on the morning of January 13 this year, when thousands of islanders received an SMS notification on their phones that a missile with a nuclear warhead fired by the DPRK was flying towards them. In a matter of minutes, the beaches and streets were empty. Only 40 minutes later it was possible to find out that the rocket was accidentally “launched” by an employee of the Emergency Situations Agency. During the equipment check procedure, which is carried out three times a day, he accidentally pressed the wrong button. This mistake, in the style of Orson Welles's War of the Worlds radio drama, was due to a botched missile warning system that was put into operation just a few weeks ago due to the deterioration of US-North Korean relations. The system has been dormant since the Cold War. What did the Hawaiians do? They rushed into the loose. Actor Jim Carrey wrote on social networks after the “attack”:

“I woke up today in Hawaii and I have 10 minutes left to live.”

One hundred grams of alcohol, 5 drops of iodine

This is not a cocktail from a newfangled club, but a means for removing radiation from the body. And do not mix or shake. Everyone has heard that it is necessary to consume iodine when there is an increased background radiation. This miraculous method is especially “promoted” in St. Petersburg, a city with granite embankments capable of creating, albeit small, but still a radioactive natural background. Thus, specialists from the independent environmental assessment “Ecology of Living Space” conducted a study using a simple dosimeter. In St. Petersburg, the radiometer showed values ​​from 0.13 to 0.25 μSv/h. While in the city of Torzhok, Tver region, the maximum is 0.09. Alas, even small doses of radiation do not work on the principle of vaccination against smallpox.

And yet, St. Petersburg residents do not consume iodine every day. It should be taken once when leaving the shelter in the proportion of 3-5 drops per glass of water. It is also recommended to drink red wine. But this is only if there is not enough iodine. The length of stay in the shelter depends on the distance from the epicenter. If he is located 12 kilometers away, it is better to keep a low profile for at least three days.

Human experience

Two years after the bombing of Japan, the US government created a commission to account for casualties, whose tasks included studying the effects of radiation on health and mortality rates. Thousands of survivors are still taking part in the world's longest-running medical study. The results of the work of Japanese researchers were useful in treating victims of the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The effect on the body is so unpredictable that people who have received a huge dose of radiation seem to be living on a time bomb. The clockwork is their own body, which can “give” leukemia or another form of cancer at any moment.

Not immediately, but in the long term, radioactive exposure leads to mutations. After the Chernobyl accident on April 26, 1986, a cloud of radioactive dust affected the southern regions of Belarus, which is only ten kilometers from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. 70% of the radioactive fallout fell there. The Gomel region suffered the most. The most common mutation was, for example, the birth of calves with several tails, and the liquidators of the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant themselves received various diseases - from asthma to oncology. In order not to repeat their fate, advises Valery Komarov, you need to protect yourself with a plastic raincoat and a gas mask.

“Chemical protection protects against dust penetration. After all, radioactive dust can also enter the body and cause lung cancer if a person inhales this dust, or skin cancer if it gets on it. The worst mistakes that were made in the USSR were raising dust. We are all made of atoms. Radiation changes the properties of atoms. Electrons leave the shell, resulting in an active electron. It begins to destroy the cell. Cancer begins. Therefore, it is important to rid the skin, and the entire body, of radioactive substances. In principle, a plastic suit and raincoat will be quite effective together with dust masks. In Chernobyl they did not provide plastic suits. There were simple white coats,” Komarov said.

Everyone will die, and I'm on the subway

According to experts, only 30% of the population in these megacities will survive. The luckiest ones will be those who find themselves in the subway at this moment. Does it look like the script for the book "Metro 2033"? Adding fuel to the fire is an “instruction” that has been circulating on the Internet for many years under the title “Measures for the situation of “Nuclear Alert”,” allegedly issued by the Moscow Civil Defense Headquarters for the actions of fire, emergency, rescue and medical services. This is what the user stumbles upon when searching for information on how to behave in the event of a nuclear attack. The safest place, according to the instructions, should be the subway.

Two years ago, some media outlets even seriously wrote that Moscow City Duma employees had received such instructions. In it, by the way, the authors assured that a nuclear attack must certainly occur around 18:00 Moscow time. At this time, Pentagon employees begin their working day.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations did not recall the development, much less the distribution, of such instructions. In fact, launching a nuclear missile today would mean unleashing a total conflict, and, as a result, the destruction of the world as we know it. Everyone seems to understand this. It is incomprehensible to the mind how such an intention can occur to a sane person. That’s why, despite all the media reports, the threat still continues to seem fantastic... Or not?

Aniya Bataeva

Everyone is concerned about the growing number of nuclear weapons, and it's not hard to see why. It must be said honestly that if even one nuclear bomb is dropped on your city, it is highly unlikely that you will survive. But there is still a chance, so it would be useful for you to know what to do in the event of a thermonuclear explosion.

Well, first of all, you need to prepare. You need to discuss all evacuation routes with your loved ones. Choose a few places on the outskirts of the city where you can meet after the incident.
Set up a hiding place that you can use in case of emergency. The cache should include a supply of bottled water, warm blankets, canned food, a radio and a first aid kit, especially if someone in the family is unwell. If you have a secure cellar or basement, make sure that you can easily get down there and that it has everything you need for the first time.


This is the main thing you should know about preparation, and now what to do directly during the explosion.
Stay away from the explosion radius, this is the most dangerous place, no one and nothing will survive here. Even a bunker won't save you. You must be more than 5.7 km from the epicenter. Avoid places that could be potential targets for a nuclear strike.


Let's say you're far enough away that you see a bright light as a nuclear bomb goes off. Do not look at the flash - otherwise you will go blind, as it will look like an artificial Sun, which is much closer than the real one. Remember to walk away from the flash, not look at it.


If you are in a high-rise building, run deep into it and take cover somewhere there. You will only have a few seconds before the shock wave hits. Let's hope that this building will be far enough from the explosion site that it won't be leveled. Do not stand near windows, as you may be riddled with glass shards.
Cover your ears with your hands. If the shock wave is powerful enough, your eardrums may fail and rupture.
If the building stands, you will need to remain deep within it for several hours, perhaps even all day. This way you will be protected from ionizing radiation and the resulting cloud of radioactive fallout; they will not penetrate to you through so many layers of concrete or brick.


If you're not inside a building, you might be in trouble. If you breathe in air contaminated with radiation, you will suffer from radiation sickness. The best thing you can do is to find somewhere enclosed where outside air will not enter. Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth. Radiation contamination is especially difficult to avoid, but let's hope the wind blows in a different direction.
According to mathematical calculations, if you are far enough from the center of the explosion, but are in an unreliable shelter, then it is better to run to a more protected place - you will have no more than 30 minutes to do this, otherwise you will be provided with a lethal dose of radiation.
After the explosion, the radiation level will be extremely high, but a few hours after the explosion it will decrease much. The outside world will still pose an incredible danger, so you will need to move on, leave places contaminated with radiation. But while the radiation particles settle, you will have to wait at least 12 hours before leaving your shelter.
If possible, remove outer clothing such as a coat or jumper - this will remove up to 90% of the radioactive particles that have settled on you and can save you from mortal danger. Simply leave the clothes somewhere or throw them in a metal container to stop the radiation.
Once you are at a safe enough distance, take a shower to wash away any remaining radiation particles. Clear your nose and wipe your face with a clean, damp cloth.


If an explosion catches you on the street, fall face down on the ground and cover your head with your hands. It is better to take cover behind a metal object or structure, this can protect you from radiation. After things calm down, do whatever you can to find shelter from the fallout.
If you survived the explosion, don't relax. You still have to go through a post-apocalyptic landscape, confront the looters and try to build a new society. Good luck, survivor!