Most people retire on Friday night looking forward to the weekend, a day or two of doing nothing but relax and recuperate from the previous week. Now imagine waking up one Saturday morning and instead of welcoming a beautiful morning, you are greeted by a text saying a nuclear weapon is on its way and you and the rest of your fellow islanders are totally screwed.
“BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”
Fourteen words. Apparently, that’s all it takes to cause widespread panic in the beautiful island of Hawaii. Of course, everything was fine after the dust settled. It was later revealed that the text was simply caused by human error. People’s lives were supposedly never really in danger during the 38 minutes before the erroneous and horrific text was corrected.
Unfortunately, many people believed the text warning since it came from the state and was relayed through the Emergency Alert System and Commercial Mobile Alert System. Plus, the message was in all caps so anyone reading it felt the urgency like someone was yelling in their ears telling them they’re doomed.
Interestingly, a similar incident happened in Japan just three days later. NHK, the Asian country’s public broadcaster, issued an alert warning saying North Korea released a nuclear weapon and it’s headed their way. That was revealed to be false after just 5 minutes.
Possibility of A Nuclear War
Ahh, yes. The wonders of living during a time when leaders of two superpowers are throwing insults and threats of nuclear war at each other like a couple of 5-year-olds.
Unfortunately for the rest of us, the threat of nuclear weapons is real. Despite ongoing denuclearization efforts, the fact remains that North Korea has 200 nuclear missiles at its disposal. Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump claimed he has a “bigger and more powerful” nuclear button.
Hopefully, Trump and Kim Jong Un finally patches things up and play nice with each other. But until all nuclear weapons are rendered useless including those from other nations, it’s to everyone’s best intentions to be prepared in case a nuclear war erupts.
In hindsight, the now infamous faux nuclear weapon warning awakened a feeling in many that there is a need to prepare for such global disaster.
How to Prepare for a Nuclear Attack
Do Research
The key to preparing for a nuclear attack and its aftereffects is to educate yourself on what it really means for you. After diligent research, you should know what exactly you should do to keep your family safe when a nuclear weapon is released.
The first thing you need to remember is that a huge bright flash will follow the detonation. Many will be tempted to look at the flash. You shouldn’t as this may temporarily blind you. You will then hear a huge explosion followed by strong winds.
The force will definitely destroy anything within half a mile from the explosion. Those far from ground zero will have a better chance of surviving, especially if they do the right things once the nuclear weapon is released. Around 15 minutes after detonation, radioactive particles will come trickling down to earth.
Stock Up On the Necessities
Preparing for a nuclear attack is similar to preparing for any other natural disaster. It is greatly advised to stock up on non-perishable food and clean drinking water. After a nuclear attack, everything and everyone will be in disarray. Forget going on grocery trips for your basic needs. The stores will likely be gone anyways. Plus, it is not safe to head out and risk contamination. If you have enough supplies at home, you have a better chance of surviving the effects of a nuclear attack.
You should also have survival gear, first aid kit, and medicines in your shelter. In case someone is injured or burned from the explosion, you should be able to treat the medical emergency. Having the right supplies will work to your advantage.
What to Do When A Nuclear Weapon is Released
Duck and Cover
During the Cold War, duck and cover was what people were told as the most effective response after a nuclear weapon is detonated. Surprisingly, it still holds true today.
If a nuclear weapon detonates near you, there’s very little you can do but to duck, cover and pray you survive and chalk it up to (harrowing) experience. If you shelter-in-place, you at least avoid debris from the blast. Remember, if the blast doesn’t kill you, debris thrown off by the force may hit you and the results may not be to your liking.
Protect Yourself from Debris
Once a nuclear weapon explodes, try to find shelter if it is still possible. If not, find anything that may shield you from the force of the explosion and the debris that comes with it.
Find Shelter
In case a nuclear weapon is detonated at a distance, you shouldn’t dillydally on getting the heck out of the open and find shelter. You have around 15 minutes before the nuclear fallout hits the ground. The radiation from the fallout is at its most dangerous during the first few hours and the results will be catastrophic for anyone who is not quick enough.
Find the nearest concrete or brick building you can hide in. Try to get to the centermost part of the shelter. Avoid staying near doors, windows and other openings. Once inside, take off your clothes as they are likely contaminated with radiation. You will need to clean yourself, especially the parts of your skin that were left unprotected.
Steps to Take After Surviving A Nuclear Attack
Stay Inside
Stay in the shelter for at least 24 hours. Wait for instructions from authorities before leaving the building. If you are separated from your loved ones, its best that each of you stay where you are until it’s deemed safe to go out.
Lessen your worries by contacting your family. The phone grid may fall victim to a nuclear weapon. You should have other ways to communicate in case a nuclear attack renders phones useless.
Stay Tuned
While inside, find ways to stay connected with the outside world without having to leave. Ideally, you should have a hand-crank or battery operated radio with you.
If North Korea makes good on its promise to send a nuclear weapon to the United Sates, this will signal a new era of global warfare. Everyone has their fingers crossed that this will never happen. But since the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists set the Doomsday Clock to two minutes to midnight last year, the prospect of a man-made catastrophe affecting the whole world has been at its highest since 1953, a time known in history as the Cold War.
With the likelihood of a nuclear weapon being fired from North Korea or any other nation looming over our heads, it’s about time to take prepping seriously before it’s too late. I know that’s what I would do.
The Gentleman Pirate not only talks about what you should do in the event of a nuclear attack. You can also read up on “less” horrific catastrophes such as earthquakes, floods and tsunamis and how to prepare and survive them. If you have idea on how to survive a nuclear weapon targeted at us, feel free to post them on the comment section below.
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