The following is just a snippet from the “Terrorism” topic in our disaster preparedness and first aid book. Please realize these are some very basic tips on sheltering for any type of nuclear (or radiological or RDD) incident. As fyi, an RDD incident will most likely involve low-level radiation therefore it's not as potentially deadly as nuclear fallout / radiation, however it's wise to use similar steps to shelter .. just in case!
For decades, movies and some in the media have portrayed a nuclear attack as a "doomsday" event implying most people would be killed on impact ... and survivors would want to die once they come out of their shelters. In reality, unless you are actually at ground zero or within a several mile radius of the blast zone (depending on the size of the nuke, of course), there is a very high probability you'll survive as long as you limit your exposure to radiation, take shelter with proper shielding, and wait for the most dangerous radioactive materials to decay.
Reduce exposure - Protect yourself from radioactive fallout with ...
-- distance - the more distance between you and fallout particles, the better
-- shielding - heavy, dense materials (like thick walls, earth, concrete, bricks, water and books) between you and fallout is best. Stay indoors or below ground. (Taking shelter in a basement or a facility below ground reduces exposure by 90%. Less than 4 inches (10 cm) of soil or earth can reduce the penetration of dangerous gamma rays by half.)
-- time - most fallout loses its strength quickly. The more time that passes after the attack, the lower the danger.
The "seven-ten" rule - For every sevenfold increase in time after the initial blast, there is a tenfold decrease in the radiation rate. For example, a 500 rad level can drop to 50R in 7 hours and down to 5R after 2 days (49 hours). In other words, if you have shelter with good shielding and stay put for even just 7 hours ... you've really increased your chances of survival. Your detection devices, emergency radio or cell phone [if the last 2 are working, that is] can assist you in knowing when it’s safe to come out.
Basic shelter requirements - Whether you build a shelter in advance or throw together an expedient last-minute shelter during a crisis, the area should protect you from radiation and support you for at least 2 weeks. Some basic requirements for a fallout shelter include ...
-- shielding
-- ventilation
-- water and food
-- sanitation and first aid products
-- radiation monitoring devices, radio, tools, firearms, etc.
Shielding materials - All fallout shelters must provide good protection from radioactive particles. FEMA suggests having a minimum of several inches of concrete or 1 to 2 feet of earth as shielding around your shelter, and the more the better. The following shows examples of shielding materials that equal the protection of 4 inches (10 cm) of concrete ...
-- 5 - 6 inches (12 - 15 cm) of bricks
-- 6 inches (15 cm) of sand or gravel
-- 7 inches (18 cm) of earth
-- 8 inches (20 cm) of hollow concrete block
-- 10 inches (25 cm) of water
-- 14 inches (35 cm) of books or magazines
-- 18 inches (46 cm) of wood
Underground is best - Taking shelter in a basement or a facility below ground reduces exposure by 90%. Less than 4 inches (10 cm) of soil or earth can reduce the penetration of dangerous gamma rays by half.
Prefab shelter - If you have bucks, time and land, there are many types of prefabricated shelters you can purchase and have buried on your property. Some have complete living quarters and come fully stocked with food and other items. Suggest you do some research and get references first though.
Outside shelter - There are free books and pamphlets with instructions on building underground fallout shelters by FEMA, Cresson Kearny (author of “Nuclear War Survival Skills”), Shane Connor (CEO of KI4U, Inc.) and others. If you have a few days, tools, property you can dig down into, and don’t mind heavy labor ... check out http://www.oism.org/nwss or http://www.ki4u.com . (Both sites describe other shelters too like lean-tos, pole covered trench shelters, etc.)
Indoor shelter locations - If you don’t have a fallout shelter you can get to safely and quickly, these options could provide protection from dangerous radiation by using shielding materials described below.
-- basement - find the corner that is most below ground level (the further underground you are the better)
-- 1-story home / condo / apartment - if no underground facility, find a spot in center of home away from windows
-- trailer home - find sturdier shelter if at all possible (like a basement or a brick or concrete building)
-- multi-story building or high-rise - go to center of the middle section of the building. Note: if the rooftop of a building next to you is on that same floor, move one floor up or down since radioactive fallout would accumulate on rooftops. Avoid the first floor (if possible) since fallout will pile up on the ground outside.
Indoor shelter shielding - Below are some ways to build an expedient last minute shelter in your home, apartment or workplace. Please realize these tips are very basic things to help protect you from dangerous radiation.
-- Set up a large, sturdy workbench or table in location you’ve chosen (see above). If no table, make one by putting doors on top of boxes, appliances or furniture.
-- Put as much shielding - furniture, file cabinets, appliances, boxes or pillowcases filled with dirt or sand, boxes of food, water or books, concrete blocks, bricks, etc. – all around sides and on top of table, but don’t put too much weight on tabletop or it could collapse. Add reinforcing supports, if needed. (See above about shielding materials and remember, the more shielding you use, the better protection you’ll have from radioactive fallout.)
-- Leave a crawl space so everyone can get inside and be prepared to block opening with shielding materials.
-- Leave 2 small air spaces for ventilation (about 4"-6” each) - one low at one end and one high at other end. (This allows for better airflow since warm air rises.)
-- If you have time and ability to do so, add more mass or shielding materials (like earth) on the floor above you. Support or brace floor from below for the added weight.
-- Have water, detection devices, radio, food and sanitation supplies in case you have to shelter for days or weeks.
Ventilation - While inside a shelter you need to circulate fresh air in to reduce carbon dioxide buildup and help reduce heat. If shelter is above ground, the natural flow of air through cracks or windows outside shelter can help move stale warm air out, but basements and underground shelters may have trouble getting airflow. Some ways to improve airflow ...
-- open a door or window - consider opening a door or window in another part of house or building to improve the natural air circulation (but don’t expose yourself to fallout or high radiation levels and don’t open window in shelter)
-- air pump - by planning ahead you can purchase or make a portable pump (read App. B at http://www.oism.org/nwss/ )
-- directional fanning - make a strong 2-handled fan using 2 sticks (or folded cardboard) and tie or tape a piece of cloth (or 2 pieces of cardboard) between sticks to make a rectangular fan. You want to push warm air out of the shelter so start with fan straight up in front of your face, then forcefully push it out and down with your arms completely extended until fan is parallel with floor (about waist high), pause then repeat often and as needed.
In summary, those within the blast zone of Ground Zero (depending on the size of the nuke) won’t make it .. BUT .. if you are a few miles outside the zone your chances of surviving it are high .. but you MUST have detection devices (e.g. dosimeters, survey meters, KFM kits, RADStickers, NukAlert, etc) to monitor levels of radiation and a plan to stay sheltered for at least 48 hours or up to a few weeks. First Responders will have to wait for the deadly fallout to decay before they enter a hot zone so the more you prepare, the better your odds of surviving a terrorist nuke.
Some additional resources include…
http://www.radshelters4u.com (shelters are covered at http://www.radshelters4u.com/index3.htm )
Shane Conner (CEO of KI4U) Guide http://www.ki4u.com/guide.htm
Know What to Do 3-min video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhDi0zoTcSo
Cresson Kearny 8-min shelter video http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6404694492992532990 #
Carloslabs Ground Zero II nuke widget http://www.carloslabs.com/node/20
Above extracted from "IT'S A DISASTER! ...and what are YOU gonna do about it? - learn more (proceeds benefit APN and IPN)
Be Aware... Be Prepared... and Have a Plan!
Plutonium found in Fukushima plant soil
Tokyo Electric Power Company says plutonium has been found in soil samples from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
It says the radioactive substance appears to be related to the ongoing nuclear accident, but the level detected is the same as that found in other parts of Japan and does not pose a threat to human health.
TEPCO collected samples from 5 locations around the power plant over 2 days from March 21st and found 2 samples contaminated with plutonium.
Plutonium is a byproduct of the nuclear power generation process. At the number 3 reactor of the Fukushima plant, plutonium is an ingredient in mixed oxide, or MOX, fuel.
Radioactivity from plutonium can be shielded by a sheet of paper. But it can remain in lungs and other organs to cause long-term damages including cancer.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says the detected level is the same as that found in the environment and not health-threatening for workers who conducted the sampling, nor residents in surrounding areas.
The agency said it is awaiting the results of another survey by the Science Ministry outside of a 20-kilometer radius from the plant, as well as a further survey by TEPCO in the plant compound.
Hey itsadisaster, thanks for putting this up informative and to the point.
A great starting shelter, is a used over seas shipping container. Dig a deep level hole, drop a foot of gravel in it, in goes the container. Put supports on the insides, and cover it up, just leave room for the door to open. Get creative, put some vents in it, so they wont find you blue and dead. Cover the entrance with a shed, so that only the most trusted will know about it. They start at $2500 for a 8'x8' x10' long container. I my self, if I had the land and money, I would get the 10' high 8' wide by 40' long at $5000+. Happy burrowing.
"We 'Prep.' to live after a downfall, Not just to survive."
A great starting shelter, is a used over seas shipping container. Dig a deep level hole, drop a foot of gravel in it, in goes the container. Put supports on the insides, and cover it up, just leave room for the door to open. Get creative, put some vents in it, so they wont find you blue and dead. Cover the entrance with a shed, so that only the most trusted will know about it. They start at $2500 for a 8'x8' x10' long container. I my self, if I had the land and money, I would get the 10' high 8' wide by 40' long at $5000+. Happy burrowing.
I have been thinking about this option too. It could be useful not just as a fallout shelter but also for tornadoes - and not just for your person, but for vital supplies that you would want to hold onto rather than have damaged if a tornado happened to tear apart your house.
I've been thinking I would want to incorporate a buried shipping container into the berm of an earth-bermed, passive solar house - - so the shelter is mostly underground, i.e. you have lots of shielding - also you could enter it from inside your house.
Another thing to think about for those rural homesteaders / land-owners amongst us:
If or when you're going to build yourself a root cellar - they inherently need to be underground and/or have alot of shielding, ventilation, and stockpiled food. You could design it in a specific way - or modify an existent cellar - so that you don't just have a couple of thin doors between the cellar and the outside world, but, have some shielding in the way.
Only issue I can see coming up is that a root cellar is supposed to be cool and damp, whereas you would not want a fallout shelter to be either of those.
Your right on that subject of root cellars, some of the underground shelters that I have visited were cold as a grave, and as long as you keep it BELLOW the frost line it wont feel like a freezer, just a fridge. So these shelter are great for food storage and if used as a shelter or your teenagers loft, put in a wall to have the food separated and cool.
"We 'Prep.' to live after a downfall, Not just to survive."
Many Architects in Florida are designing hurricane housing using shipping containers, as they can bolt them to pylons sunk deep into the ground. Pre-built roofs are attached to these units and siding, to look inside them you wouldn’t know that they started out as shipping containers. Go to You Tube to see all the different applications that they have been used in.
"We 'Prep.' to live after a downfall, Not just to survive."
The best solution to the problem is,,,,not to be in a questional location,,,,,,find a safe location,,,move in,,,prepare to be on your oun for 23 months,,,,,find like mind friends form a group, minimum 15 adults.
the coming earth changes are here,,,and as the black planet gets closer,, the earthquakes, will increace in magnitude. 85% of the movie 2012 will happen,,,prepare NOW!!
Know the difference between "root" cellar and a storage cellar. Neither is heated but the root cellar needs some moisture to keep the "roots" fruits and veggies viable. 😉
"We 'Prep.' to live after a downfall, Not just to survive."
This is some goodimg reading. Question - I have a fruit cellar in my basement. The fruit cellar is located under my front porch, with an entry from my basement All walls are cement including the floor, ceiling is steel. There are a couple of drilled holes in the top of the walls with fans to keep the air flowing. With a steel door as an entry.
Problem I have no electricic in there - I could put some in
The fruit cellar is damp. Not drippimg with water but you can smell it. No mold just damp
Question. Would this be a good fall out shelter? Do I need to do any improvements?
Could you stand being in a humid place for over a week or 2.
"We 'Prep.' to live after a downfall, Not just to survive."
Incoming air needs to be filtered. You would want to try to keep a positive pressure inside the area. You need a water source that is also protected. You need a means to dispose of waste that doesn't allow contamination to enter the shelter. If it is damp is there percolation through the concrete walls? If so is it enough to allow radoactive particulate to enter also? So many considerations... My guess would be that is would NOT be a good shelter. All of that said.. if it was all you had then it would be better than nothing. Do some research online as to the necessary precautions for this type of scenario. It is basically instituting and maintaining medical isolation with the added need for mass between yourself and the outside to stop radiation.
There is a critical step method of removing radioactive air particulates from air leading to a shelter. First you always pull the air in or push it out, never do you want to push the air into a shelter as it will clog your filters fast. You want to draw the air from inside the house, where the particulates ( radioactive dust) is the least. The in coming air should impact a oil/water bath, this will trap the heaviest dust. Next are your paper filters, these will range between vacuum cleaner bags, paper towels, to toilet paper end on end. Next before the air pump is your activated charcoal to remove most of the toxins from the air. Last but not least, is your air pump, at which at this point is manually operated unless you have an exterior method of powering it such as a generator, (if not fried by EMP) or a wind mill. Otherwise this will have to be done by hand or on a bicycle. CONSTANTLY. Your shelter during a fallout condition has to be air tight with an air valve on both the incoming and out going air. In the Military, I was a Shelter Commander, and it was my job to know every aspect of this and everything possible in NBCW (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Warfare). It gives one, a very real reality check on what could happen, and the steps to control the effects.
"We 'Prep.' to live after a downfall, Not just to survive."