Expedient shelters (for nuke or RDD incident)

itsadisaster · 2011-03-12T14:59:31Z

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 woodUnderground 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 outor. (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 expedie...

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Anonymous

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28/07/2012 8:55 pm

Very impressive post Ranger!

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