Nuclear Threat Preparedness

The confrontation with North Korea over its missiles and nuclear weapons and false alarm in Hawaii highlight issues that need to be addressed. But these events also serve as a reminder that the threat of nuclear weapons being used in an international conflict – or by a terrorist organization – has been a persistent concern for decades.

This is a good time to think about what citizens and disaster response agencies need to know in the event of a nuclear detonation in their community. Some basic information and understandings could save countless thousands of lives in the event of a catastrophic use of a nuclear weapon.

Here’s what people should know. A detonation of a nuclear weapon in an urban area would be instantly lethal for many people in the immediate vicinity of the explosion. But hundreds of thousands of people outside the most deadly circle of destruction could save their own lives by:

1. Knowing the signs of nuclear explosion.
2. Seeking immediate shelter (optimal shelter can be described)
3. Staying put in shelter for 24-48 hours
4. Waiting for officials to announce its safe to leave shelter
5. Heading in direction recommended by officials

Watch this TED Talk by Dr. Irwin Redlener: How to Survive a Nuclear Attack

 

Resources

Media

Now This News: Incoming missile drill held in Japan
January 22, 2018
Jeff Schlegelmilch on using predetermined shelters in case of a nuclear event

Utica Observer Dispatch: OUR VIEW: Nuclear threat can’t be ignored
January 21, 2018
Dr. Irwin Redlener discusses different aspects of nuclear preparedness

Time: This is what you should do during a nuclear alert
January 19, 2018
Dr. Irwin Redlener writes an op-ed in Time magazine on what you should do in response to a nuclear alert

Pix 11 New York: Should New Yorkers heed old nuclear shelter signs? If nuke is REALLY coming, maybe not
January 17, 2018
Dr. Irwin Redlener on the actual possibility of a nuclear threat today

NBC New York: What New Yorkers should do if there’s a nuclear alert
January 16, 2018
Dr. Irwin Redlener outlines steps New Yorkers should take in the event of a nuclear alert

i24 News: Japan false alarm follows Hawaii’s
January 16, 2018
Jeff Schlegelmilch on the missile launch false alarm in Japan

Inside Edition: After false alarm in Hawaii, what to do in the event of a missile threat
January 15, 2018
Dr. Irwin Redlener provides advice on what to do in the event of a missile threat

Vox: Hawaii’s missile scare “reminds us how precarious the nuclear age is”
January 14, 2018
Dr. Irwin Redlener on the unsettling events around the false alarm missile alert in Hawaii

NY1: Removal of fallout shelter signs in city comes amid renewed fears
January 5, 2018
Jeff Schlegelmilch on how fallout shelter signs may provide a false sense of security

WNYC: City to Remove Outdated Fallout Shelter Signs
January 1, 2018
Jeff Schlegelmilch on the importance of public clarity and awareness with regard to nuclear fallout shelters

Reuters: New York removes misleading fallout shelter signs
December 27, 2017
Jeff Schlegelmilch on the removal of fallout shelter signs in New York City

Boston Globe: Amid Tensions, Fallout Shelters Get Another Look
December 26, 2017
Jeff Schlegelmilch provides advice on fallout sheltering

CNBC: Thinking the unthinkable: Don’t rely on these historic fallout shelters in case of a nuclear attack
October 6, 2017
Jeff Schlegelmilch cautions against relying on outmoded fallout shelters as a survival plan

Newsweek: War with North Korea? People are building nuclear bunkers and shelters again because of Trump and Kim Jong Un
September 19, 2017
Jeff Schlegelmilch on the return of investment on building nuclear fallout shelters

ABC 7: The nuclear threat: do you know what to do to protect yourself?
August 18, 2017
Jeff Schlegelmilch on planning for a nuclear attack

France 24: New York’s forgotten nuclear shelters back in spotlight among N. Korea threat
August 12, 2017
Jeff Schlegelmilch explains the purpose and relevance of nuclear shelters in New York City, then and now

Daily News: New York is filled with thousands of abandoned bomb shelters from a time when a nuclear attack was almost certain
August 10, 2017
Jeff Schlegelmilch on the the purpose and distribution of fallout shelters

Gothamist: Helter Shelter: New York’s fallout shelters basically don’t exist anymore
March 9, 2017
Jeff Schlegelmilch on the lack of public awareness about fallout shelters