How to Survive a Ballistic Missile Attack
This morning, Hawaii residents received a rather unwelcome notice: “Ballistic missile threat arrives in Hawaii. Seek immediate refuge. This is not a drill. “
Although the warning turned out to be a false alarm, for 38 minutes everyone in Hawaii did not know it and had to decide what to do. The question arises: what if you receive a notification that a ballistic missile is approaching you?
American weapons experts believe North Korea will probably be able to launch a nuclear missile in a few years, but the threat is certainly real.
NBC News notes that the simplest, but perhaps the most important warning for people expected to land a bomb is not to run away, but to get inside. You want to take cover in place, quickly, under as many layers of protection as possible. For example, in Hawaii this morning, people were flushing children down the storm sewer.
If your house has a basement, go there. You want to go as deep as possible and stay there. The bomb will cause temperatures “like the sun” and “wind like a hurricane.” Underground cement structures are your friends.
“The goal is to put as many walls as possible and as much concrete, brick and earth as possible between you and the radioactive material outside,” recommends ready.gov , a website run by FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security.
In our guide to surviving a nuclear explosion earlier this year, we noted that the EPA recommends staying away from windows and doors after an explosion has occurred (even if that might be a tempting gaze outside) and not move unless absolutely necessary. … at least an hour. FEMA recommends waiting at least 24 hours, but you may need to wait several weeks.
Just as it’s nice to have an emergency kit for various circumstances (I was rudely awakened by an earthquake last week that reminded me I needed one of these), having one in case of a bomb explosion is also a good idea. … This is what FEMA thinks should be inside . And keep in mind, if you wait underground for several weeks, you will need to eat. Load packaged food such as energy bars and bottled water into your kit to hold out until the ambulance arrives. Avoid eating foods that may have been exposed to open air and radiation.
And stay calm, which is clearly easier said than done. Should you ever get caught up in a rocket attack, it will no doubt be an extremely intimidating experience. Try to stay as calm as possible and stay put to increase your chances of surviving the explosion and its aftermath.