How To Take Shelter

If possible you should provide your family and yourself with some sort of shelter capability. Consider your shelter requirements. Decide upon the degree of protection you want for your family and yourself.

Shelter is your insurance against something you hope will not happen, but if it does, it will give you protection. Shelters of the type commonly used in Europe during the Second World War would not provide protection against the blast of a nuclear explosion. They were designed to withstand short shock pressures lasting something like 1/100th of a second. Shelters designed to withstand the pressures created by a nuclear explosion must be able to stand up to pressures lasting as long as 6 seconds.

In addition, they must be capable of giving the occupants protection against fires outside the shelter as well as against radiation. A fallout shelter is designed to give protection against radioactive fallout only.

The type of shelter for good protection depends upon the distance it will be from the explosion. Unfortunately, it is not possible to know this in advance. That is why each individual must make his own decision when selecting the type of shelter he wishes to have.

Improvised Protection

One of the simplest ways to improvise some anti-blast protection is to build a lean-to (bed springs or boards) against a workbench or heavy table, preferably in the basement, and pile mattresses on it and at the ends. If the material is readily available it could be built in a matter of minutes.

If you are in the open and there is a ditch or culvert within easy, quick reach, lie face down in it and cover your face with your arms. Make sure this shelter is not too close to buildings which could collapse into it. After the blast and heat of the explosion, you would have to find other protection against fallout that will come down later. None of these improvisations is as good as a properly equipped blast shelter, but any one of them could mean the difference between life and death.