As if anyone around here needed further proof to keep a few extra water bottles in the trunk (among other things), the following article/link paints a picture mainstream America only whispers about behind closed doors. It details the seconds, minutes, hours and days following a nuclear explosion in downtown DC. One of the "experts" quoted in the story below summed the situation up best. "Everyone hates this conversation, but I get even madder when I see how little we deal with it. There are things we can do, and do well—and it's OK to talk about it."

This person obviously isn't talking about anyone around here...

Surviving a Nuclear Attack on Washington, D.C.
by Sydney J. Freeberg Jr., National Review

WASHINGTON — What if we fail to prevent an attack?

Assume every line of defense against nuclear terrorism is breached: the efforts to lock up nuclear material abroad, to spy out hidden weapons programs, to deter rogue states and capture terrorists, to detect smuggled bombs at the border or downtown — every preventive measure discussed in the previous five installments of this series. Assume someone, somehow, gets all the way through. It only has to happen once.

Assume that this someone puts together a crude atomic bomb, of the “Little Boy” type dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, a heavy and awkward device but one still small enough to fit into a medium-size truck.

Assume that of all the potential targets in the world, from Los Angeles to Moscow, the spot where this someone parks the bomb is on Pennsylvania Avenue, halfway between the White House and the U.S. Capitol.

Assume the bomb goes off. Now what?

Interesting article. Thanks.

If I'm outside the zone of building damage, and outside the fallout area, I'm good. My hurricane prep works for several scenarios that leave my home undamaged. If I'm in the fallout area, and can't leave, I'm in some trouble, since I don't have any way to seal up the house. If I'm in the blast radius.... dunno. Wood frame building. It's either blowing over or burning up.

This subject is more for the aluminum foil hat crowd but I'll let it stay. I find it ironic we worry over a truck sized devise in D.C. because some Paganos from 'beyond the Pale' are the makers. We have entire areas permanently off limits storing nuclear and biochemical waste materials. Truck convoys cross our nation with this stuff and we launched a probe with a plutonium power source-safely, but by the same people that 'got stupid' with 2 shuttles.The 'real' fallout is somebody might read this article and make some basic preparations . Then when something really happens, like a hurricane, blackout or UFO landing they'll be prepared. Just remember, it's klattu-barada- nikto . Say NIKE and the robot zaps you with his lazer map pointer. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Check this out Chris!

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45426

More for the "aluminum foil hat crowd"? From that response, you'd think survival topics on this site are limited to stories of downed bush pilots and wayward boyscouts who disappear in Utah. You'd never know a white paper assessing the biological weapons threat to America, an urban survival primer detailing options for self-protection in a major city and overall preparation guidelines for both natural AND MAN-MADE emergencies live on it, too.

Yeah, we truck our radioactive waste across the country every day, and NASA did launch a plutonium-powered set of eyes into space with no ill effects. The difference here? Those nuclear examples weren't bubble-wrapped in conventional explosives set on ending life.

I once remember reading Doug's critical evaluation of the equipment checklist developed by the Department of Homeland Security and posted on its ready.gov site intended to prepare the country for another terrorist attack. If I'm accused of wearing an aluminum foil hat, it's only because I borrowed mine from Doug.

Funny thing is, I never gave much thought to what to do after a nuclear explosion before. I grew up during the Cold War and the conventional wisdom was that long-term survival after a Soviet attack, except for those living in wilderness areas, was impossible. But with some planning and a little luck, one could make it through an incident like this. Something else to think about I suppose.

Regards, Vince

I think it was a good article and very informative. We also must remember that what we plan to survive is based mostly on were we are and when.
P.S. If the only place I can fit my aluminum foil is on my head than so be it. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Good post IronAnkle. Websites posted by you and mcse were informative and helpful. I think you hit the nail on the head with your responce to what C.K . said <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />. Don't forget , Chris , we are at war. The nuclear and chemical stuff the U.S. has may be secure but what about all the other countries that aren't so secure or are willing to sell stuff to the "terorists"?

Everyone knows that the aluminum foil hats are to keep aliens from reading your mind. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Great article. Very relevant and informative. Thanks for sharing.