I belive this is absolutely correct and also something almost entirely overlooked by most people who attempt to prepare for survival situation. Whether youre trying to survive 30 days on a 9 day kit or 9 days on a 72 hour kit, knowledge is key. Learning to imporvise is paramount IMHO.

Well said.

Craig,
As a retired member of the U.S. military dealing with WOMD, there are major targets in the U.S. there are alost targeting predictions for those targets. The thing is you need to know the direction of the Normal prevailing winds. They will create a plume of contamination. In AZ they generally come from the west. If you move North or South you can remove yourself from the danger area. You still have to consider other large metropolitan areas to the west (LA or San Diego) who's plume will travel your way.

Yes you will run out out of supplies. Be sure of where you evacuate to. Is there water?, we live in the desert, is there game? and are you able to get that game?

My opinion is iodine tabs are great to prevent radiation sickness provided you don't linger in the contaminated area, and gas masks are useless. They give people a false sense of security.

Keep a decent supply of powerful antibiotics, i.e. cipro or keflex, iodine tabs, and have a plan to bug out to a safer area.

I used to live in Georgia. Sam Nunn was our senator. He has hooked up with a group that is working to secure all bomb grade nuclear material. This group has a web site and will send you a free video. This group thinks that a terrorist could smuggle a nuclear warhead into the US through Canada and transport it in an SUV to any major city they like. You might send for the free video. It is in no way an EOTWAWKI video. It is a “yell at your representatives to get them off the dime on securing nuclear material” video. It does show how easy it would be for a terrorist to nuke us. I do not think we are only in danger from a nuke in a cargo container. I now think one could be transported anywhere in the US.

Last Best Chance

I was under the false assumption that any nuclear device could be detected by a radiation meter. When I was in the US Army in Germany (early 1980s) we went in the bunker that had the nukes for the 155mm howitzers. There was no warning of any radiation danger except the usual radiation symbol on the door. In the video it shows a border guard using a radiation meter to check an SUV with a nuke and not detecting anything. He lets the SUV pass.

Hi Blast,

Your point is well-taken and understood. The main point I was making is that these toys are a bigger deal than perhaps most people like to think about. Even the smallest 5k or 10k nukes--which are described by the U.S. military as "demolition charges" that are used to take out airports or hardened command centers, not cities--will make a horrendous mess out of your day, and the day of everyone within several miles. If a 10kt nuke went off in lower Manhattan, if I were in the Bronx and facing north, I'd probably be okay (facing south, I'd likely be flash blinded for days).

Having said that , I don't make many plans for what to do if something like that goes off in NYC. Well . . . I don't make any *special* plans for it.

Just ordered the movie. Thanks for the info and link.

Actually, it is most likely that an independent nuke would be a gound burst, just becuase most people will leave it in the car with a long timer, and take a plane. The bulk of the buildings might save your eyes.

That being said, if they really wanted, with a mini nuke, put it on a hand truck and wheel it into an elevator. Not much of an airburst, but it would improve the effects of the weapon. Of course, they could be nice and leave it in a subway tunnel, but if they really wanted to be nice, why would they have a nuke?

Alright - which one of you danged jokers outbid me?!! <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Not me !

First of all, I don't visit Ebay ;
Second, the movie I got yesterday is "Le jour d'après", but it has nothing to do with the film discussed in this thread.
The english title of "Le jour d'après" is " The day after tomorrow", about a dramatic weather change : the Ice Age in two weeks !

Back to the subject on hand : a few days ago, I heard on french radio, an interview with the author of a book (just released) about all the reasons why war between USA and China will take place in a (very) near future (real war, not economical war, already happening)
And that guy is NOT an Sci-Fi author ....
scarring ....

I will try to find an english web source on this book, to share it with you.

Here's a copy for $9.42 with free shipping. I use these guys all the time: The Day After