Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Unless you've been living in a cave, you heard about the false missile warning in Hawaii a couple weeks ago. For 38 minutes, over a million people believe a nuclear missile was headed right toward them. Think about that for a second…
All those people who believed they were about to die had to decide how to spend their last half hour on Earth. Should they pray? Call their loved ones? Go to their children's schools? Hide under their beds? I can't even imagine how awful that must have been.
It haunts me because I fear that one day, I might find myself in the same situation, only for real. If we continue to appease the North Korean machine, the time will come when they can strike the U..S mainland with a nuclear weapon.
While no one can be certain if or when this will happen, I think the risk is so high that we should all be prepared to face it.
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Now recently, the media made much ado about nothing based on a tweet by the president.
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018
While most people think that having nuclear weapons is only about detonating them, that's simply not true. If you are a chess player or enjoy strategy at all, you understand the true power of having nuclear weapons. The deterrent.
Despite this tweet, I am sure we will see the North Koreans shooting off test rockets again in the near future. This is the terrifying reality of our situation. Kim Jong Un is a despotic leader who is scared and desperate.
What if selling these shoddy nuclear weapons becomes just as effective as firing them? What if the rumors of satellite capabilities are true and they can launch a missile from above the nation? What if they decide to deliver a bomb using a different modality?
The Bleak Reality of the Blast Zone
Though we all have a deep-rooted fantasy that the primo bomb shelter will protect us against the blast of a nuclear bomb, anything in the blast zone dies. Forget about prepping for the blast zone. What is more important is understanding where the blast zone might be and how you can get out of that zone ASAP.
We all know that major metropolitan areas are targets, so if America is going to face threats from nuclear powers, you must get away from these targets. You will not survive a nuclear blast if it hits your hometown directly. There is no prepping for that. You and everything you love will be vaporized.
Timing of the Attack
Since North Korea is on the opposite side of the world, it is likely their attack will come while we sleep. Targets stay still during the night as well. This was brought to my attention by Dave Jones on the Prepping Up With Jones Podcast.
Dave is a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Army and retired Army Chemical Officer. David Jones taught nuclear, biological and chemical warfare defense to military personnel all over the world. I regard his information as some of the best available to civilians.
He does a great class on nuclear, bio and chemical warfare for civilians. I met him at the prepper expo in Doswell, Virginia and invited him to come on the Prepper Broadcasting Network. It has been a wonderful time ever since.
Another thing Dave harped on was fallout. He drove home the point that if you do come in contact with fallout, you can simply wash it off. You need to get your clothes off and wash your body with soap in the shower.
This should all be done while shielding your mouth. Fallout in the lungs is a big issue. Still, you can survive it.
Attack Location
Preppers who live in big cities are most at risk. These cities are targets. When it comes to an egotistical beast of a man like Kim Jong Un, he is going to want to make headlines with his attack. It will not be a tactical or strategic attack. It will be a shock and awe tactic.
For many preppers, it comes down relocation. It’s a big, scary thing to consider, but it’s the reality if you live in a city you are more of a target. That is not just true of an attack from North Korea, but of crime in general.
I am a proponent of moving to the outskirts of a suburb. I think city life is not conducive to family and prepping. However, homesteading in the sticks offers a lot of problems as well. You are basically on an island out there and things can go really bad, really fast in a collapse.
Changing schools, changing careers and moving away from the things you like is a sacrifice. How will you feel if you wake up and see the old city block you used to live on was incinerated?
You will feel a lot better than if you stayed. Prepping is about substantial changes and putting yourself in the best position to survive.
West Coast cities are the biggest risk. Places like Denver, Chicago and of course New York are also big problems. Then there is Washington DC which may be considered the bullseye. It's certainly the bullseye for terrorists.
Hiding from Radiation
If you are close enough to a blast that your home is still standing but you know there was an attack, you will want to take cover from radiation as well as fallout. To do this, you will want to get to the center of your home. Build or insulate a room out of insulating materials like thick blankets, pillows, and mattresses.
As the radiation and fallout reach your home, this insulation will keep you safe. How long do you stay in this shelter? According to FEMA, you want to use the 7:10 rule when it comes to radiation.
The 7:10 Rule of Thumb states that for every 7-fold increase in time after detonation, there is a 10-fold decrease in the exposure rate. In other words, when the amount of time is multiplied by 7, the exposure rate is divided by 10.
For example, let's say that 2 hours after detonation the exposure rate is 400 R/hr. After 14 hours, the exposure rate will be 1/10 as much, or 40 R/hr.
If you found this confusing, look at it this way. If 2 hours have passed and the exposure rate is 400 R/hr, just multiply 2 by 7 to get 14. Then you'll know that in 14 hours, the exposure rate will be 1/10 of 400 R/hr, which is 40 R/hr.
An Ounce of Prepping
The good news about surviving a nuclear attack is that it doesn’t have to haunt your every waking moment. It's not a problem that can happen anywhere at any time. The effects of one bomb will not be felt all over the nation (except for indirect effects such as an economic crash).
Let’s review the things you really need to concern yourself with and understand.
- If you are in the blast radius, you are dead.
- If you experience fallout, it can be washed off with soap and water
- Keep fallout away from your mouth and out of your nose.
- Don’t forget to leave your clothes outside if they have fallout on them.
- Remember the 7:10 rule of thumb when it comes to radiation.
- Get your hands on some Potassium Iodide pills in case of radiation exposure.
- Understand your location dictates your level of risk.
- Don’t go crazy worrying about it. You have a life to live.
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