Nuclear Fallout Shelter Facts
If a person grew up or lived during the Cold War (1946 through the 1990s), he will remember the always-present threat of nuclear war. This included being aware of what nuclear fallout shelter offered in terms of physical protection from such a threat. Today, these shelters may seem like a throwback to yesterday, but they still can be utilized should there be a man-made or natural disaster from the sky.
Other People Are Reading
-
What a Nuclear Fallout Shelter Is
-
Technically speaking, a fallout shelter is essentially an underground, enclosed shelter built and made to withstand the effects of a nuclear blast and related radioactive material exposure. The threat of a nuclear blast caused by a nuclear bomb is multiple. There is first the blast itself, then the compression and pressure effects, the immediate radioactive particle fallout that drops to the ground, and finally general leftover radiation exposure. A shelter is designed to protect people from the damaging effects of these threats.
Early Start
-
The Cold War had its early beginning after World War II as the United States and communist Russia began a military chess game around the world. Each move entailed influencing or helping move a country toward the West or toward communism. The threat of all-out nuclear war between the two countries was always present with the building up and showing off of nuclear rockets aimed at the other countries' cities and military bases.
The basic safety response to all this threat of bombing was basement shelters underneath buildings. However, this was realized as a problem since, when the buildings fell down, those inside the shelter below would be trapped underneath all the destruction.
-
Boosting Construction
-
In response to military threats and the need for better shelters and public safety, the U.S. started building fallout shelters to provide immediate, local protection to citizens underground from the threat of nuclear blasts. These locations were signified by black and yellow trefoil symbols representing safety from radioactivity. Fallout shelters got a major boost in both public and private construction under President Kennedy when the threat of Russian attack seemed imminent.
Eventually, the mutual threat subsided, marking the beginning of the end of fallout shelters as a public need, when the Communist Soviet Union began to break up into a free market model in the 1990s.
Design
-
A typical fallout shelter design is meant to have multiple materials providing shields to radioactive material penetration. The most common form is being below or under deep earth with a cement wall and roof protecting the structure itself. It will be designed with a climate control system and ventilation filters. It may also have a generator for electricity when power is cut off. Stock and food should last approximately three weeks, which is the longest recommended period of stay before people are advised to get out.
A very simple fallout shelter can actually be just a simple trench with a strong roof and about three feet of dirt above. Entrances should have a 90-degree angle to the main room. This forces radioactive rays to become less effective since they can't penetrate the thick dirt well and they can't bend around corners.
Using the Shelter
-
In the case of a blast, those inside should plan on staying put for at least two weeks minimum to allow local radioactive material on the ground to get rid of its worst effects. Anticipate unpleasantness dealing with cramped quarters, rationed supplies and management of waste. Then, moderate exposure could be ventured, going out for maybe a few hours per day. Plan on sleeping in the shelter for a while before the outside area is decontaminated, if leaving is not possible. If possible, the survivors should try to take potassium iodide (130mg/day for adults, 65 mg/day for children) to avoid radioactive poisoning of the human thyroid gland.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit nuclear danger image by dpaint from Fotolia.com
