1950s Fallout Shelters
When the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japan during World War II, the world saw the total devastation these weapons produced. In 1949, the Soviet Union successfully tested its own nuclear bomb amid the time known as the Cold War. With the looming threat of a nuclear attack on U.S. soil, the federal government created the Federal Civil Defense Administration, which educated citizens on how to survive such an attack by taking cover in a fallout shelter. Nuclear drills became commonplace in the 1950s.
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Purpose
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In the event of a nuclear attack, fallout shelters would ensure the survival of as many U.S. citizens as possible. Securely in place underground, in theory people could survive the initial blast and, more importantly, the radioactive fallout afterwards. The materials used to construct the shelters would reduce exposure to harmful radioactive gamma-rays and provide a safe haven until radiation levels dropped outside. Fortunately, these shelters never faced the test of a real nuclear situation.
Construction
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The Federal Civil Defense Administration suggested that an effective shelter have walls at least a foot thick, constructed from concrete, bricks, lead or dirt, or from a combination of these materials. Constructions at least three feet underground provided the best protection, with a basement shelter as an adequate second choice. Hatches or tunnel entries to the shelter needed a sharp turn or angle to deflect radiation. A hand-cranked blower would provide fresh, radiation-free air for the living space.
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Supplies
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A family might own the best fallout shelter money could buy, but without the proper supplies, it wouldn't do them any good in a lock-down emergency. Stocking a fallout shelter in the 1950s compares to how people prepare for a hurricane today. The government recommended that they contain non-perishable food and water to survive at least two weeks. Other bare essentials included personal hygiene products, a chemical toilet, flashlights, battery operated radios, something to entertain the kids, cleaning products and first aid supplies.
Public Shelters
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In the1950s, the United States government encouraged home fallout shelters, and even published construction plans for private citizens. By the late '50s and early '60s, the focus shifted to public shelters to allow protection for more urban dwellers. Under the Kennedy administration, the Community Fallout Shelter Program emerged. The local and federal governments together provided locations and supplies for the designated shelters, each which had to afford space for at least 50 people. Today some old signs still hang in public that indicate where a fallout shelter existed.
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