How far is a safe distance from a nuclear explosion?

Survive DURING This will help provide protection from the blast, heat, and radiation of the detonation. When you have reached a safe place, try to maintain a distance of at least six feet between yourself and people who are not part of your household.

How long does it take for nuclear radiation to go away?

Fallout radiation decays relatively quickly with time. Most areas become fairly safe for travel and decontamination after three to five weeks. For yields of up to 10 kt, prompt radiation is the dominant producer of casualties on the battlefield.

Can a bank vault withstand a nuke?

While skin is good enough protection for alpha radiation, once a radioactive particle has entered the body it can do much damage. So you can survive a nuclear attack in a vault if: You can open it from the inside. It is outside the blast area.

How long do you need to stay indoors after a nuclear explosion?

DON’T: Search for your family members right away. The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends staying indoors for at least 24 hours in the event of a nuclear explosion. After 48 hours, the exposure rate from a 10-kiloton explosion (the type that might damage but not destroy a city) goes down to just 1\%.

How long does it take for a nuclear explosion to occur?

A nuclear explosion may occur with or without a few minutes warning. Fallout is most dangerous in the first few hours after the detonation when it is giving off the highest levels of radiation. It takes time for fallout to arrive back to ground level, often more than 15 minutes for areas outside of the immediate blast damage zones.

What should you do when a nuclear explosion hits the ground?

If you have a scarf or handkerchief nearby at the time of a nuclear explosion, it’s wise to cover your nose and mouth. Even before fallout reaches the ground, an explosion stirs up other debris that might be dangerous to breathe in.

How long does it take to come out of a nuclear shelter?

But as a general rule you could come out of a nuclear shelter after 49 days. The 49 days is a reflection of the fact that most of the radioactive debris has a half life of 7 days. So at the end of 7 days the fallout is half as dangerous as it was right after the event.