If you’re living near a nuclear plant, you should start thinking about a possible radiation accident occurring in the future. History tells us most of the deaths occur from the initial blast.
Radiation Accident Survival Tips: A Dose Of Reality
Radiation particles can be carried out by the wind, sent out through leaks, by water contamination or being in contact with other contaminated materials and people. If this happens where you live, it may take hundreds of years to make it safe again to live in.
This would mean you must have a long-term plan in the event there should be such a catastrophe in your area. Here are a few tips which might help you survive it.
1. Gather All You Need To Know
image via INCIRLIK AIR BASE
Read whatever you can about radiation – how it spreads, through what platform it uses, your location to the nearest nuclear plant, how you get contaminated, the symptoms and possible treatments are among the important details you need to know about.
2. Monitor For Updates
image via flickr
With the use of a NOAA radio, you can be among the first to know should there be a nuclear fallout. The most important thing to survive a radiation accident is not to be exposed to any form of radiation at all.
3. Prepare A Nuclear Survival Kit
Radiation has no visual and olfactory indicators which could help you indicate there are indeed nuclear elements in the air. This is why we need devices for detecting radiation levels.
Your survival kit should also contain a radiation suit, chemical gas masks, IOSAT potassium iodide tablets and Radiacwash towelettes aside from the other essential items.
4. Protect Your Electronic Equipment
Build a Faraday cage or enclosure to protect your electronic equipment from electromagnetic radiation. This will ensure your devices will be working perfectly which you need to continue to survive.
5. Sheltering In Place
The most important thing you need to do is to prevent getting exposed from radiation. This is why you have to hunker down instead of rushing out and exposing yourself in the process.
iamge via PACIFIC AIR FORCES
Learn how to seal your windows, doors, ventilation and other gaps with duct tape and a piece of plastic sheeting. An air filter machine will help clear the air from the outside in order to make it safe for breathing inside your house.
6. Decontaminate
Get out of the clothes, jewelry and other things you were wearing prior to sheltering in. Cut your way out using scissors and not removing it the natural way. Wash with 1 part bleach and 10 parts water. Since it has no visual and olfactory indicators, devices for detecting radiation levels will be needed. Seal the radiated clothes and jewelry inside a plastic bag and dispose of it.
7. Stock Up On Food And Water Supplies
You should prioritize storing food with long shelf lives, such as canned goods and frozen foods. Consider stocking up on plant foods with detoxifying effects.
image via wikipedia
Your supply should be able to last you at least a month to a year. Bottled water or have your own stored water supply is also essential to your survival.
8. Have A Bug Out Vehicle Ready
image via wikipedia
Make sure you have a bug out vehicle ready and in good condition secured in a safe place. It should already be stocked with a bug out bag containing all the necessary supplies and equipment you and your family need for the trip. It should also be off-road ready like a 4-wheel drive.
9. Bugging Out
Once you get the go signal from the government to bug out, leave your area and go as far away as you can. The wind can carry radioactive material for miles. The farther away you are the greater the chance of surviving. Make sure you have alternate routes in case your main exit point is clogged with fleeing population.
10. Bug Out Location
Prepare for a bug out location far away from your place of origin. Have it located in the woods and in high elevation. It should already have food and water supplies which could last you for years. You can spare more land for gardening or farming to continue surviving long term.
Put in mind, all the above-mentioned survival tips didn’t come overnight. It will take months or even years of preparation before you can come up with all these. If you want to survive a radiation accident you have to exert effort and commitment in mind and body.
Do you have any other radiation accident survival tips of your own? Please add them in the comments below!
Here are some 15 urban survival skills that could save your life you might want to learn!
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Editor’s Note – This post was originally published on March 22, 2017, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
It’s interesting that you suggest to build an enclosure to protect your electronic equipment from electromagnetic radiation. It must be super important to preserve electronic devices so that you can use them for survival. I wonder how radiation is detected in the first place, especially if it’s in low quantities and not super prevalent.