What should I do in the event of a nuclear incident?
It is improbable that your first warning of an attack might be a flash of a nuclear explosion in the sky some distance away or after a warning while you are en route to a shelter.
IF OUTDOORS:
- If you are outdoors at the time of a nuclear flash and especially if you feel warmth, take cover INSTANTLY in the best place you can find. By taking instant cover within a few seconds, you might avoid being seriously burned by the heat or injured by the blast wave of a nuclear explosion.
- You can take immediate cover in any type of building, cellar, basement, ditch, or culvert alongside the road, highway underpass, under a parked vehicle, or a heavy piece of furniture, etc., as some protection is better than none at all. The important thing is to avoid being burned by the heat, thrown about by the blast, or struck by flying objects.
- If you are able to protect yourself against the blast and heat waves by instantly taking cover, you can get protection from the radioactive fallout (which would arrive later) by moving to a suitable fallout shelter.