HomeMy WebLinkAboutEffects of Nuclear Attack Limas Q NUCLEAR ATTACK
Ameksremai
If it were mot for the effects of nuclear attack, we probably waidet
be concerned witk.County Defense Boards aatil such time as the country were
under att.aeck or is a grave emergency. Since a nuclear attack would cause
such madden, widespread disruption and breakdown in communications end nor -
mal government functions, we must be ready for emergency operations at ell
times.
Why is such an attack • poaeibility? Notice I said possibility, not
probability. But since it is a possibility we have no choice but to make
certain preparations. We bow tit Bessie has the capability to deliver a
large number of nuclear weapons to target areas all ever this country. Our
defenses meld Intercept and destroy many of then, but is spite of our bast
efforts many would get through. We know that Russia has nuclear weapons
of large yield. They have intercontinental sissies, lon ranee bombers,
submarines with short range sissies, and probablysther means of delivering
than. 1Aeo knows what there night be in Cuba. In as all out attack we could
import at least 200 co 300 strikes in the first feat hours, our defense ex-
perts tell us.
What are the target areas? If you want to, you can fie ere this out
rather easily. If you were our enemy, what would you try to kopek eae
How about the large metropolitan and industrial areas - Houstas, Demem nt,
Port Arthur, Corpus Christi, Dallas -Tart Worth, it Paso, sad Victoria!
What about the larger military installations around tan Antonio, the Atlas
sites around Abilene, the air bases at Amarillo, Austin and Del Rio, the
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Viet Isod end other bases to Bell County? There are few areas in Tssas
twit ere very fax away from a major target area, or in the path of fallemt
from a greead berst ea them.
to view of the possibilities, civil defense is a very serisies Mesimsss
indeed:
NaMSIINr EMIM s aI I'hsir >rflee s
Mat ass the types of as dear reap..,? Tea will remember the atas
bomb we used durias World War II. This bomb ram made asd exploded bad ma
the principle of splittias of the etas. It is • small bomb by tones stamp
dards. The scientists kaer that still greater seem could be released if
they could fuss hydrogen atoms together to milos helium. This is what is
taking place on the face of the sun, and 1* responsible for the sun's energy.
To do this, however, would require haat equivalent to that of the face of
the seen. the atom bomb supplies this. So the scientists combined au .meet
bomb with some special kind of hydro, sad produced a ,rah greater romp.,
the M be lb, or therasseclear wespea.
!Ye sommay yields of these weapons are se great that new words mgr
into use to describe them. Their energy is measured is kilotons or segats.s.
The mealier weapons are spekem of is kilotons. A 1 kiloton weapon has the
energy yield etuivalest to that of a come thousand tons of TIT. This unit
was sufficient for coawniently giving the yield of the ate. Wis. When
the M bomb was invented a new tuts 4sa weeded bosom* et their far greater
energy. 8 bomb yields are measured im megatons. A swaton weapon has
arm egpivalent to the energy of ems sallies tens of TIT.
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u fleet, best and radiation are the prelacies si a astlsar detonation.
The first ten, blast and hest, are no differ'st is hand the thine piodeoad
by the implosion of a firecracker or coavautisasl blscbbaet r bomb. Theta
Le wit* a difference in amouet, of course. Sleet aid the Am* that gees
with it acct for about 30 percent of the essr y of s nuclear wsapesl.
Abort 33 percent of the energy is in the form of beat, or thermal radiation.
This leaves 15 peseamt for nuclear radiation, or radioactivity. This is
what makes nuclear rsspous so different from canventisna1 wespowa, and
creates so mawy new problems La civil defames.
The blast from a 20 megaton weapon creates a shocker* which travels
at about 2000 riles per hour. As it travels farther from the bleat area it
slows down, sad finally becomes ei little sigsificaace beyond about 20 miles.
The best at the center of the bomb hetet is equivalent for a few seconds to
that of the face of the won. - Ton can imagine hew hot it roust be awe
within several silos of the area. The best is se intense that it car Sher
wood and start fires up to 30 miles away. If you were amt in the open you
could suffer third degree burns up to 24 miles away. A third degree )rte
damages the inner layers of the skin and destroys it. Tem world suffer first
degree burns, equivalent to severe sun era, se tar as 44 miles away. If you
looked directly at the fireball for a second er se you could be blinded.
Chart 4 This chart shore the destruction to bsildi gs is the areas up to 20
miles away from the center of the bust f a 20 Negates weapon. 411 buildings
within a 3 mils radius would be completely destroyed. In the •M 1111S 3 to
10 miles from growled sere the buildings would he so badly damsOsi tram blast
saint fire that they world be Musafe for occupancy and not worth repairing.
The buildings in the ammo from 10 to 15 miles from the aster of the bob
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blast will be doused to the =test the brtldtogs are repairable, but mum
be occupied during repair.
The heat from the bomb would start multiple fires in the sans up is 1!
miles from the center of blast; mass fires out is abort 15 silos, and limited
fires out to 20 miles.
C4 in 3 Casualties within the 20 mile sons from heat, blast and initial radiates
would be great. The blest would coves baildiegs to topple, the air would be
full of dying *lase sod other abject*, amd flash fires would trap many people.
Within 3 miles of ground sirs ne owe would survive. In the 5 to 10 mile sone
50 percent would be killed mg 33 percent hosed. even the some 15 to 20
miles sway from the be i Meet 2 percent of the people would be killed and
ld percent inured.
if blast end twat were the only effects of muclsar weapons, we would be
fairly safe if we were leek, ageuph not to be within 20 smile* of esa whoa it
detonates. Off rte netely, a new and terrible basard is created when a srrs3aM
weaves detonates. This is radioactivity from initial rediatiom and from fall•
out. Wham the bob explodes, it creates a tremeadoua fireball several miles
in diameter. The heat at the center is that of the exam. If amy part of this
fireball touches the pound everythine it tsvbas is vaporised. The trews -
eous beat causes a large column of het sir to rise, carrying the bomb isheis
and vaporised arty, bundles% Ito., thauasois o1 feet into the air. This
causes the familiar mm mn *hoped cloud. The thermonuclear weapon, or 1!
bomb, is triggered by an atomic boll. All the products of the splitting of
the atolls in the atomic bomb are radioactive. they are also vaporised, r
rise with the other bulb debris. As the cloud rises the vaporised materials
solidify in the form of small dot else particles. Some of the radioactive
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asterisk foss the bomb attach themselves to the dust particles. These parti-
cles are heavier than air, and are home as srrdismstivs fallout.
The fallout first rise in the anshroom clout to altitudes of as rrh
as 40,000 test or sore. Within 30 minutes to am hour after the ssplosliw
as of the heavier particles will reach the greyed. The remainder drifts
with the laud, and UM of it will some done wield* 24 hours. Some gets is
the stratosphere sail Wise years to cars dams. It is that part that comes
down in the first 24 brass that is most dasdil►.
The pattern of fallout distribution *omit as the direction sod 'peel
of the wields, especially those from 10,000 to NOW feet.
Chart_ 7 Thew, distaste from a target area no longer immures safety.
Chart 4 Were is Soup of Teem, Bow Mexico, Oklahoma, £rkawsas sod Lssisiasa.
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It show fallout p10 psetemme lend on wind directions and velocities during •
particular day of
Apt, 2i58. its slaw this seising to illustrate
the trameedous coverage from fallout that would he possible from about 20
" bombs falling on Texas sod der Mexico. Let's Leek at the owe that was sup-
' posed to hit El Paso. One hour alter it fell the fallout was bedismy across
dodipeth► County; five hours afterwards it was at Pecos; iy $ Mars it was
MOW looitia; at 12 hours was at lhemard; and in 24 hours had passed Georgetown
ad joined smother fallout pattern from a hurat at del Rio. notice the hie
lead. That's where I swot to be who the bomb bursts.
Ball Why is fallout iaag. resat Beeson of the redistUss. Wiatien destroys
or damages cells. That is how easter is tweeted. Cesar cells are destroyed
more easily by rediatiam them wheal cella. If jest the right dose is given
the cancer cells are milled aid a cure is *fleeted. But, too much radiation
kills or damages all calls.
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Mr the aelle Wm daetrayed or demigod, poisons are produced. This
can harm us if too much is produced. Wiatisa delays worth of normal
cells, especially white blood cells. These aro the inane tishterrs. After
radiation sous are much mean susceptible to Wartime because of this. Every
a small scratch becomes of odder importance.
Thera are two hazards from radiation. de- is external. from fallout ea
the ground, rest of building, eta. This is primarily from the gamma rays
oak sea eerily penetrate bsildi*se, 000.. Old our bodies. The other is
iaterual. This hazard is from driaklis sootamiadaall Vetere -or eating eearttan' --
stied food. Bare the other kinds of radiation, beta aM alpha, caa also hem
vi. Althou h the beta and alpha particles or rays can only peaataste a tar
layers of cells they are dangerous when within over vital aorisoas.
AMA The physical etfecta of radiation depend on the dose. This chart jives
the effects of Si hear wedist4pe doses to humans. The unit of measure of
radiation So the gs magna. It yea received a 100 roentgens dose in 36 hours
you weight sit • little bit memseatrd, but 30 dabs later you would be well.
If all of as is this sssoe received about a 400 roentgen dose, 50 percent of
us wssW die within l4 days, and those reasiats would be sick. If we received
600 re eatsams, there would be as hope for amy of us.
What is radiation *Ukases? It 6a seat oommuotcable. There is no donor
to us from troa[las the petiolate. Somme symptoms are neresea, listless, inter -
nal blooding. gtwaral deadest is vigor, etc. Treatment is like that for the
ammo sold • we only treat the symptoms. Thee 6* no care for the disease.
Gssd Uwslrg sort ordinary good treatment of infectiwa that may develop is
all that can be dose,
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hi sure from ceitaesiaatsd toed might cause ditferat kinds of body
Ufa than eaposure from external radiation. The amount of radiovetivo
material we are likely to take into our bodies magy not be larso. Hoer,
it say all tend to coseeatsato in ome place - our thyroid slimed, or bow,
ter .:sepia. The remit is likely to be leukemia, .r dames* to certain
orsaee.
AMU 4ne of the cbar.ctesistics d radioactive rsterials is that they decay,
or decrease in strength, rather rapidly. The rsti of decay can be illwtrs-
trd by the 7 -10 rule. A 7yfold increase in time will remelt la a 10 -told
decrease is doss rate. ilsasplot if the 110.1 rate (rats 1 l after bomb
burst) is 1000 r /br., after 7 hours the rate will be 100 r /her. Attar 49
hours (7 x 7) the rate will be i0 r /ham. After 343 hours or 2 wales (7 : 7
s 7) the rata will be l r /her.
frouPetatil 14 gtfsei _of hashes Y04000s
IOW AGM,
lie cam survive a nuclear attack, if we are sot too close to the bomb
s
burst. Our chances of a direct bit are small. Draw about 15 fine -mile
radius circles ea a mop of Texas, and you will see how small the total doe-
traction area would be from 15 bombs.
The keys to survival are: (1) bssrlod , , 441 prep.rs ►iee,
action - unkssi.tetlas.
Meat and lisht travel at the speed of ldi3OW males per sscood. They
will be the first to arrive. lour only protection world be to hit the dirt
need try to set out of the direct lime of travel of the light and heat. You
meld bare time to do this after yes saes the first *videos* of the blinding
fireball as it takes about ass second for it to reach its boll qty.
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Anything you can put between yes and the light will
give you some protection.
Even a shirt kept many people Seem savory bums is Japan when the A bomb
fell there.
The nest thing to worry about after the heat la the blast. It wi11
travel at an average speed about the speed of sound. Again, take cower.
A ditch, aaythios to get into or behind to protest ys fret flying debris
will help.
Protection from tmUuut depends on use dodge of threes hey factors.
Those axes (1) shielding, (2) time, aid (3) alistamto ( Dec , n o n
hlsnmieNr tlist fallout is like dust. It will sever outside surfaces of
buildings, see.. but very little will get inside unless winds are blades
tato the building.
Sort 12 The first principle to apply is shielding. Got into the bast shelter
available. The thicker the cger between you and the fallout the better.
An uwdorgrouad fallout shelter would be best. It will reduce the radiation
to abut 1/3400 of that outside-. Pew of us have our own shelters. It mat
we should hats a godly plan as to which public shelter or multistory Wilde
ins you will use in the event of as attack. These shelters are 25 to 50
tits safer than your home. If metldag better is available, your home or
car will reduce by 50 persomt the radiation bastard outside them.
Chart 11 Time is a factor is ear favor. It is important that we take cover and
stay there, especially the first fear hours. Imo mbeur, radioactivity decays
+D cite-ay.
rapidly, but it would take about two weeks for most it. This weans we meal
a supply of food and water on hand for a two week period.
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Distance acts like shielding in that it pets sir en earth between us and
the fallout. If smafficient vermin* is gives, we may be advised to evacuate.
The ebemees are, however, that no varetsg will be give% art it is batter to
rely ea absikae pee have available than to stets. Yemx any be setae' fate
a "hotter" alas Chan tke Aa you are Leaving.
ovk to
Each et us should develop s plan vita our families. Decide which shelter
we will use. Make sure each child keo s what action to take, indepeaedsnt ly
if neeesssa?. Ott the eme rgemey feed and water supply towbar. Ws can sons
vivo if w e k s iarwiedgs. sod use it.
tf f ea Livestaek. gt . Laemd asad Cress
Livestock are affected by radiation roughly the same as humans. bees
cam take greater amounts than others, but the damage to the bodily functions
are reuahly the same. For & unknown reason the jackass respeads to raodiar
ties *inset identically as man does. Chichewa sew survive et radiation levels
gwaidsrably higher than livestock. Some insects eau► survive deals of thou*
seeds of roentgssr.
Surface water b
r supplies can s contaminated, but springs mad wells are
not easily oustaeminsted. Larger bodies of water such as ponds and lakes are
moon deeestaiiiited naturally. This is because the fallout particles teed
to gradually settle out, and them 4 on the lake or peed bottom absorbs the
radioactive particles.
Land can be contaminated easily. M Brat, the radiatie* level may be
too hiSh to permit safe use because et radiation hssard to humans aged live-
stock. Later, the land may contain too high a level of strontium 90 to per-
mit safe use because of uptake of strontium 90 by crops sad forages. The