Hawaii false alarm makes people wonder what they’d do if there was a nuclear attack

The text message fiasco in Hawaii warning residents about an incoming ballistic missile was a false alarm caused by human error.

Unfortunately the FCC probe suggests Hawaii did not have “reasonable safeguards or process controls in place,” so officials at all government levels will work together to do what’s necessary to fix them.

Also we imagine emergency management officials nationwide are reviewing their operations, communications and Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) plans, and more since this was a regrettable but teachable moment.

While reading posts and comments on social media we noticed that many people are wondering what they should do, where they should go, and what types of shelters are best in case of a missile attack.

The CDC says during radiation emergencies people should “Get Inside, Stay Inside and Stay Tuned”. Basically those within the blast zone of Ground Zero (depending on the size of the nuke) won’t make it … BUT … if you are a few miles outside the zone your chances of surviving it are high as long as you…

• limit your exposure to radiation and fallout,

• take shelter with proper shielding, and

• wait for the most dangerous radioactive materials to decay.

In other words, you can survive a nuclear attack … but you must make an effort to learn what to do!

Two key things are planning to stay sheltered for at least 48 hours or more with proper shielding and having detection devices to monitor levels of radiation. By learning about potential threats, we are all better prepared to know how to react if something happens.

Learn more in our blog post called “How to protect yourself from nuclear fallout (tips about radiation, building an expedient shelter, etc)” and please share the data with others.