Nuclear Threat

The treat of a nuclear war is probably not as high as it was a few years ago, but the threat of a nuclear incident is still relatively high in the United States.

Active terrorist groups continue to seek nuclear warheads left over from the cold war era, and the accounting of such weapons is not as tight as most would like it to be making it a threat we must consider viable.  Even a small yield weapon can render a city the size of San Antonio uninhabitable for a very long period. 

The blast will cover an area directly proportional to the size of the device and the coniferous and deciduous tree blow-down can be predicted with a fair amount of accuracy if the weapon yield is known.  The heat also will be directly proportional to the size of the weapon and depending on the terrain and other environmental factors will tend to generate in a circular formation around the point of detonation.  However the third threat is radiation.  Radiation manifests itself in several ways, some visible and some not so visible.  If you are close to a point of detonation then you will likely be exposed to radiation directly by the blast itself.  If you are a sufficient distance away then your exposure to radiation will occur over a longer period which will or can give you time to react.  How you react in those first few minutes or seconds may limit the amount of your exposure to radiation.  Fallout is a form of radioactive material which has been projected into the atmosphere due to the blast itself and then falls back to earth.  Protection against fallout can often be merely good heavy clothing to protect you from direct contact with the radioactive particles as they fall.  However you will likely still inhale these particles unless you have some method of filtering the air you breathe.  San Antonio is a suspected target in the event of a nuclear exchange with any country possessing such weapons and having an appropriate delivery system.

Action

Protective measures include seeking shelter and attempting to cover yourself from surface radiation and fallout.  Radiation at a sufficient distance will not penetrate certain structures quickly giving you a greater chance of survival.  If you are unable to seek shelter in a solid structure then cover yourself as much as possible with heavy types of clothing.  Rain gear is good as the plastic or vinyl offers a degree of blockage.  Avoid contaminated drinking water and food stuffs.

On the following two pages there is a map of Texas illustrating the metropolitan areas known to be targets in a nuclear exchange, and a map of the United States showing the prevailing winds which will carry radiation and fallout. 

Nuclear Weapon Target Map for Texas (FEMA – 196/September 1990)

Continental US Fallout Pattern for Prevailing Winds (FEMA-196/September 1990)

The “dirty bomb” concept is also a threat we face.  This type of weapon does not have the destructive impact of blast and heat of a more conventional nuclear device but still poses the threat of radiation over a large area. 

Action

Preventive measures include seeking shelter.  Radiation at a sufficient distance will not penetrate certain structures quickly giving you a greater chance of survival.  If you are unable to seek shelter in a solid structure then cover yourself as much as possible with heavy types of clothing.  Rain gear is good as the plastic or vinyl offers a degree of blockage.

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