Is My Basement a Safe Shelter In Nuclear War?

It may protect you a little from the blast and if well sealed some fallout also. But you'd have to come out one-day and it would be like a scene from 'All Hells Braking Loose'. Maybe. But without the music.

Originally posted by NeoSocialist
It may protect you a little from the blast and if well sealed some fallout also. But you'd have to come out one-day and it would be like a scene from 'All Hells Braking Loose'. Maybe. But without the music.

Well if you plan and buy enough batteries, there can be music!

jtma508 could you please post your Nuclear Survivability thread again as it isnt working.

Thanks

Hello. First, I think you should define what you mean by "Nuclear war". One nuke going off upwind of you and dumping some radioactives your way is very different from a full scale exchange.

The global elite do not want a full scale nuclear war. They make too much money by fearmongering it. They would also be killed themselves in such an exchange so I think it is a safe bet that it ain't gonna happen.

Besides, there are things in your environment everyday that are slowing killing you that you are ignoring. Take Aspertame or Fluoride or transfats or rBGH or mercury or DU or antibiotic resistant bacteria or the national debt we are continually paying interest on...

Dude... nuclear war? Come on.

Any kind of nuclear bomb/war. I don't know. It's all the same to me

If your basement is in NYC or DC ... then the answer is probably NO.
If your basement is in the middle of nowhere Texas ... probably yes.
it all depends on where the bombs drop and how many of them there are.

But dont' forget .. after a while radiation and gasses will get into the basement.
It will only be good for a certain length of time ...

Oh .. And if there are shockwaves your basement walls will crumble from the earthquakes and the house will cave in on you ... so the basement may be a very dangerous place to be.

Sorry.

The only thing I used to have to worry about was getting $12 to see KISS on tour.


Now it's nuclear war, comets hitting the world, global warming, killer spinach.

Originally posted by enjoies05

The only thing I used to have to worry about was getting $12 to see KISS on tour.


Now it's nuclear war, comets hitting the world, global warming, killer spinach.

You forgot college tuition for your three kids! Really, you can prepare for a nuclear event, it takes some research. What if you live through the initial event and then have no food or water? You sound like you've started down this track already, even if a bomb blows you, your duct tape and your 47 cans of soup up, you may sleep better before it happens knowing that you've done what you can. JMO.

I guess the only thing to do is have a plan ready and have somewhere to go. Hopefully I'll never have to go through it, but it looks like it might happen.

All I can do is be prepared I guess

Thanks for the tips people

Originally posted by enjoies05
I guess the only thing to do is have a plan ready and have somewhere to go. Hopefully I'll never have to go through it, but it looks like it might happen.

All I can do is be prepared I guess

Thanks for the tips people

I'm honestly quite shocked that you are so worried.
What do you mean exactly by a Nuclear attack is it a one-off from North Korea or do you think things will spiral and turn into an all out Nuke Fest ?
Also what is the press doing over in the US regarding the reporting of the North Korea problem ?
I honestly don't think you are in any danger of a nuclear attack from North Korea - they don't currently have missiles that work or any warheads to go ontop. It's all just political bull**** - I'm not saying it's a worry but I certainly doubt very much that they will attack you successfully within the next few years.
Calm down as all your stress is probably scaring your kids !
Preparing a fallout shelter would really freak them out I'm sure...

I remember being a kid in the 80's when the Cold War was at it's height and there being programs on TV about surviving a nuclear wars along with all the docu-dramas as it was a very real threat then - I was in bits, even the sound of a plane flying overhead would put me intoa panic. Try and protect your kids from this by not getting too worried by it all.

Originally posted by eddiemaiden_80
jtma508 could you please post your Nuclear Survivability thread again as it isnt working.

Thanks

Sure...

For all you doomsayers go here to learn what you can do to survive.

Go here to see what the effects will be if a nuke pops in a specific location

And go here for a master list of nuke survival resources

Originally posted by NeoSocialist

I'm honestly quite shocked that you are so worried.
What do you mean exactly by a Nuclear attack is it a one-off from North Korea or do you think things will spiral and turn into an all out Nuke Fest ?
Also what is the press doing over in the US regarding the reporting of the North Korea problem ?
I honestly don't think you are in any danger of a nuclear attack from North Korea - they don't currently have missiles that work or any warheads to go ontop. It's all just political bull**** - I'm not saying it's a worry but I certainly doubt very much that they will attack you successfully within the next few years.
Calm down as all your stress is probably scaring your kids !
Preparing a fallout shelter would really freak them out I'm sure...

I remember being a kid in the 80's when the Cold War was at it's height and there being programs on TV about surviving a nuclear wars along with all the docu-dramas as it was a very real threat then - I was in bits, even the sound of a plane flying overhead would put me intoa panic. Try and protect your kids from this by not getting too worried by it all.

No man, I'm not running around the house saying "Get the shelter ready!! We are going to be nuked! "

There is no stress on my part. I just want to know what to do IF something ever happens.

And I see nothing wrong with that.



[edit on 13-10-2006 by enjoies05]

stanstheman explain to me how the hell you can survive a nuclear blast if youre a 100 miles close to it? im talking about a bunker that isnt well isolated underground that will be penetrated by the blast. no matter what types of strongholds it has.

how do you mean im not helping him if all the info i got was from a nuclear war encyclopedia? lol
oh and btw i never said the tanks would be used for bacteria lol i meant that they duh of course be used for when the breathing air gets too thin.

I think it depends on what kind of nuke, then where you are located. Further away from a major city is good. I agree that more than likely you will not be in your own home if something like this were to happen.

The survival threads are good to start with. I would check for fall-out shelters in the area; make a plan and make sure you have enough proper food, water and any other items that you may need. Of course then there is the problem of protecting these items that you spent a lot of time and money to gather and competition for fall out shelters will be high. Television shows and/or movies are not a very trust-worthy source for information either.

There are so many variables in play for survival, short-term and long term.

Originally posted by topsecretombomb
stanstheman explain to me how the hell you can survive a nuclear blast if youre a 100 miles close to it? im talking about a bunker that isnt well isolated underground that will be penetrated by the blast. no matter what types of strongholds it has.

how do you mean im not helping him if all the info i got was from a nuclear war encyclopedia? lol

oh and btw i never said the tanks would be used for bacteria lol i meant that they duh of course be used for when the breathing air gets too thin.

Well, I live within 100 miles of NYC and I plan on living. I will not be affected by the blast but rather the fallout and radiation. I have a basement room that was built in the 50's as a fallout shelter, it has 6" thick concrete walls and is all the way underground, meaning that the top part of the foundation walls have earth against them. The celiing is a wood subfloor topped with natural bluestone which was installed as a "mudjob, meaning that the uneveness of the natural bluestone required a thick layer of mortar in order to have an even floor. We have also filled sandbags to put in the doorway of this room and to add an extra layer to the bluestone floor above. We are currently trying to figure out a way to expand this protected area so we can incorporate our storage room. I have potassium iodide pills for my entire family and enough food and water to hibernate in our shelter for at least 4 months. This weekend we will cut plastic to cover each of the windows in our house, this will not stop radiation per se but will stop the fallout particles, thus making clean up easier. We are also going to mulch the veggie garden and cover it with a tarp, so if anything happens we will be able to plant this coming Spring. I am also waiting on delivery later this day of our seond cord of fire wood.

Since I do not live in the immediate blast zone, the air will not get "thinner", at any point and my shelter is ventilated in such a way that fall out will not get in. I also have a tent fan set up to circulate air.

If I lived in the city, I would use the basement storage area in my apartment to survive the initial blast and then move up t the 7th ot 8th floor to avoid the gamma radiation. Now blast survivability really depends on what kind of bomb is used. Dirty bomb? No problem unless it's set off in front of my building. 1 Kilo nike? I'd be okay. 1 Megaton nuke? probably not. But how will I know what weapon is going to be used before hand? And if I can survive 2 of the 3 scenarios shouldn't I be prepared?

I guess all that's left to say is-you need a new encyclopedia. And really your use of the word "duh" was briiliant, really added to your post!

Originally posted by topsecretombomb
stanstheman explain to me how the hell you can survive a nuclear blast if youre a 100 miles close to it? im talking about a bunker that isnt well isolated underground that will be penetrated by the blast. no matter what types of strongholds it has.

how do you mean im not helping him if all the info i got was from a nuclear war encyclopedia? lol

oh and btw i never said the tanks would be used for bacteria lol i meant that they duh of course be used for when the breathing air gets too thin.

There's too many people floating around out here like you Top Secret. You say things that simplay are not true and people are apt to believe you. With all due respect, I feel it is irresponsible. If you have a legitimate source that says everyone within 100mi of a nuclear detonation is toast, we'd all like to see it. In the meantime, I suggest you go here to see what the actual effects would be and here for some reasonable although somewhat dated background information. Older documents tend to concentrate on the larger, early Cold War megaton neighborhood weapons. These days we are more likely looking at 100-250kt weapons. Read up. It would be good for you. It might change your outlook at least.

Originally posted by enjoies05
And it's about 6 feet underground. If I did what the sites say (go under table and have stuff on top) will I be safe?

Sounds eerily like a grave to me. The 6ft would be appropriate for that I suppose.
But this type of topic would be good in a survival type forum that someone is petitioning to start here at ATS.

Best of luck to your bunker...hope you have enough food as you may be there awhile...Im sure Dick Cheney and gang have years supplies for them, as well as gym, etc...aske them what there bunkers are made up of...some premium stuff I suppose.

Find a granite cave and hide in it.

Peace

Dalen

Originally posted by dAlen

Best of luck to your bunker...hope you have enough food as you may be there awhile...Im sure Dick Cheney and gang have years supplies for them, as well as gym, etc...aske them what there bunkers are made up of...some premium stuff I suppose.

Find a granite cave and hide in it.

Peace

Dalen

I don't care what Dick Cheney has, my focus is on my family. If I worried about someone's luxury survival shelter I wouldn't be focused on what I need to do. Besides, I would gladly give up a gym if the decision making that went with that gym went with it!

As far as spending time in the shelter? Two weeks full time and then sleeping in it for about another two weeks to a month depending on weather etc.

This is how I got to this point.... first I got scared, then I got overwhelmed, then I got educated, then I got overwhelmed again. Then I got moving and determined!

Peace to you too! My sister was in Budapest a few times, went to a guys 40th b-day party there, loved it! His family (Zwack?) owns the company that makes Hungary's "offcial liquor". She's says it's beautiful but it's hard to learn the language!

Originally posted by stanstheman
This is how I got to this point.... first I got scared, then I got overwhelmed, then I got educated, then I got overwhelmed again. Then I got moving and determined!

Peace to you too! My sister was in Budapest a few times, went to a guys 40th b-day party there, loved it! His family (Zwack?) owns the company that makes Hungary's "offcial liquor". She's says it's beautiful but it's hard to learn the language!

- cool to not get overwhelmed about this. Best you can do as you pointed out is to do what you can, and enjoy the moment you have. When the time comes, something will work itself out.

- Thats a rich family, Im sure it was an amazing party.
If she stayed with them any amount of time, Im sure she would have been shown the prime of Budapest.
Outside of that, in the countryside there is a potential for extreme culture shock (if you live there)...
The Hungarian language is extremley hard to learn...It has around 14 vowels, etc., I still havent come around to mastering it. (My kids pick up on it quickly though.)

Peace

Dalen

stans the man who made you a nuclear physicist anyway? who cares dont answer that, but i can gaurantee one thing, my nuclear handbook is alot more updated than the one you have. youre reading outdated stuff i thought youd have a better source site for that. the author of this thread should just u2u me.

[edit on 30-10-2006 by topsecretombomb]