Concerns about a potential nuclear attack have risen amid the growing tensions between North Korea and the U.S. bringing up the question of what to do if there is a nuclear attack against America.
According to media outlets in North Korea, last week the country promised that there would be a "super mighty preemptive strike "capable of turning the U.S. to "ashes," if necessary, according to NBC News.
Although weapon experts view the nuke threat as an exaggeration, saying it would likely take North Korea at least a few years to reach the capability of such an attack, emergency response planners have still provided Americans with a short list of actions to take immediately in the case of a nuclear attack.
The best possible thing to do in the event that there is a nuclear attack on American soil is to simply "Don’t run. Get inside," NBC News reported.
Here are a few reasons why:
1. There’s intense radiation in the aftermath of a nuclear bomb
NBC News noted that taking shelter after a nuclear attack is the best thing people can do. In taking shelter, one should settle beneath several layers in order to protect themselves from the radiation that would follow a nuclear detonation.
"Go as far below ground as possible or in the center of a tall building," Ready.gov advised. "The goal is to put as many walls and as much concrete, brick and soil between you and the radioactive material outside."
2. Evacuating a city would be nearly impossible
There’s a misconception that evacuating a city after a nuclear attack is the way to go, but it’s not, because it would be nearly impossible to do given gridlocked highways and damage, as a result of an attack of this magnitude, NBC News said.
Forget about whatever you saw in the 2005 film, "War of the Worlds," which starred Tom Cruise.
Ready.gov said you should remain inside – taking shelter -- for at least 24 hours following a nuclear bomb. Though a car is said to be safer than being exposed to the open air, houses are considered even safer than a car, because most homes have basements – a great place to take cover.
3. Mass public shelters were abandoned a long time ago
Local governments did away with public shelters decades ago. People relied on public places like "parking garages beneath the Los Angeles Civic Center and a subterranean vault beneath a Seattle freeway" during the Cold War, but safe zones aren’t designated for attacks like they used to be, NBC News said.
According to BBC News, the U.S. has vowed to activate a missile deference system in South Korea "to better defend South Korea against the growing North Korea threat."
Adm Harry Harris, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, told U.S. Congress on Wednesday that the system – Thaad – is expected to bring North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "to his senses, not to his knees."
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