TOTM- April 2019 Nuclear & Hazmat Dangers Near You

meh, We've got the Dow Death train.
Trains full of really nasty chemicals that basically when release into the environment will either: Kill you immediately, kill you quickly and painfully or slowly and excruciatingly painfully.

The 80s in the mitten was a particularly bad time.

Still runs with anywhere from 10 to 50 cars a few times a week. Safety is better. But now they run them in bulk transports on the highway as well. I sure hope not behind a trucker in a hurry.


Also .. do you know what that truck next to you is hauling? How about that tanker car on the train that just passed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_UN_numbers
https://www.hazardouswasteexperts.com/a-firefighters-guide-to-hazardous-material-placards/
http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/danger/publi/unrec/rev15/English/05E_Index.pdf

the hazmat is closer to you than you think

 

Get a copy of the ERG or have the app on your phone. I have both!

 

The information below is listed on the Ready.gov site.

Nuclear Explosion
Nuclear explosions can cause significant damage and casualties from blast, heat, and radiation but you can keep your family safe by knowing what to do and being prepared if it occurs.

A nuclear weapon is a device that uses a nuclear reaction to create an explosion.

Nuclear devices range from a small portable device carried by an individual to a weapon carried by a missile.

A nuclear explosion may occur with or without a few minutes warning.

Fallout is most dangerous in the first few hours after the detonation when it is giving off the highest levels of radiation. It takes time for fallout to arrive back to ground level, often more than 15 minutes for areas outside of the immediate blast damage zones. This is enough time for you to be able to prevent significant radiation exposure by following these simple steps:

GET INSIDE
Get inside the nearest building to avoid radiation. Brick or concrete are best.

Remove contaminated clothing and wipe off or wash unprotected skin if you were outside after the fallout arrived.

Go to the basement or middle of the building. Stay away from the outer walls and roof.

STAY INSIDE
Stay inside for 24 hours unless local authorities provide other instructions.

Family should stay where they are inside. Reunite later to avoid exposure to dangerous radiation.

Keep your pets inside.

STAY TUNED
Tune into any media available for official information such as when it is safe to exit and where you should go.

Battery operated and hand crank radios will function after a nuclear detonation.

Cell phone, text messaging, television, and internet services may be disrupted or unavailable.

HOW TO STAY SAFE IN THE EVENT OF A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION

Prepare NOW
Identify shelter locations. Identify the best shelter location near where you spend a lot of time, such as home, work, and school. The best locations are underground and in the middle of larger buildings.

While commuting, identify appropriate shelters to seek in the event of a detonation.

Outdoor areas, vehicles, mobile homes do NOT provide adequate shelter. Look for basements or the center of large multistory buildings.

Make sure you have an Emergency Supply Kit for places you frequent and might have to stay for 24 hours. It should include bottled water, packaged foods, emergency medicines, a hand-crank or battery-powered radio to get information in case power is out, a flashlight, and extra batteries for essential items. If possible, store supplies for three or more days.

Survive DURING
If warned of an imminent attack, immediately get inside the nearest building and move away from windows. This will help provide protection from the blast, heat, and radiation of the detonation.

If you are outdoors when a detonation occurs take cover from the blast behind anything that might offer protection. Lie face down to protect exposed skin from the heat and flying debris. If you are in a vehicle, stop safely, and duck down within the vehicle.

After the shock wave passes, get inside the nearest, best shelter location for protection from potential fallout. You will have 10 minutes or more to find an adequate shelter.

Be inside before the fallout arrives. The highest outdoor radiation levels from fallout occur immediately after the fallout arrives and then decrease with time.

Stay tuned for updated instructions from emergency response officials. If advised to evacuate, listen for information about routes, shelters, and procedures.

If you have evacuated, do not return until you are told it is safe to do so by local officials.

Be Safe AFTER
Immediately after you are inside shelter, if you may have been outside after the fallout arrived:

Remove your outer layer of contaminated clothing to remove fallout and radiation from your body.

Take a shower or wash with soap and water to remove fallout from any skin or hair that was not covered. If you cannot wash or shower, use a wipe or clean wet cloth to wipe any skin or hair that was not covered.

Clean any pets that were outside after the fallout arrived. Gently brush your pet’s coat to remove any fallout particles and wash your pet with soap and water, if available.

It is safe to eat or drink packaged food items or items that were inside a building. Do not consume food or liquids that were outdoors uncovered and may be contaminated by fallout.

If you are sick or injured, listen for instructions on how and where to get medical attention when authorities tell you it is safe to exit.

Hazards related to nuclear explosions

• Bright FLASH can cause temporary blindness for less than a minute.
  
  
• BLAST WAVE can cause death, injury, and damage to structures several miles out from the blast.
  
  
• RADIATION can damage cells of the body. Large exposures can cause radiation sickness.
• FIRE AND HEAT can cause death, burn injuries, and damage to structures several miles out.
• ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE (EMP) can damage electrical power equipment and electronics several miles out from the detonation and cause temporary disruptions further out.
  
  
• FALLOUT is radioactive, visible dirt and debris raining down from several miles up that can cause sickness to those who are outside.
  
  Nuclear Explosion | Ready.gov

 

Own a Geiger counter and learn how to use it .Maintain it in a faraday cage .
A nuclear blast throws an EMP, there will be no radio signals happening for a long time.
Ideally you have planned some gardening ,and prepared the land ahead of time before the event .
Unprepared land needs to be scrapped off 6" or more and hopefully there is some top soil to work with , without a Geiger counter you don't know what you've got.
Ideally you have prepared for your self green houses with soil and water to continue gardening .
If I had deep pockets I would do every thing underground using grow lights and such .

 

Was stationed in Denver in the 1950's, USAF, had a distant relative who was an engineer at the Rocky Flats plant making parts for a bombs. Their biggest concern for what is worth was particles of Pu etc that were ingested. While alpha rays don't travel far, if you have them in your body, he made it sound like it would be when you got cancer, not if. I have always placed a very high priority on masks as it is kind of hard to wash your lungs off if you are in fall out. YMMV

 

I do feel a bit inspired by this months discussion.. Also thinking I had better up the prep 's in this area..

 

I have been looking at housing. I used to always look at the regular dangers like earthquakes, forest fires, flooding but I have added hazmat dangers in the area. I did find out that our workers comp provides a free class on learning about and dealing with hazmat materials plus they said they will provide a free placard chart. I signed up for the class.

 

Almost any thing is better than nothing .
I keep a surgical mask handy in my EDC . while it is not the best I the world I'm bearded so it is only going to provide so much protection any way. other more sophisticated breathing apparatus are at home including air tanks .
I have plastic and frames for covering the windows and doors and all other possible leaks into the house .
and it not just nuclear debris but volcanic as well. Almost as serious .Keep shovel handy and a ladder for getting on the roof to clear it . it's not like snow it s doesn't melt or easily wash off. and water stays in it .

 

I'm not in a bad place against these threats.

I'm fairly safe geographically from nuclear warhead targets. Ditto with prevailing winds and waterways for warhead generated fallout.

I'm also probably safe from nuclear plant meltdown fallout but not 100% secure from fallout damage to waterways. Luckily, I'm secure from meltdown waterway drainage. That's a different river system.

I'm a dozen linear miles from the nearest railroad at fair dispersion direction for aerial dispersion. But that's a long way away as HAZMAT toxicity concentration goes. I don't expect anything from that distance reaching any level of hazard.

I've got a few tyvek suits around here, some full face respirators, gloves, and cases of M95 masks. Wife and I are HAZMAT experienced and trained through Tech with a couple of Spec certs.

We'll be ok as long as the Golden Horde doesn't swoop through here fleeing something in the dirty city.