15.8 Special situations

If you are driving

1. If you see the flash, brake safely if you can, duck below window level, and cover your face. Car windows can shatter from the blast wave.
2. When the wave passes, park off the road and walk to the nearest solid building. Do not try to get home.
3. If the car stops working or traffic lights go out, that is expected because of the electromagnetic pulse and blackouts. Abandon the car in a place that does not block emergency services.

If you are at work, a store, or school

• Stay. A large commercial building usually protects more than your apartment. Go to the basement, the underground parking garage, or the core of a middle floor: stairwells, interior hallways, central restrooms.
• Stay away from glass facades and the top floor.
• If you are responsible for other people, let in anyone who arrives from outside: help them take off their outer clothing and wash.

If you are outside when fallout comes down

• Cover your nose and mouth with a face mask, cloth, or towel and go into the nearest building, any building.
• Before going in, if you can, take off your outer layer of clothing.
• Once inside, wash as soon as possible (see "Decontamination on entry").

If someone is injured

Treat life-threatening problems first: heavy bleeding, airway, breathing (chapter 7). Radioactive contamination on the skin is not an emergency that prevents giving first aid: wear gloves if you have them, cover wounds, and wash afterward. Glass injuries are very common in the light damage zone; keep bandages, gauze, and tweezers in your first-aid kit.

If there is a fire or damage in your building

A fire, a collapse, or a gas leak are immediate dangers that justify leaving even in the first hours. If you smell gas, get out and shut off the valve only if you know how and it is safe (chapter 9). Move to the next solid building by the shortest route, covering your nose and mouth.

Electromagnetic pulse and blackout

• According to FEMA, temporary blackouts (hours to days) can extend tens of miles beyond the damage zone; damage to transformers is usually limited to a few miles from ground zero.
• Voltage surges on power lines can damage plugged-in devices several miles away.
• A battery-powered radio stored in a drawer has a good chance of still working. Have two, if you can.
• Prepare for days without electricity: food that does not need a refrigerator, flashlights, battery-powered fans. See chapter 9 for extended outages.

Afterward: returning to normal

• Authorities will measure the radiation and tell you which areas are safe, when water is drinkable again, and which foods can be eaten.
• There may be community reception centers to check whether people are contaminated and to register anyone who needs medical follow-up. Go if you are told to.
• Do not touch or move bags of contaminated clothing; authorities will say how to dispose of them.
• It is normal to feel anxiety, insomnia, or fear for weeks. Talking about it helps; seek support (chapter 1).