[californiadisasters] U.S. Rethinks Strategy for the Unthinkable

U.S. Rethinks Strategy for the Unthinkable

By WILLIAM J. BROAD

New York Times

Published: December 15, 2010

Suppose the unthinkable happened, and terrorists struck New York or another big city with an atom bomb. What should people there do? The government has a surprising new message: Do not flee. Get inside any stable building and don't come out till officials say it's safe.

The advice is based on recent scientific analyses showing that a nuclear attack is much more survivable if you immediately shield yourself from the lethal radiation that follows a blast, a simple tactic seen as saving hundreds of thousands of lives. Even staying in a car, the studies show, would reduce casualties by more than 50 percent; hunkering down in a basement would be better by far.

But a problem for the Obama administration is how to spread the word without seeming alarmist about a subject that few politicians care to consider, let alone discuss. So officials are proceeding gingerly in a campaign to educate the public.

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View entire article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/science/16terror.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

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