5 ms·

Ask HN: How does one prepare for a possible nuclear threat?

13 points by Austin_Conlon 5y ago

jacquesm 5y ago
Not. If it happens it happens. It will change the landscape to such a degree that any preparation is likely to be utterly meaningless.
- zelon88 5y ago
  What about high atmosphere nukes designed to trigger massive EMP? Is there a realistic defense against such a thing?
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    The Mennonites won't even notice. It all depends on what level of tech you want to live your life. But civilization as we know it would be over for the foreseeable future. Famine would be almost certain.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
smoyer 5y ago
Duplicate of https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30526022 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30526022
raxxorrax 5y ago
The classical instruction is probably this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWH4tWkZpPU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWH4tWkZpPU
drooby 5y ago
Worst possible scenario? Off-grid cabin. Learn to build, farm, hunt food, and machine tools.
- spicybright 5y ago
  You better get started setting all that up ASAP
- drooby 5y ago
  Getting caught near the blast: https://www.ted.com/talks/irwin_redlener_how_to_survive_a_nuclear_attack#t-1420380 https://www.ted.com/talks/irwin_redlener_how_to_survive_a_nu...
  - beardyw 5y ago
    A quick death may not be the worst outcome.
Friday_ 5y ago
I wonder if there was a shelter nearby and does siren works. Both answers was no. Shelters was systematically not invested in in my country, and sirens somewhere works somewhere not.
drra 5y ago
Worst case it’s going to be much colder for a couple o years and vegetation is going to be greatly impacted. Majority of strike survivors are going to die of hunger or at hands of people looking for food. To prep: be south where you can survive temperature drop by 10-20 degrees centigrade. Have tools to protect yourself (from others and elements). Have knowledge and means to produce cold resistant food for 2-10 years.
- tamaharbor 5y ago
  Is this a solution to global warming?
  - Piskvorrr 5y ago
    Sort of. With massive casualties, but yeah, unless you care about such trifles like global population dropping tens of percents due to famine - tada, solved! (You didn't ask about a "good solution".)
- imglorp 5y ago
  On the other hand, having a forest nearby is helpful. You can build, cook, and warm with wood. For a while, anyway, there will be fish and animals there too. source: northerner :)
discordance 5y ago
Prepare by not voting in a president who will dismantle a nuclear treaty.
- imglorp 5y ago
  Got it, done. But at the moment there's a new madman who has just threatened the West with nuclear action if they add new parties to an old treaty.
phyalow 5y ago
Procure some Iodine Potassium tablets wouldnt be a terrible first step.
- Piskvorrr 5y ago
  Actually - useless for most scenarios. Just protects you from radioactive iodine isotopes, a bit (which is not your worry in a blast, or fallout from one). Tends to get touted as a magical all-powerful radiation shield (which it isn't).
  - maxerickson 5y ago
    And apparently isn't that big a deal at all for adults over 40? I was reading about it recently and came to that conclusion, so asking the question sincerely, looking for a more informed opinion/understanding.
    - Piskvorrr 5y ago
      Well, it would have been a medium-sized deal in ONE specific situation where you'd have orders of magnitude bigger fish to fry.
x-n2o 5y ago
https://lcamtuf.coredump.cx/prep/index-old.shtml https://lcamtuf.coredump.cx/prep/index-old.shtml https://lcamtuf.coredump.cx/prep/ https://lcamtuf.coredump.cx/prep/
jaxomlotus 5y ago
Watch as many Primitive Technologies as you can while we still have Internet.
aaron695 5y ago
MrGuts 5y ago
1. Take a shovel, dig a trench. 2. Throw a door over the trench. 3. Shovel dirt over the door. 4. Crawl into the trench and under the door. 5. Stay in the trench for two weeks. You'll be fine. 6. IRS and USPS have plans to resume services after a nuclear war... Look for Kevin Costner.
- sb057 5y ago
  >IRS and USPS have plans to resume services after a nuclear war Not only that, the IRS has plans to resume operations no more than 12 hours after such a war: >The IRS must have the capability to be fully operational at its continuity facilities as soon as possible after the occurrence of an emergency, but not later than 12 hours after continuity operations activation. https://www.irs.gov/irm/part10/irm_10-006-001 https://www.irs.gov/irm/part10/irm_10-006-001

13 points by Austin_Conlon 5y ago

Not. If it happens it happens. It will change the landscape to such a degree that any preparation is likely to be utterly meaningless.

zelon88 5y ago
What about high atmosphere nukes designed to trigger massive EMP? Is there a realistic defense against such a thing?
- jacquesm 5y ago
  The Mennonites won't even notice. It all depends on what level of tech you want to live your life. But civilization as we know it would be over for the foreseeable future. Famine would be almost certain.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]

smoyer 5y ago

Duplicate of https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30526022 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30526022

raxxorrax 5y ago

The classical instruction is probably this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWH4tWkZpPU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWH4tWkZpPU

drooby 5y ago

Worst possible scenario? Off-grid cabin. Learn to build, farm, hunt food, and machine tools.

spicybright 5y ago
You better get started setting all that up ASAP
drooby 5y ago
Getting caught near the blast: https://www.ted.com/talks/irwin_redlener_how_to_survive_a_nuclear_attack#t-1420380 https://www.ted.com/talks/irwin_redlener_how_to_survive_a_nu...
- beardyw 5y ago
  A quick death may not be the worst outcome.

Friday_ 5y ago

I wonder if there was a shelter nearby and does siren works. Both answers was no. Shelters was systematically not invested in in my country, and sirens somewhere works somewhere not.

drra 5y ago

Worst case it’s going to be much colder for a couple o years and vegetation is going to be greatly impacted. Majority of strike survivors are going to die of hunger or at hands of people looking for food. To prep: be south where you can survive temperature drop by 10-20 degrees centigrade. Have tools to protect yourself (from others and elements). Have knowledge and means to produce cold resistant food for 2-10 years.

tamaharbor 5y ago
Is this a solution to global warming?
- Piskvorrr 5y ago
  Sort of. With massive casualties, but yeah, unless you care about such trifles like global population dropping tens of percents due to famine - tada, solved! (You didn't ask about a "good solution".)
imglorp 5y ago
On the other hand, having a forest nearby is helpful. You can build, cook, and warm with wood. For a while, anyway, there will be fish and animals there too. source: northerner :)

discordance 5y ago

Prepare by not voting in a president who will dismantle a nuclear treaty.

imglorp 5y ago
Got it, done. But at the moment there's a new madman who has just threatened the West with nuclear action if they add new parties to an old treaty.

phyalow 5y ago

Procure some Iodine Potassium tablets wouldnt be a terrible first step.

Piskvorrr 5y ago
Actually - useless for most scenarios. Just protects you from radioactive iodine isotopes, a bit (which is not your worry in a blast, or fallout from one). Tends to get touted as a magical all-powerful radiation shield (which it isn't).
- maxerickson 5y ago
  And apparently isn't that big a deal at all for adults over 40? I was reading about it recently and came to that conclusion, so asking the question sincerely, looking for a more informed opinion/understanding.
  - Piskvorrr 5y ago
    Well, it would have been a medium-sized deal in ONE specific situation where you'd have orders of magnitude bigger fish to fry.

x-n2o 5y ago

https://lcamtuf.coredump.cx/prep/index-old.shtml https://lcamtuf.coredump.cx/prep/index-old.shtml https://lcamtuf.coredump.cx/prep/ https://lcamtuf.coredump.cx/prep/

jaxomlotus 5y ago

Watch as many Primitive Technologies as you can while we still have Internet.

aaron695 5y ago

MrGuts 5y ago

1. Take a shovel, dig a trench. 2. Throw a door over the trench. 3. Shovel dirt over the door. 4. Crawl into the trench and under the door. 5. Stay in the trench for two weeks. You'll be fine. 6. IRS and USPS have plans to resume services after a nuclear war... Look for Kevin Costner.

sb057 5y ago
>IRS and USPS have plans to resume services after a nuclear war Not only that, the IRS has plans to resume operations no more than 12 hours after such a war: >The IRS must have the capability to be fully operational at its continuity facilities as soon as possible after the occurrence of an emergency, but not later than 12 hours after continuity operations activation. https://www.irs.gov/irm/part10/irm_10-006-001 https://www.irs.gov/irm/part10/irm_10-006-001