You also need to consider how to escape should looters decide to burn the superstructure over top of your hideout.
At the risk of annoying folks: A bit of reading instead of typing will uncover ALL these details in past posts and threads. It gets irritating to see the same stuff time and time again. Then, I am OLD and EASILY irritated since I have to play at being a hermit. Carry on ----
I believe that a nuclear attack, even limited will lead to an all out release of every nuclear,chemical and biological weapon in the world
That would depend upon who released the dogs of war.. Unless you are using the ping pong ball in a room full of mouse traps scenario.
I did some research on this as a topic of interest. My understanding is that the radiation dissipates far more quickly than you seem to think it will. I do think if a nation state attacked the US they would choose population density as well as military capacity as ways to choose targets. Our situation is similar to yours, and we came to a similar conclusion about how we would put the kids into a radiation limited place in the house and then plan to hunker down there for a week or so. Then we face the music, even if it's a dirge.
This is pretty much exactly how we've decided to handle it as of now, if indeed it happens. My current understanding, based on the last few years' worth of research I've read on the subject versus the 'training' that was pounded into our heads when I was in school, is that fallout will be far less dangerous after about two weeks. The hot spots will still be hot, and that will last for years--but the ancillary effects will be of much shorter duration. I've "prepped" for most things for quite some time. I have many of the answers I seem to be seeking, or rather I'm pretty settled on my course of action based on the research I've already done and the measures that seem to be appropriate to the anticipated situation. That said, I like to run my thinking by a few other like-minded souls to see where our thoughts may differ, to see if I've missed something or failed to properly consider options, or what have you. As 3cyl mentions above, it's entirely likely that if a nuke is loosed upon the world, the entire nuclear arsenal may shortly follow (in which case virtually the whole of humanity could be at risk). But much of what I've read seems to indicate that tactical strikes are possible, survival of the masses within non-blast-zones is probable, and the overall effects for the world as a whole really won't be that terrible. If that's the case, I suspect the targets will be large population areas with some strategic or manufacturing value, and military target areas (Norfolk, for instance). I'm not really near a large population area, but I've always considered the steel belt a target-rich environment and I'm near enough to it that I have to consider SOME--though not many, and potentially not extremely "lethal"--effects will have to be anticipated for me and mine in our shelter-in-place facility. That's really the reason for the question. I have a "plan", and it's pretty well thought out. I don't care who you are or I am, though--something is likely to be missed by a single set of eyes, so I pose this query for other talented and thoughtful eyes to see. Thanks, Seepalaces, for being one of those sets of eyes. And you others, too.
Talk about targets of opportunity, I live about five miles from the Rock Island Arsenal. Wouldn't take much bad aim to get me.
I have a contingency plan for this, though it's anything but foolproof. On the other hand, in the area I live--if that could POSSIBLY happen, we're probably goners anyway. I'd be seriously worried about that in a city, even a town, or if we were very isolated. But we live in a small village; enough people that hooligans are going to have trouble, but not so many that we've got a problem with having the kind of hooligans who would riot to begin with. Great advice, though.
During the Cold war the US had a strategy of MAD,Mutual Assured Destruction . If for say Russia launched nukes we would launch as many if not more. It was to detour others from doing so. But if some rogue nation or a terrorist group does than its game over for them.
Re:#31 above Retaliation would be preferred, if the perpetrators can be ID ed. If you can't find them how you gonna hit 'em?
New York, DC gone. Much of the West Coast. A couple of strategic locations like Pittsburgh. Okay--someone please point out what would be wrong with the above scenario. It would be a blessing upon this nation. The kill ratio of leftist-nut-jobs to conservative types would be 9 to 1. I'll take those odds any day.
Here in Alabama I wouldn't have to worry about fall-out for several days, which gives me plenty of time to gather my people, load my guns and otherwise prepare. But forget city-busting nukes, one or two nukes exploded at high altitude = EMP and goodbye to everything electrical in North America....a dozen would take care of the world. Just launch $100,000 Scud missiles from freighters at sea, or place them in orbit and claim that they are weather or communications satellites.
actually John Deere and everything else civilian production wise in the Quad City is more of a target these days ...
hope that Ruskies never figure out the opportunity they passed up - if the major US cities, within range of sub launched nuke-tipped missiles, would have been surprise attacked >>> Obammy would have caved and surrendered the remainder of the country .... maybe a few ICBMs for misc targets - but no full out attack - no invasion - no NATO >> just a weak kneed puzzy ...
???? - AL and targets in a neighboring states are primary targets - an attack sub will probably unload it's short range missiles on the seaports, cities, oil production, chem works and military targets on the 1st strike >>> you get like a few minutes for Mobile
I have a question. Why is it that we have to worry about being bombed by all these other countries but they feel no threat from us?
If they "nuked New York, DC and much of the West Coast" figure out who "they" are and thank them, then nuke the shit out of them.