Partial defense against nuclear weapons?

[RedRooster]

Just curious, because I'm ignorant when it comes to nuclear technology.
Would there be any hope at all if a nuke was dropped on a modern city? Perhaps our building structures are better than in the 40s, just enough to protect people who are hidden deep inside and below ground?

 

[shifrbv]

I would think you would be one of the lucky ones if you died. A friend of mine saw the after effects at Chernobyl (his family had to flee the area after the meltdown) and it was a horrific thing. A huge blast coupled with that would be hell on earth.

 

[RedRooster]

That's what I thought. I was hoping the radiation affects wouldn't be quite as pronounced in today's shelters, but i guess there's no stopping it.

 

[vi edit]

I doubt it. Anything within 2 miles of ground zero will be melted and completely obliterated. From there to 6 miles or so will be completely leveled, from there up to about 10 miles will be critically hit and will be uninhabitable. Beyond that radiation takes effect and starts killing survivors.

 

[StageLeft]

Unless you're really really far away you don't want to live through this.

Its devestating beyond belief and I hope and pray (not that I'm religious) that a nuclear attack never ever occurs regardless of what happens to anybody anywhere in the world ever.

 

[rickn]

til this day chernobyl and surrounding areas are still radioactiv. People still live in the nearby towns, but there a major health problems, birth defects. And that affected a very small scale of people compared to wanting to drop one on Afghanistan. Kabul, the capital, has a population of 18-20 million people. Nukes should never be used, we would be condemned for it, and could very well start a nuclear world war.

 

[shifrbv]

What was bad is that you couldn't tell. He even told me it was a beautiful day with blue skies and the sun shining overhead. People were out and about looking at the disaster after the meltdown. Some were even fishing at a nearby lake. 24 hours later, they were dead. Everyone in the US doesn't have a radiation suit, so I'm guessing the effects would pretty much be the same. And even though his family was in Kiev which was a ways away and they fled immediately, several people in his family still developed cancer and died shortly thereafter.