Back in the fifties and early sixties I participated in hundreds if not thousands of “duck and cover” school drills with the rest of nation. Under the desk, on the floor, blah, blah.
Older and wiser in high school we* decided the best thing to do if awaiting an imminent nearby Nuc was: race to the curb, secure your spot, sit down, legs wide, bend over, (as far as you can) and kiss your butt goodbye cause you’re gonna die!
Things haven’t changed much. :-)
Funny joke, but in reality those old “duck and cover” tactics could save lives.
The main danger from a nuclear bomb is — believe it or not — flying glass and debris. The blast and radiation emitted directly by the explosion will only kill those unlucky enough to be within a two- to three-mile-wide circle centered on the Ground Zero. Those outside this circle of destruction will not be endangered by the blast itself, but by “missile damage”, i.e. injuries caused by the flying debris created by the blast. Since flying debris is also the main source of danger in a tornado strike, the same tactics used to survive a twister can be used to survive a nuke.
The big difference between a tornado and a nuclear explosion is the fireball created at the moment of the explosion. When a nuclear bomb goes off, the air around the bomb is heated and compressed to levels resembling those found on the top layer of the sun. This “fireball” of superheated air then re-emits all that energy as light (the flash — like an ultra-intense photo flash) and heat (the thermal pulse — like opening a super-hot oven door). Human beings exposed to the flash can be temporarily or permanently blinded by it; those exposed to the thermal pulse can suffer crippling burns over the exposed areas. The only way to remain uninjured by these phenomena is to have something between You and the fireball — either miles and miles of distance (the best option) or some solid object.
With this in mind, it’s easy to see the logic behind the duck & cover routine. The instant one sees the flash of the explosion, one ducks — turning the head and eyes away from the blinding fireball and dropping to the floor to reduce the body’s exposure to its heat, then covers — getting behind and/or inside some solid object to protect oneself from the flying debris created by the blast. Once under cover, one curls up tightly (to present as small a “target” as possible), covering one’s face and neck with the arms to guard against flying glass and debris. (It’s important to remember that even the thinnest cover will help protect against the heat pulse — by putting the fabric of one’s clothing, a blanket, or even a newspaper page over any exposed skin, one greatly reduces the chance of a dangerous burn.) Once in the duck & cover position, one then “rides out” the blast and the subsequent rain of debris.
Once debris has stopped falling, the next concern is radiation from fallout. Fallout is dust and other solids that have been made radioactive by the explosion. Particles of fallout emit highly penetrating radiation called gamma rays, which are similar to X-rays. (As with X-rays, gamma rays are harmful to the human body; the more time one is exposed to them, the more damage done.) Fallout from a surface level blast emits a lot of radiation and can kill or permanenty injure those exposed to it, and it will begin settling back to earth within 10-20 minutes of the explosion. The best way to avoid fallout danger is to get away from it (i.e. evacuate the area); however, if this is not possible, the next best idea is to put as much mass (i.e. heavy material) between oneself and the fallout outside. This is where fallout shelters can play a vital role. An individual staying in a shelter for 10-14 days after an explosion will be shielded from almost all of the harmful radiation from the fallout, and will suffer no ill effects from same.
Duck & cover might seem silly, but rest assured, it only seems that way. Remembering to duck & cover could very well save your life one day.