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Fallout will be Widespread
The distribution of fallout particles after a nuclear attack will depend
upon such factors as wind currents and weather conditions. There is no way
of predicting in advance which areas of the country will be affected by
fallout or how soon the particles will fall back to Earth at a particular
location. Some communities may get a heavy accumulation of fallout, while
others, even those in the same general area, may receive little or none.
No area in the United States can be certain of avoiding fallout, and it
is probable that some fallout particles will be deposited on most of the
country.
Areas close to a nuclear explosion may
receive fallout within fifteen to thirty minutes. It may take five to ten
hours or more for the particles to drift down on a community 100 or 200
miles away. Generally the most dangerous period for the residents of any
community is the first twenty-four hours after fallout begins to settle.
The heavier particles falling during that time will still be highly radioactive,
giving off strong rays. The lighter particles falling later will have lost
much of their radiation high in the atmosphere.
Fallout causes Radiation Sickness
The invisible gamma rays given off by fallout particles can cause radiation
sickness, an illness caused by physical and chemical changes in the cells
of the body. If a person receives a large enough dose of radiation he will
die. If he receives only a small or medium dose, his body will repair itself,
and he will get well. A dose received over a short period of time is more
damaging than the same dose received over a longer period of time. Usually
the effects of a given dose of radiation are more severe in very young and
very old persons, and those in poor health.
Protection is Possible
People can protect themselves against fallout radiation by remaining inside
a fallout shelter. In most cases the fallout radiation level outside the
shelter will decrease rapidly enough to permit people to leave the shelter
within a few days. Even in communities that receive heavy accumulations
of fallout particles, people may soon leave their shelters for a few minutes
at a time in order to perform emergency tasks. In most places it is unlikely
that full-time shelter occupancy will be required for more than a week or
two. Information from trained radiological monitors, using special instruments
to detect and measure the intensity of fallout radiation, will be used to
advise people as to when it would be safe to leave their shelters.
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