Buying five things could help you survive in a nuclear attack.
Brits are urged to have an emergency kit in their home (Image: Getty)
UK households have been advised to buy five essential items in the event of a nuclear attack. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has released material on how to stay safe during nuclear detonation.
Among the information on what to do before, during, and after an attack, the ICRP also advises identifying potential shelters in your home, workplace, school, and on your commute. If your home has a basement, then buying five things and storing them there can aid in survival. First is a survival kit, which includes a torch with extra batteries, power banks, a battery-powered AM radio, a whistle, a dust mask, plastic sheeting, scissors, duct tape, wipes, bin bags, plastic ties, a wrench or pliers, a can opener, and local maps. You should also assemble a first aid kit with essential tools and medications to treat injuries and burns, as well as any necessary daily medications. Another necessity is a stock of bottled drinking water (two litres per day per person) and water for hygiene and decontamination (two to four litres per day per person) to last a week or two. Additional water is required for pets.
Emergency kits can be put together with five main components (Image: Getty)
The kit should also include several days’ worth of long-life food, including pet food, spare clothes and footwear (with name tags for children), family documents, sleeping bags or blankets, a fire extinguisher, mess kits, paper and pencil, and activities like books and puzzles.
To assemble your kit, the US Department of Homeland Security recommends storing items in airtight plastic bags and placing your entire disaster supplies kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers, such as plastic bins or a duffel bag.
The ICRP also suggests learning some basic first aid skills for traumas (bleeding, puncture wounds, head injuries, spine injuries) and burns.
Agree with your family and friends about your actions in the event of a nuclear detonation. Everyone in your household should also know where your emergency kit is and where to shelter.
One glib Redditor (u/StGuthlac2025) created a map which sets out the exact blast and fallout zones for atomic bombings of major population centres across the country.
Cities which would be all but wiped off the map include Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, most of London, Cardiff, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Portsmouth, Plymouth, and Swansea.
Areas which would escape this onslaught include St David’s, St Asaph, Truro, Matlock, Bakewell, Chester, Worcester, and Canterbury.
The UK Government stresses that its nuclear deterrent would avoid such a catastrophe. It says: “The UK’s independent nuclear deterrent has existed for over 60 years to deter the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life, helping to guarantee our safety, and that of our NATO allies.
“The risk of nuclear conflict remains remote, but the threats the UK faces are increasing in scale, diversity and complexity. That is why we must be able to deter the most extreme acts of aggression against us and our NATO allies.
“Since April 1969, the Royal Navy has maintained continuous at sea deterrence, with at least one nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine patrolling the seas undetected at all times, ready to respond to the most extreme threats to the UK. Their fundamental purpose is to preserve peace, prevent coercion, and deter aggression.”
