Nuclear War: What's your exit strategy?

Yester

Nuclear War: What's your exit strategy?

I have lost my iodine tablets and the goverment issued booklet from years ago. I'm no expert on world politics but what I've been seeing on the news recently is a bit scary. The U.S seems a bit over stretched at the moment while Russia and China appear to be flexing their muscles. North Korea is looking like a potential flashpoint.

I used to think that Ireland was relatively safe in the event of nuclear war and the worst we would have to worry about was which way the wind was blowing when England got nuked. However I was reading recently that during the cold war Russia had 10 nukes pointed at Ireland. Most of them targeting the north but also one's pointed at our major airports, Shannon, Cork and Dublin. (Hopefully they have updated this to include Knock)

I'm living half way between Cork and Shannon so I'm a bit worried. I don't think I'd be within the blast radius but I would be at risk from the fallout.
Ideally my exit strategy would be to commandeer a ship (loads up shotgun and puts on pirate hat) and sail for Iceland. We won't get any advance warning so It would probably be already too late to make a run for it when it happens.

Just looking aroud the house I'd say I have enough food to keep me going for a month or so. I could easily stock up and maybe I should. I'd be a bit more worried about my water supply being contaminated than my food supply.

So what's your exit strategy?

Are Am Eye

Patio Door.

Erik Shin

Put my head between my knees and kiss my arse goodbye

JupiterKid

I try not to let it worry me too much. But to cheer you all up, here is a British public service advert from 1981 which would have been aired on TV in the imminent event of Armageddon.

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNVMm2KpiDI

osarusan

My exit strategy from life.

Harry Palmr

I'd hope that for some reason hard to discern Waterford was on the list places to nuke so I'd just go outside and get vapourized.

Akrasia

The living will envy the dead. Get your sunglasses on, stand on a tall building and watch the fireworks

Biggest lickspittle on boardz

If I knew for a fact that there was going to be a nuclear attack, I would move directly into the blast area. They say the horrors that would follow for any survivors of nuclear war would make them envy those killed immediately.

You'd be better off going out in a flash, instead of surviving long enough to see your surviving family members starve to death, or resort to cannibalism.

Erik Shin

Biggest lickspittle on boardz wrote: »

If I knew for a fact that there was going to be a nuclear attack, I would move directly into the blast area. They say the horrors that would follow for any survivors of nuclear war would make them envy those killed immediately.

You'd be better off going out in a flash, without having to survive long enough to see your surviving family members starve to death, or resort of cannibalism.

Deep fried Mommy's tit anyone?

riffmongous

I was watching the start of The Road yesterday, bleak

Gatling

Kick back with a bottle of Teelings whisky put the feet up and watch the world burn ,,

Yester

JupiterKid wrote: »

I try not to let it worry me too much. But to cheer you all up, here is a British public service advert from 1981 which would have been aired on TV in the imminent event of Armageddon.

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNVMm2KpiDI

That was oddly helpful. I need to stock up on batteries and get a radio.

@ most other replies; Stop giving up and fight for your lives!

@ Harry Palmr I know what you mean. Waterford should be great but it's not.

McMurphy

The Dubliners had this problem solved years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RIVt5D8BHg

Protect and Survive yo!

hairyslug

Off to the magical land of Leitrim.

A nuclear (or nucular for our American brethren) can't get you there.

The_Valeyard

Arran Islands would become popular

Smurfette principle

Ha I remember those iodine tablets and I remember thinking at the time if anyone in a Nuclear power station anywhere that was going into meltdown has ever used the phrase "Don't worry lads I just took an iodine tablet so out of my way there and I'll just run in and sort out that yellow cake uranium"

This is the Cuban Missile crisis all over again, at this rate pretty soon some entrepreneur will have a bright idea and make a killing selling people personal bunkers they can bury in their back gardens (would you need planning permission for that? I mean people say all the time that if there was a Nuclear war only the cockroaches would survive so does that include Dublin County Council? because last thing you want after a Nuclear war is them hunting you down because you didn't fill in your planning application correctly).

OP the truth is if there were a Nuclear war the dead would be envied by the living because all you would have to look forward to would be your teeth, hair and nails falling out, lesions all over your body, your internal organs slowly dissolving (making all that food you stocked up pointless because it is hard to chew and digest with no teeth or stomach) and you probably wouldn't be able to get it up anymore either so that's repopulating the Earth out the window too. If a nuke were dropped on London (the most likely target and about 280 miles from Dublin) Dublin would be a wasteland within a week assuming it's not under 30 miles of water because it wouldn't even matter which way the wind was blowing because if the radiation doesn't get us the tsunamis and subsequent Earthquakes will and then even if you survive that there is still a 15 year Nuclear Winter coming your way that will make Iceland seem like a tropical paradise so there will be no sun because of the dust cloud, all the plants will die meaning any animals that survived the initial bomb will die of starvation thus no food so it will become a race between radiation poisoning, diphtheria and malnutrition to see which kills you first. You are starting to envy the dead now aren't you?

OldMrBrennan83

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lazybones32

I hope people that write long posts in AH threads are the first to go.
Live until i die is my strategy...nukes or no nukes.

Would love to see a detonation though - would be awesome.

Cheerful Spring

There is four hotspots right now for war.

Flashpoint 1: China vs India
Flashpoint 2: China vs America ( Japan) China East and South seas
Flashpoint 3: North Korea vs United States, South Korea, Japan.

Nothing here should worry us. China is not going to nuke the UK anytime soon.

Flashpoint 4 should worry us but hasn't happened yet, but probably will. America, Saudi Arabia, Israel and other allies vs Iran ( Iraq) Syria and Lebanon. Potentially a war against Iran could drag in Russia and the UK?

Alf Veedersane

Agricola

I'm stocking large rolls of tinfoil with the intention of wrapping the house in it from top to bottom. I'm so scientist but I think that will keep out the worst of the radiation.

Yester

Smurfette principle wrote: »

Ha I remember those iodine tablets and I remember thinking at the time if anyone in a Nuclear power station anywhere that was going into meltdown has ever used the phrase "Don't worry lads I just took an iodine tablet so out of my way there and I'll just run in and sort out that yellow cake uranium"

This is the Cuban Missile crisis all over again, at this rate pretty soon some entrepreneur will have a bright idea and make a killing selling people personal bunkers they can bury in their back gardens (would you need planning permission for that? I mean people say all the time that if there was a Nuclear war only the cockroaches would survive so does that include Dublin County Council? because last thing you want after a Nuclear war is them hunting you down because you didn't fill in your planning application correctly).

OP the truth is if there were a Nuclear war the dead would be envied by the living because all you would have to look forward to would be your teeth, hair and nails falling out, lesions all over your body, your internal organs slowly dissolving (making all that food you stocked up pointless because it is hard to chew and digest with no teeth or stomach) and you probably wouldn't be able to get it up anymore either so that's repopulating the Earth out the window too. If a nuke were dropped on London (the most likely target and about 280 miles from Dublin) Dublin would be a wasteland within a week assuming it's not under 30 miles of water because it wouldn't even matter which way the wind was blowing because if the radiation doesn't get us the tsunamis and subsequent Earthquakes will and then even if you survive that there is still a 15 year Nuclear Winter coming your way that will make Iceland seem like a tropical paradise so there will be no sun because of the dust cloud, all the plants will die meaning any animals that survived the initial bomb will die of starvation thus no food so it will become a race between radiation poisoning, diphtheria and malnutrition to see which kills you first. You are starting to envy the dead now aren't you?

That sound bleak man. Most of our wind comes from the south west so we might have a chance if it was just London getting bombed. However if it comes to a stage where London is getting bombed I reckon we are going to get it too. I have read conflicting sources on how long radiation would be a problem, the most optimistic being 5 weeks. i think i could hole up for that long but as you suggest, what would you be coming out to?
I'm thinking the best option would be to run. Iceland here I come. and if it's not safe there I'll keep going north. I'll bring my coats.

Yester

Cheerful Spring wrote: »

There is four hotspots right now for war.

Flashpoint 1: China vs India
Flashpoint 2: China vs America ( Japan) China East and South seas
Flashpoint 3: North Korea vs United States, South Korea, Japan.

Nothing here should worry us. China is not going to nuke the UK anytime soon.

Flashpoint 4 should worry us but hasn't happened yet, but probably will. America, Saudi Arabia, Israel and other allies vs Iran ( Iraq) Syria and Lebanon. Potentially a war against Iran could drag in Russia and the UK?

Flashpoint 5 someone goes Whoops on India vs Pakistan

LordSutch

Yester wrote: »

Nuclear War: What's your exit strategy?

Pack the immediate family in the car, drive to the whest coast & commandeer/steal a trawler, then head for a remote island (secret name), and camp out for a few weeks/months living off homemade bread, coconut, rodents, fish, rainwater & pineapple ... until the dust has settled. Then fill up the trawler tank with rape seed oil and make the return journey to Ireland, by which stage the war will be over - sorted.

Yester

Agricola wrote: »

I'm stocking large rolls of tinfoil with the intention of wrapping the house in it from top to bottom. I'm so scientist but I think that will keep out the worst of the radiation.

So that's why I couldn't get tin foil in Tesco today. Feck sake man, leave a bit for other people.

Kevin Murphy

I heard the guy from this website speak on a podcast last week. Very interesting stuff. Very practical guides on the website that would apply in the case of nukes, or flooding, or conventional war, or disease.. just survival stuff really.

My preference with nukes would be to die in the blast I think, but I do plan to prep a go bag and stash supplies once I can figure out where I'd go. People are the biggest danger if you survive the first week.

Subacio

Bury biscuit tins at various locations between work and home. Each tin has similar contents. Energy bars, hunting knife, waterproof poncho, matches, etc. Just a few things to help me through the initial weeks of the apocalypse, and the herd has been thinned out a bit.

Jawgap

Yester wrote: »

Nuclear War: What's your exit strategy?

I have lost my iodine tablets and the goverment issued booklet from years ago. I'm no expert on world politics but what I've been seeing on the news recently is a bit scary. The U.S seems a bit over stretched at the moment while Russia and China appear to be flexing their muscles. North Korea is looking like a potential flashpoint.

I used to think that Ireland was relatively safe in the event of nuclear war and the worst we would have to worry about was which way the wind was blowing when England got nuked. However I was reading recently that during the cold war Russia had 10 nukes pointed at Ireland. Most of them targeting the north but also one's pointed at our major airports, Shannon, Cork and Dublin. (Hopefully they have updated this to include Knock)

I'm living half way between Cork and Shannon so I'm a bit worried. I don't think I'd be within the blast radius but I would be at risk from the fallout.
Ideally my exit strategy would be to commandeer a ship (loads up shotgun and puts on pirate hat) and sail for Iceland. We won't get any advance warning so It would probably be already too late to make a run for it when it happens.

Just looking aroud the house I'd say I have enough food to keep me going for a month or so. I could easily stock up and maybe I should. I'd be a bit more worried about my water supply being contaminated than my food supply.

So what's your exit strategy?

I'm not sure what you were reading but when historians and snslysts were given access to the Soviet era archives in the late 1990s they found that the Soviets had a lot fewer nukes aimed at Western Europe than originally thought.......even the UK had 'only' 12 nukes (mostly large yield airburst devices) aimed at them.

Ireland had none......zero......aimed at it. The Soviets didn't regard anything here as strategically consequential. Shannon, Knonck etc are not strategic. They're just runways, of which there are plenty in Europe.

The biggest threat was from fallout and EMP bursts. So I think my strategy would've been to head west.

Lorelli!

I wouldn't even want to think about it.

A poster mentioned the documentary style film called Threads by the BBC in the 80's in the film forum a while ago and I watched it. Its about the effect of a nuclear attack set in Sheffield. It was the most terrifying and disturbing film I've ever seen. Honestly I did not feel normal for about three days after watching it.

Gatling

I remember a story doing the rounds , where a group of US soldiers (6) stood directly under a nuclear weapon detonated mid air and all survived into old age apparently ,

But in serious situation running to hills won't do you a lot of good unless you know some kind of bush craft

Fred Swanson

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Yester

Jawgap wrote: »

I'm not sure what you were reading but when historians and snslysts were given access to the Soviet era archives in the late 1990s they found that the Soviets had a lot fewer nukes aimed at Western Europe than originally thought.......even the UK had 'only' 12 nukes (mostly large yield airburst devices) aimed at them.

Ireland had none......zero......aimed at it. The Soviets didn't regard anything here as strategically consequential. Shannon, Knonck etc are not strategic. They're just runways, of which there are plenty in Europe.

The biggest threat was from fallout and EMP bursts. So I think my strategy would've been to head west.

I think it was an article in The Sun so my sources are beyond question.

dr.fuzzenstein

JupiterKid wrote: »

I try not to let it worry me too much. But to cheer you all up, here is a British public service advert from 1981 which would have been aired on TV in the imminent event of Armageddon.

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNVMm2KpiDI

Needs more FGTH!

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Winterlong

I would prefer to die in the first wave.
I dont fancy my chances with the zombies that will probably roam the earth afterwards.

lazybones32

Lorelli! wrote: »

I wouldn't even want to think about it.

A poster mentioned the documentary style film called Threads by the BBC in the 80's in the film forum a while ago and I watched it. Its about the effect of a nuclear attack set in Sheffield. It was the most terrifying and disturbing film I've ever seen. Honestly I did not feel normal for about three days after watching it.

Thought that was a comedy?

rossie1977

Yester wrote: »

Flashpoint 5 someone goes Whoops on India vs Pakistan

India and Pakistan would be a local dispute and wouldn't affect Ireland. Both countries only have low yield weapons with limited range.

Unless UK or Ireland was hit directly we wouldn't have an issue re fallout to a great extent. Obviously the world economy would crash if any country launched a nuke.

4068ac1elhodqr

Plan, prepare, execute. You'd certainly be wanting to exclude some of the whinny folks here from your team selection.
Just think of it as a challenging 3wk adventure holiday to endure, with 'slight climate and environmental extremes'.

Extremely low chance of getting a sun-tan in this part of the world, but no harm in stocking up on essentials:
Day 1-3: Crank radio+torch, water, bars, tins, vitamins, sea salt and Brazil nuts.

OldMrBrennan83

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4068ac1elhodqr

Patww79 wrote: »

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Yes ok then, dark chocolate. The Brazils Nuts are handy for selenium, and thus better iodine uptake from the sea salt.

OldMrBrennan83

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Fred Swanson

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4068ac1elhodqr

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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That depends on acute localisation and EB updates via radio, if you're already East coast, urban and surrounded by the grey tracksuit types, you'd probably want to be well on the way to somewhere else.

Essentially you'd adopt a temporary lifestyle, not dissimilar to our 'traveling brethren'. The ability to quickly skin rabbits would then become a more highly valued skill, than preventing php malware code injections or cleaning carburetors and replacing valve heads.

Ninthlife

I still have those iodine tablets the government sent to everyone years ago so I'll be grand..sure the government wouldnt lie to us right??

Fred Swanson

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Foweva Awone

Today is actually the 72nd anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing ... I know that because the priest at mass today said a Prayer of the Faithful for the victims ... random!

RobbingBandit

Marshall Law britches, you live, you die, you live, you die. I'm an Ab Ab type man just be in an odd sequence while passing me by and you're safe till your not.

Smurfette principle

Yester wrote: »

That sound bleak man. Most of our wind comes from the south west so we might have a chance if it was just London getting bombed. However if it comes to a stage where London is getting bombed I reckon we are going to get it too. I have read conflicting sources on how long radiation would be a problem, the most optimistic being 5 weeks. i think i could hole up for that long but as you suggest, what would you be coming out to?
I'm thinking the best option would be to run. Iceland here I come. and if it's not safe there I'll keep going north. I'll bring my coats.

5 weeks is just the initial fallout, basically how long it will be before you can walk out your door and not get a severe case of radiation sunburn but after that there will be a dust cloud (like the one that killed the dinosaurs only ours will be radiated too) that will get everywhere (kind of like hazy rain that soaks you to the skin but you don't notice until you are saturated) oh yeah speaking of rain that will be acid rain too and not the type that causes minor damage to original brickwork but the type that can melt through steel in 30 seconds.

And then lets imagine you survive all that, manage to create a colony and 15 years later probably 30 or so of you even raise a few animals and become self sustaining by that point all the military and politicians who hid themselves in big massive bunkers on the first day will be running out of food themselves so will think nothing of just taking yours for their greater good and leaving you to starve because they will have bullets whereas you won't.

delboythedub

Grab my credit card and go to the pub

Fred Swanson

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Akrasia

riffmongous wrote: »

I was watching the start of The Road yesterday, bleak

Thanks, because of you I'm now watching the road.

The horror!