AW: [ RadSafe ] DHS PLANNING SCENARIOS -Scenario 1: Nuclear Detonation

[Franz Schönhofer]

I do not understand this discussion and the theoretical approach, when a
full scale and practical one exists. The USA has undertaken a full scale
nuclear explosion of about 10 kiloton in 1945 in Hiroshima and a few
days later another one (I do not remember the yield, but it must have
been similar) at Nagasaki. The effects have been described in detail in
the open literature, including not only the destruction, but also health
effects. 

The effects can be considered concerning a comparison with New York: The
pictures of the destroyed Hiroshima should be known to anybody who is in
research on radioactivity. What can be easily seen, is that the very few
buildings made of reinforced concrete were damaged, but not totally
destroyed, one of them being very close to the hypocenter. The
traditional houses in Hiroshima (and Nagasaki) were made of wood, and
they were of course shattered and burnt including the inhabitants. A
similar nuclear bomb detonated in New York (Manhattan) would therefore
do a lot of damage, but the buildings in the vicinity would mostly
withstand the blast and even more would shield other buildings from both
the blast and radiation, as well as people from casualities. Claiming an
impact of up to 3000 miles away is ridiculous as well as a hypothetical
death toll of up to 1 million plus additional 700 000.  

"Fearmongering" by DHS?

Franz

Franz Schoenhofer
PhD, MR iR
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
AUSTRIA
phone -43-0699-1168-1319


> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] Im
> Auftrag von Gerry Blackwood
> Gesendet: Montag, 21. März 2005 15:42
> An: Rad Safe
> Cc: Bruce Tefft
> Betreff: RE: [ RadSafe ] DHS PLANNING SCENARIOS -Scenario 1: Nuclear
> Detonation
> 
> I have another additional point I would like to make with regard to
> Scenario One....The extent of radiation at 3000 miles for a 10 kiloton
> nuke is rather slightly off.....yes its dependent on environmental
> conditions but unless detonation occurs during a Nor' East'er the
extent
> of exposure as outlined is problematic..... A 10 kiloton nuke should
have
> an effect starting at the epicenter of the blast up to a distance of
> approximately one third mile in which every structure will be
destroyed
> with all dead. The second circle of destruction should extend up to
three
> quarters of a mile from the epic center and would leave buildings
> partially destroyed. A final circle reaching out 1 mile would be
ravaged
> by fires and radiation. Total dead on detonation using NYC as an
example
> estimated at 600,000 to 1 million and after the blast effect and fire
> storm another possible 700,000.........3000 miles of radiation
exposure?
> We are not talking about a thermonuclear weapons here...... Yes th!
>  ere will
>  be a extended exposure effect but life threating is another
thing.......
> 
> Besides of all the drills we have had and of the after action reports
I
> have seen they all show the same deficiencies basically. My problem
with
> all of this is when the hell are we going to start fixing the
> deficiencies......????
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> "Dante once said that the hottest places in hell are reserved for
those
> who in a period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality."
> 
> 
> 
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