Dirty Bombs
     A dirty bomb, or radiological dispersion device, is a bomb that combines conventional explosives, such as dynamite, with radioactive materials in the form of powder or pellets. The idea behind a dirty bomb is to blast radioactive material into the area around the explosion. This could possibly cause buildings and people to be exposed to radioactive material. The main purpose of a dirty bomb is to frighten people and make buildings or land unusable for a long period of time. A dirty bomb is designed to spread radioactive material and contaminate a small area. It does not include the fission products necessary to create a large blast like those seen in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Dangers of a dirty bomb
      If low-level radioactive sources were to be used, the primary danger from a dirty bomb would be the blast itself. Gauging how much radiation might be present is difficult when the source of the radiation is unknown. However, at the levels created by most probable sources, not enough radiation would be present in a dirty bomb to cause severe illness from exposure to radiation.

Threat of a Nuclear Attack
     If there were threat of an attack from a hostile nation, people living near potential targets could be advised to evacuate or they could decide on their own to evacuate to an area not considered a likely target. Protection from radioactive fallout would require taking shelter in an underground area, or in the middle of a large building.
In general, potential targets include:

             o Strategic missile sites and military bases.
             o Centers of government such as Washington, D.C., and state capitals.
             o Important transportation and communication centers.
             o Manufacturing, industrial, technology and financial centers.
             o Petroleum refineries, electrical power plants and chemical plants.
             o Major ports and airfields.

Taking Shelter
       Taking shelter during a nuclear attack is absolutely necessary. There are two kinds of shelters-blast and fallout. Blast shelters offer some protection against blast pressure, initial radiation, heat and fire, but even a blast shelter could not withstand a direct hit from a nuclear detonation. Fallout shelters do not need to be speciallyconstructed for that purpose. They can be any protected space, provided that the walls and roof are thick and dense enough to absorb the radiation given off by fallout particles. The three protective factors of a fallout shelter are shielding, distance, and time.

     o Shielding. The more heavy, dense materials-thick walls, concrete, bricks, books and earth-between you and the fallout particles, the better.

     o Distance. The more distance between you and the fallout particles, the better. An underground area, such as a home or office building basement, offers more protection than the first floor of a building. A floor near the middle of a high-rise may be better, depending on what is nearby at that level on which significant fallout particles would collect. Flat roofs collect fallout particles so the top floor is not a good choice, nor is a  floor adjacent to a neighboring flat roof.

     o Time. Fallout radiation loses its intensity fairly rapidly. In time, you will be able to leave the fallout  shelter. Radioactive fallout poses the greatest threat to people during the first two weeks, by which time it has declined to about 1% of its initial radiation level.

      Remember that any protection, however temporary, is better than none at all, and the more shielding, distance and time you can take advantage of, the better.

Electromagnetic Pulse
     In addition to other effects, a nuclear weapon detonated in or above the earth's atmosphere can create an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), a high-density electrical field. EMP acts like a stroke of lightning but is stronger, faster and briefer. EMP can seriously damage electronic devices connected to power sources or antennas. This includes communication systems, computers, electrical appliances, and automobile or aircraft ignition systems. The damage could range from a minor interruption to actual burnout of components. Most electronic equipment within 1,000 miles of a high-altitude nuclear detonation could be affected. Battery powered radios with short antennas generally would not be affected. Although EMP is unlikely to harm most people, it could harm those with pacemakers or other implanted electronic devices.

Potential Adverse Health Effects from a Nuclear Terrorist Attack
      The adverse health consequences of a terrorist nuclear attack vary according to the type of attack and the distance a person is from the attack. Potential terrorist attacks may include a small radioactive source with a limited range of impact or a nuclear detonation involving a wide area of impact.

      In the event of a terrorist nuclear attack, people may experience two types of exposure from radioactive materials: external exposure and internal exposure. External exposure occurs when a person comes in contact with radioactive material outside the body. Internal exposure occurs when people eat food or breathe air that is contaminated with radioactive material. Exposure to very large doses of external radiation may cause death within a few days or months. External exposure to lower doses of radiation and internal exposure from breathing or eating radioactive contaminated material may lead to an increased risk of developing cancer and other adverse health effects. These adverse effects range from mild, such as skin reddening, to severe effects such as cancer and death, depending on the amount of radiation absorbed by the body (the dose), the type of radiation, the route of exposure, and the length of time of the exposure.

      If there is a nuclear detonation, bodily injury or death may occur as a result of the blast itself or as a result of debris thrown from the blast. People may experience moderate to severe skin burns, depending on their distance from the blast site. Those who look directly at the blast could experience eye damage ranging from temporary blindness to severe retinal burns.

If There is a Terrorist Attack on a Nearby Nuclear Power Plant
      A terrorist attack on a nuclear power plant will initiate a national emergency response that has been carefully planned and rehearsed by local, state, and federal agencies for more than 20 years. If you live near a nuclear power plant and you have not received information that describes the emergency plan for that facility, you can contact the plant and ask for a copy of that information. Your local emergency-response organizations, police agencies, and public health facilities have been actively involved in this emergency plan, and they may be able to supply you with additional information. You and your family should study these plans and be prepared to follow the instructions that local and state public health officials provide in the event of a terrorist incident involving the nuclear power plant near your home.

 
                                         
           All information obtained from the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and FEMA