Everything The US Government Has Planned For Surviving A Nuclear Attack

Aug 10, 2023

Everything The US Government Has Planned For Surviving A Nuclear Attack

Though the threat of worldwide nuclear annihilation has lessened somewhat since the end of the Cold War, the US government’s nuclear plans have gotten more sophisticated. Focus has altered from a large-scale exchange of thousands of missiles to small-scale incidents, and in response, arrangements have shifted more towards detection, prevention, and the aftermath.

And yet, the legacy of the Cold War looms large, particularly in the wake of 9/11. From the old behemoth bunkers at Raven Rock and Cheyenne Mountain to sophisticated new missile tracking satellites, the United States government is committed to covering all the bases and remaining as secure as possible in the event of a crisis. This includes both preserving the president and senior leadership and informing the citizens how to prepare for a nuclear event.

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Content

0 -> Though the threat of worldwide nuclear annihilation

2.97 -> has lessened somewhat since the Cold War,

5.43 -> the US government's nuclear response plans

7.89 -> have actually gotten more sophisticated.

10.53 -> And while some of those plans may seem excessive,

13.02 -> when faced with the possibility of nuclear conflict,

15.6 -> every option must be explored.

17.7 -> So today, we're going to take a look at everything

20.85 -> the US government has planned for surviving a nuclear attack.

24.39 -> But before we get started, be sure to subscribe

26.88 -> to the Weird History Channel.

28.62 -> After that, leave a comment, and let

30.12 -> us know what other worst-case scenarios you would

32.64 -> like to hear about.

33.82 -> OK, make sure you're at a safe distance

36.33 -> because we're about to trigger a blast of weird history.

39.87 ->

45.29 -> Within the United States's National Response Framework,

48.29 -> there are 15 national response plans

50.6 -> that run the gamut from nuclear and biological incidents

53.27 -> to food contamination and cyber incursions.

56.15 -> They lay out everything from emergency planning

58.4 -> to military counter-response.

60.27 -> The US's current number-one response plan

62.9 -> in case of a nuclear event is called National Response

66.14 -> Scenario Number 1, which may be a little on the nose,

70.28 -> but maybe we don't need a cool codename

72.02 -> during an atomic emergency.

73.64 -> According to FEMA documentation, scenario 1

76.19 -> is one of the most likely mass disasters.

78.29 -> And it is planned around the assumption

80.15 -> that a 10-kiloton nuclear device would be detonated in a densely

83.66 -> populated American city.

85.25 -> In this scenario, high levels of radiation

87.68 -> would make an immediate response at ground zero impossible,

90.71 -> making it a significant concern for first responders,

93.687 -> although it kind of sounds like high levels of radiation

96.02 -> would be a significant concern for everyone.

98.45 -> In the event of a large-scale crisis in a populated area,

101.57 -> hundreds of groups and agencies, all of which

103.617 -> have their separate chains of command,

105.2 -> would be involved with disaster response.

107.57 -> You can imagine what trying to organize that must be like.

110.27 -> It would be like herding cats in the middle

112.16 -> of a nuclear disaster.

113.45 -> And the first 36 hours after an atomic event are critical.

117.612 -> A quick response could make all the difference.

119.57 -> To that end, the Public Health Emergency Medical

122.21 -> Countermeasures Enterprise, also known as PHEMCE, was founded.

126.5 -> In the event of a crisis, PHEMCE would

128.6 -> coordinate between a dozen major government agencies, including

131.63 -> the CDC, DOD, VA, and FDA.

135.59 -> And while PHEMCE is not involved in any military or state-level

138.68 -> response, it is solely responsible

140.72 -> for the medical response to any substantial threat

143.3 -> to public health.

144.5 -> The agency is constantly at work developing plans for disasters,

148.28 -> conducting research on threats to civilian public health,

151.16 -> and setting annual expectations for other departments.

154.28 -> Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency

157.46 -> is responsible for communicating with the general public

160.1 -> in the event of a nuclear incident.

162.02 -> That's a weird pick.

163.61 -> The EPA is the government organization everyone

165.77 -> seems to listen to the least.

167.42 -> The EPA is tasked with answering the public's questions.

170.42 -> And they've got a set of talking points ready to go

172.64 -> in case of just such an event.

174.35 -> Their scripts run the gamut from helpful answers

176.63 -> about water, food, and safety to warnings

179 -> like, use text messaging, don't go

181.61 -> to the hospital, police stations, or fire stations

184.31 -> unless you have a medical emergency.

186.17 -> Don't abandon your car.

187.61 -> Don't go near the release site.

189.35 -> And do not feed your Mogwai after midnight.

192.095 ->

197.77 -> Part of the Cold War paranoia of the '50s

200.17 -> was a craze for nuclear preparedness.

202.51 -> The Eisenhower administration encouraged all citizens

205.21 -> to stockpile a week's worth of simple provisions

207.34 -> as part of a campaign called Grandma's Pantry.

210.43 -> But as the conflict continued to escalate,

212.92 -> it became clear that the notion of getting

214.69 -> through the aftermath of a nuclear attack

216.55 -> on a week's supply of canned goods

218.5 -> might have been a little optimistic.

220.6 -> In response, the government began

222.4 -> to develop the all-purpose survival cracker.

225.04 -> Made from bulgur, these crackers were

227.2 -> to be eaten in tiny 125-calorie pieces

230.26 -> along with a small red or yellow hard candy, referred

233.02 -> to as a carbohydrate supplement, just

236.11 -> like mom used to make as, yummy as that sounds, the government

239.08 -> discontinued production in the '60s,

241 -> but boxes can still be found.

242.782 -> There was even an attempt to distribute the remaining

244.99 -> crackers as disaster relief in the late '70s,

247.63 -> but they were already spoiled and inedible-- well,

250.87 -> more inedible, anyway.

252.49 -> The Strategic National Stockpile, or SNS,

255.55 -> is a collection of medications stored in case

257.92 -> of a nuclear-style disaster.

259.6 -> Ah, so that's where all the Adderall went.

261.88 -> Given the Cold War ended in 1991,

263.86 -> you might be surprised to learn the SNS was only

266.2 -> created in 1999, possibly in response to the New Radicals.

270.82 -> It was hard not to see the doomsday writing on the wall

273.43 -> when that song refused to get off the radio.

275.68 -> But the SNS was actually created in anticipation

278.77 -> of future crisis-level events.

280.76 -> Various incidents in 2001, including 9/11 and the anthrax

284.23 -> scare, caused Congress to pass major legislation, which

287.89 -> upgraded the stockpiles budget and inventory and its ability

290.59 -> to respond to threats quickly.

292.117 -> The stockpile is spread out between a number

293.95 -> of undisclosed warehouses all across the United States,

296.74 -> just waiting for the next disaster

298.81 -> or to be liberated by a team of super criminals.

301.69 ->

307.01 -> Among the dozens of aides, staffers, advisors, and hype

309.47 -> men who surround the president when he travels,

311.69 -> there is one person with a special job.

314.51 -> That job is to carry a small black satchel.

317.72 -> Inside is a complicated communications device

320.63 -> used to verify the president's identity

322.52 -> and allow them to communicate with the Pentagon

324.53 -> and authorize nuclear strikes.

326.42 -> It's called the nuclear football.

328.7 -> And if you watched a lot of Tom Clancy-type thrillers

331.04 -> with your dad growing up, you've probably heard of it before.

333.8 -> Despite what many believe, no big red button

336.08 -> launches the nukes.

337.28 -> Any launch request must be routed

339.29 -> through the Pentagon, where a complicated series

341.81 -> of authentication then take place.

343.95 -> But once those authentications are confirmed,

346.1 -> those atomic birds start flying.

348.223 -> There have been those who question

349.64 -> the unilateral authority of the president

351.53 -> in sanctioning the use of nuclear weapons,

353.33 -> going all the way back to the Cold War.

355.07 -> But the policy has yet to change.

356.938 -> No president has been in a hurry to get rid

358.73 -> of that particular perk.

359.765 ->

365.3 -> A 20-kiloton detonation demolished Nagasaki

367.88 -> at the end of World War II.

369.26 -> By 1960, the Single Integrated Operational Plan, a.k.a.

373.37 -> SIOP, called for a total of 706 nuclear devices

377.6 -> to be aimed at 725 targets in the USSR, China,

381.53 -> and their allied nations.

383.15 -> If the US ever faced a nuclear conflict against the USSR,

387.05 -> the plan was to detonate three 80-kiloton devices

390.44 -> per every city the size of Nagasaki or larger.

393.59 -> Furthermore, the 1960 plan targeted a list

396.35 -> of Sino-Soviet communist countries,

398.27 -> regardless of if they were officially

400.31 -> at war with the United States.

402.14 -> In other words, be careful of who

404 -> you cozy up to, geopolitically speaking, of course.

406.895 ->

412.62 -> As many Americans know from as early as grade school,

415.43 -> if the president dies, is removed from office,

418.55 -> or otherwise becomes incapable of doing the job,

421.1 -> the vice president takes control.

423.24 -> But what if both the president and vice president

426.74 -> are wiped out by the same event, such as a nuclear blast?

429.68 -> In that case, the presidency passes

431.75 -> to the Speaker of the House before continuing down

434.24 -> the line.

434.9 -> That official line of succession includes a total of 18 people

437.84 -> and goes all the way down to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

440.99 -> In the extremely unlikely event that all 18 of those people

444.2 -> have been wiped out, the next president

445.91 -> is presumably chosen by dodgeball tournament.

448.61 -> Long before working together as members of George W. Bush's

451.16 -> cabinet, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld

452.943 -> were tasked by the Reagan administration

454.61 -> with developing a detailed plan for the survival of US

457.01 -> leadership in the event of a nuclear conflict

458.9 -> with the Soviet Union.

460.19 -> The current line of succession was deemed insufficient.

462.538 -> So Cheney and Rumsfeld helped to develop a comprehensive plan

465.08 -> to ensure a chain of command survived.

466.88 -> While not much is known of the plan,

468.38 -> the broad outline is that three teams

470.06 -> would be flown to separate bunkers around the country.

472.43 -> Each team would include a high-ranking cabinet member,

475.07 -> defense officials, state officials,

477.11 -> and CIA representatives, and would

479.342 -> have everything they needed to take

480.8 -> control of military and civilian response to the crisis.

483.68 -> While it can't be totally certain,

485.36 -> it is likely that there are hidden emergency bunkers

487.94 -> all around the country.

489.143 -> We can't be certain because if the public knew

491.06 -> the locations of the hidden bunkers,

492.71 -> they wouldn't be hidden anymore, which would defeat the purpose.

496.14 -> However, there are a few that have become public knowledge.

499.07 -> The most well known of these is Raven Rock

501.14 -> in southern Pennsylvania.

502.55 -> It sounds like a He-Man playset, but it's actually

505.16 -> a complex of office buildings built

506.84 -> on enormous shock-absorbing springs

508.76 -> within a hollowed-out mountain.

510.29 -> So yeah, it kind of sounds like a He-Man playset.

512.63 -> The massive structure is essentially a small city.

515.072 -> And it contains a fire department, police department,

517.28 -> and medical facilities.

518.69 -> In the early days of the nuclear era,

520.52 -> nuclear devices were nowhere near as destructive

522.679 -> as they are now.

523.76 -> It wasn't totally unreasonable to think

525.53 -> that some people caught in the blast could be saved.

527.93 -> And the government drafted plans that

529.64 -> focused on preserving as much life as possible.

532.16 -> But as the devices grew more destructive

534.38 -> and began to yield 25 megatons, substantially more

537.74 -> than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki,

540.38 -> the planners refocused on saving the highest-ranking officials

543.77 -> and ensuring the continuity of governance

545.81 -> in the event of a disaster.

547.34 -> Everybody else is kind of on their own.

549.39 -> Hence, all the secret bunkers.

550.985 ->

556.61 -> In January of 2018, Hawaiian residents

559.73 -> received an alarming text message

561.38 -> that read, "Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii.

564.44 -> Seek immediate shelter.

565.94 -> This is not a drill."

567.5 -> Thankfully, while it was, indeed, not a drill,

569.96 -> the text wasn't accurate either.

571.91 -> An employee of Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency

574.4 -> had accidentally triggered the message.

576.29 -> Whoopsie.

577.153 -> Kind of feels like whatever button

578.57 -> sends that message should be pretty clearly labeled.

581.09 -> But nobody who received that message had any idea.

583.97 -> To them, it looked like the US government had just

586.16 -> told everyone in Hawaii to kiss their butts goodbye.

589.01 -> Turns out the United States has a network

591.26 -> of satellites monitoring the Pacific

593.12 -> Ocean for potential ballistic threats 24 hours a day.

596.48 -> And the erroneous message was part of that system.

598.79 -> The US Pacific Command is capable of detecting

600.92 -> ranged ballistic missiles, which gives

602.84 -> the military valuable time to both attempt

604.88 -> to intercept the rockets and prepare for impact.

607.7 -> Hopefully they don't send any more accidental messages.

610.79 -> You only get so many false alarms

612.5 -> until your early warning system stops warning anyone.

615.2 ->

620.55 -> Well, American children of the 1950s

622.66 -> may remember watching a cartoon at school starring a talking

625.51 -> turtle named Bert, who taught children to duck

627.91 -> and cover in case of a nuclear blast.

630.25 -> The film was produced by the Federal Civil Defense Agency

633.04 -> and was accompanied by short comics

634.6 -> and other Bert-themed merchandise,

636.58 -> or would that be Bert-chandise?

638.86 -> If you think the idea of ducking and covering

641.05 -> in response to an atomic attack sounds dumb,

643.96 -> well, you're not alone.

645.46 -> Even at the time, many mocked the idea of duck and cover

648.52 -> as a useful strategy during a nuclear blast.

650.92 -> But the advice has made a comeback.

652.96 -> So to each their own.

654.73 -> Obviously, ducking and covering won't

656.613 -> do you any good if you're caught in the direct blast

658.78 -> range of a nuclear device.

660.34 -> The only real advice in that scenario

662.05 -> is smoke 'em if you got 'em.

663.89 -> But duck and cover is good advice

666.04 -> for those outside the blast radius

667.48 -> to avoid shockwaves and flying debris.

669.67 -> In the wake of rising tension between nuclear powers in 2011,

673.48 -> the Obama administration even released a planning document,

676.3 -> encouraging local agencies to educate their citizens on duck

679.51 -> and cover, once again, with the help of a cartoon turtle.

682.21 -> Come on.

682.87 -> Let that turtle retire.

684.1 -> Hasn't he seen enough?

685.45 -> So what do you think?

686.957 -> Do you think these plans for surviving

688.54 -> a nuclear attack would work?

690.04 -> Let us in the comments below.

691.38 -> And while you're at it, check out some of these other videos

693.88 -> from our weird history.

696.66 ->

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5wlmb9I1YQ