Fallout Shelter Specifications

Fallout shelters provide a temporary or long-term living arrangement for survivors of nuclear attacks and accidents. They must provide shelter from a blast following a nuclear attack and radioactive fallout, as well as provide enough food, water and sanitary products for a period of several weeks to several months, depending on the severity of the nuclear attack. They should also provide entertainment to maintain morale, be located in a nearby location, and they should be concealed to prevent looting.

Blast Protection

• A hardened structure built below the ground's surface will survive most nearby detonations. A hardened structure can be built with steel-reinforced concrete, with a steel door; however, a wall of concrete in front of the entrance will provide protection against strong blast pressures. Such a structure requires ventilation which extends above the ground's surface. So that radioactive debris and ash doesn't pollute the shelter's atmosphere, the vent should be sealed from the inside in the minutes after a nuclear attack to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning from nearby fires, and then opened after a few hours. If your ventilation shaft doesn't have a filter, set a damp cloth over your vent to prevent radioactive ash from entering your shelter. You can also purchase a manual air pump to quickly cycle air through your shelter.

Supplies

• You should have fourteen gallons of water for every individual who stays in your shelter for two weeks for sanitary procedures, preparing food and drinking, and enough food to last from two weeks to several months. Ideally, you should keep a rotating stock of food that can feed your household for a few months. Purchase canned goods, ready-to-eat meals, dehydrated milk, multi-vitamins and bags of rice and grains for food. Keep a first aid kit, sanitary supplies, large garbage bags for waste removal, camping equipment like stoves and tents, and plenty of batteries for flashlights.

Structural Concerns

• Fires are a serious problem in the event of a nuclear attack; depending on the weapon, several miles can be enveloped in flames from a thermal-nuclear blast wave. Building a bunker under your home can be deadly if your house catches fire, so try to build your shelter away from nearby structures. Tunneling underground can be a more affordable route to building a shelter, but cave-ins during construction are a possible problem, as are drainage issues.

Radiation Poisoning

• Contrary to popular belief, radiation doesn't simply zoom through the air; radioactive particles stick to ash and dust, and these particles cause radiation poisoning. You don't need an industrial air filter for your bomb shelter. If your air intake sits off of the ground, and it has a top, it will be unlikely that radioactive particles will cause radiation poisoning. A damp sheet extended over the intake on the inside of the shelter will provide adequate protection. Water and food will not become irradiated if it's in sealed containers; wash your food before you prepare it.

Dimensions

• A 10,000 gallon fuel tank could house 40 people in the event of a nuclear attack.

  The smaller your shelter, the more affordable, but the less comfortable the stay and the shorter the time that can be spent. An affordable shelter can be built out of two 6 by 12 foot sheets of 10-gauge cold-rolled steel, with flat pieces sealing either side; this could house an average-sized family without food for the two to three days following a nuclear attack; it offers a workable short-term solution. A smaller shelter for three to four individuals can be built under a sturdy table in an underground basement, with dense material piled around it. Larger underground structures can house much larger groups of people and stores of food, either dug straight into the earth, or in a buried container.