If you’re expecting any sort of assistance from the federal government in the event of a nuclear attack (or any other serious SHTF scenario) don’t be surprised if no one shows up:

The White House has warned state and local governments not to expect a “significant federal response” at the scene of a terrorist nuclear attack for 24 to 72 hours after the blast, according to a planning guide.

President Obama told delegates from 47 nations at the Nuclear Security Summit on Tuesday that it would be a “catastrophe for the world” if al-Qaeda or another terrorist group got a nuclear device, because so many lives would be lost and it would be so hard to mitigate damage from the blast.

A 10-kiloton nuclear explosion would level buildings within half a mile of ground zero, generate 900-mph winds, bathe the landscape with radiation and produce a plume of fallout that would drift for hundreds of miles, the guide says. It was posted on the Internet and sent to local officials.

[Source: USA Today]

The federal government has deferred emergency response to local officials, which makes sense. It took several days for the government to respond in any sort of capacity when hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and that event was more or less expected. Imagine an event that wipes out a five or ten square mile area of a major city.

The problem with local governments, of course, is that they lack any real emergency preparedness for a mass casualty event:

Disaster experts say local governments aren’t prepared for a nuclear attack. “There isn’t a single American city, in my estimation, that has sufficient plans for a nuclear terrorist event,” says Irwin Redlener of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

The threat of a nuclear attack on the United States, especially from a weapon like a dirty bomb or smaller kiloton weapon will become more likely over the course of the next decade as rogue states like North Korea, Iran, and potentially Venezuela will have the capacity to assist terrorist organizations. Couple that with the possibility of a false-flag attack and the probabilities of such an event are higher now than they have ever been.

Prepare to go it alone if it does happen.

You might consider assembling a small nuclear preparedness kit that includes some of the following items:

• Radiation detector (available on the web for under $35) to help you determine the levels of radiation in your immediate area
• Potassium Iodide tablets to assist with reducing the amount of radiation that the thyroid gland absorbs. If you are caught without potassium iodide, you can also swallow one to two ounces of iodide for the same effect. (*note: prepare to experience vomiting, nausea and stomach upset)
• Thick plastic sheets will need to be used to create a “safe room.” Preferably you’d want to use these in a basement, but for those without basements, any room on the first floor, isolated from windows as much as possible would work. If you happen to be caught without plastic sheets, use trash bags or anything else that can provide you with an airtight pocket.
• Duct tape to tape all your plastic sheets together to form an air tight pocket.

Even if you are out of the blast radius, say 50, 100 or 200 miles, you are still in harm’s way as radiation can be pushed your way with strong winds, like a thunderstorm.

These simple items, available for under $100 can save your life, so consider adding them to your overall SHTF Plan.

Click here to learn more about surviving a nuclear attack.