The Homeland Security of Guam, a U.S. island territory in Micronesia, in the Western Pacific issued a 'Fact Sheet' guide to surviving a Nuclear attack, through the Guam Joint Information Centre on Friday. The warning comes after the past week has seen tensions rise with rousing statements from the US President Donald Trump and the North Korean leadership.
Safe and sound
Eddie Baza Calvo, the governor of Guam has reinforced that the island faces no threat from North Korea and that people should continue living their lives. The Republican governor also mentioned last Wednesday that, "there are several levels of defence, all strategically placed to protect our island and our nation".
While the island nation has received no direct threats from North Korea, many fear a major rift in diplomatic talks between the United States and North Korea could be followed by an all-out war which would affect the island nation first owing to its proximity to the Korean peninsula.
Nuke survival guide
The fact sheet issued by the Homeland Security of Guam goes on to list important measures to undertake during a case of emergency. Steps such as; "Make a list of potential concrete shelters near your home, workplace and school. These places can include basements or the windowless centre area of middle floors in multi-level buildings.", are laid out to prepare people for potential attacks. Steps to be undertaken during potential attacks are described as well, some of which are; "take cover as quickly as you can, under a concrete structure or below ground if possible" and "Do not look at the flash or fireball – It can blind you".
Post-bombing survival instructions in the guide ask people to stay away from damaged areas, areas marked “radiation hazard” or “HAZMAT". The guide also covers cases where parents can find their children in school at the time of the attack and things to remember such as the distance, shielding and time relative to the threat.
While all this seems very academic at this point, the very fact that the situation has deteriorated to such a stage is quite scary not just for the people of Guam but for people all around the world. The world has already witnessed the monstrous effects of nuclear weapons in their early stages, a solitary thought of such a possibility now is petrifying.
An all-out war maybe out of the picture for many but the highly volatile political figures of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un are certainly flirting with situations that could very well give rise to a Cold War.
