How Far Underground To Survive A Nuclear Blast

The longer answer is, it depends on the size and power of the nuclear bomb. Not all nukes are created equal.

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The idea of a future Nuclear War seems to have embedded itself be in the back of everyone’s mind. Along with this comes a question or two about nuclear survival. So let’s answer one of the common ones I see, which is how far underground you need to be to survive a nuclear bomb detonation.

Here’s a rule of thumb for how much material or mass is needed for protection.

You need about 175kg of material per square foot of protection.

So with that rule in mind, to know how far underground would you have to be to survive a nuclear blast if you’re taking shelter underground, you would need 36 inches of concrete or tightly-packed dirt to protect you from the blasts harmful effects. If you didn’t have a dense material like concrete above you, you would likely need at least 48 inches of material like dirt to save you.

How To Go Deep Underground

Well, you know how deep underground you’ll have to be to not get killed by the blast. But how are you actually going to get that deep underground?

A survival bunker is an ideal place to be if you can’t get far enough away from the blast radius. But for the bunker to keep you safe, it has to meet the depth requirement.

However… it’s not that simple. Why? Because I’m assuming you want to continue living after a nuclear detonation as well.

So when you return to ground level from your underground bunker, you are now in the middle of deadly radiation and a dozen other life-threatening ailments that are left from a nuke detonating.

Conclusion

In closing, be safe and just get as far as you possibly can away from any nuclear bomb detonation.

Do you think building an underground bunker is worth it?

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