Urban Living: 1-2-3

A single terrorist nuke, more likely in the 5- to 10-kiloton range (Hiroshima was 12 kilotons), will kill tens or hundreds of thousands of people in any big city but spare the rest. In New York, that will leave about 7.5 million of us to sort through the carnage.

- How To Survive A Nuclear Bomb (via Slate.com)

1. Having potassium iodide tablets on hand will prevent your thyroid from soaking up radiation and giving you cancer, the most common complication of a nuclear detonation (for those that aren't incinerated.) Get tablets here.

2. Preparing your home by making sure you have at least a week's worth of food and water on hand is critical. You must also find a way to properly shield yourself from fallout for at least two days. Basements are always best. After two days, radiation levels will have fallen to 1/100th of the initial level, which is still highly sucky, but survivable. For a guide to preparing your home for a nuclear emergency, go here.

3. If you are in a subway or tall building that is attacked by non-nuclear means, your best defense is a face mask and a flashlight. For a powerful LED key-chain flashlight, go here. For a window escape from a tall building, you might consider the evacuchute, which is exactly what it sounds like.

Have a nice weekend.