LONDON: New York City’s local authorities launched a public service announcement on Monday with guidance for residents on what to do in the event of a nuclear attack on the city.
Released on NYC Emergency Management’s YouTube channel, the 1.5-minute-long PSA outlines steps New Yorkers l can take to mitigate the threats of a nuclear blast.
The video begins with footage showing houses and apartment blocks as emergency sirens ring out.
A woman then appears in the street and outlines what to do next: “So there’s been a nuclear attack. Don’t ask me how or why, just know that the big one has hit.”
While the likelihood of a nuclear incident occurring in or near New York City is very low, the PSA warns that “it is important New Yorkers know the steps to stay safe.”
Steps include getting inside fast, and staying away from windows and cars.
Once inside, the advice is to stay there, close all doors, and move to a basement if possible.
If residents were outside after the blast, the PSA advises them to get clean immediately and to remove and bag all outer clothing, which will keep radioactive dust or ash away from the body.
The last piece of advice is for people to stay tuned to the news for updated information and to watch for official alerts about when it is safe to go outside.
The nuclear incident PSA ends on an encouraging note: “You’ve got this.”
The city did not give any further details on how or when a nuclear attack might happen, and the timing of the video seems to have confused many.
One social media user replied to the video mockingly, sharing a picture of a shelter handbook with the caption: “Time to dig this back out ... and start digging.”
Embed tweet: https://twitter.com/unpluggingOK/status/1546541903239434242
Others were not as amused with the announcement. Another said: “This advice is even less useful than the whistle on the life jacket in a plane. There is no way a helicopter pilot could hear a whistle. In Nagasaki the heat was so great it melted the granite sidewalk and left the shadows of the people. If a Nuke hits your city it is over.”
Embed tweet: https://twitter.com/OllieReedFC/status/1546743570543280128