Posted: 3/12/2011 12:10:08 AM EDT
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Just wanted to drop in to remind you guys to keep your heads on a swivel and pay attention to the reactor blowing up in Japan. Stay safe guys. |
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Not a very rosy picture about the fallout if it melts down
One must use common sense when considering this possibility. It’s all really quite straight forward. Any particles would flow with the wind. Period. All one needs to do is know the wind pattern from the day of release, namely, the Jet stream. Currently the Jet Stream is moving over Japan and streaming across the ocean towards the U.S. (as it pretty much always does). The average speed of the jet is about 100 – 120 knots, or about 110 – 140 mph. Simple math, 4,500 miles divided by 120 mph equals about 37 hours (plus or minus). A day and a half. End of story. Note, it’s all about the wind pattern. There are weather sites that illustrate this and update regularly. The first image of this post shows the current jet stream as of post time, which will wiggle waggle throughout time. Also note, “IF” and whatever amount of radiation is released, will disperse rapidly from the site. It’s not like there will be millions of glowing people on the west coast U.S. 36 hours later, but there would certainly be some amount of exposure given the current jet. Not qualified to surmise how much that would be… Those in the immediate vicinity of Fukushima would obviously be tragically affected. “IF” Fukushima suffers a catastrophic reactor meltdown, given the present state of red alerts there, it would likely happen fairly soon, within 24 hours I would think. They will either get things cooled down now, or it’s going to melt. Having said that, “IF” Fukushima melts down completely, the following image shows the position of the jet stream on March 14 and 15, which would probably be the approximate time frame for whatever radiation to make it across. It appears then, that central California (San Francisco) to north to the Oregon border would be in the bulls-eye for the most part. Although none of the west really will escape the wind pattern as forecast from WeatherBank. The darker colors indicate the higher jet-stream wind speeds, which one might surmise to bear the greater majority of particles, or at least the first arrival |
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Either way it goes, this terrible disaster reminds us to check ourselves.
Do you have KIO3 handy? In a fallout situation it could be the difference between life and (a very ugly, relatively slow) death. Not trying to be alarmist, but it never hurts to be prepared. Murphy's Law Guarantees that by the time you actually need KIO3 it's sold out. I'm a certified radiation safety officer, so I at least know a moderate amount about radiation safety and have some tools/gear for self protection, but even just learning the basics of safety in a fallout situation goes a long ways. Google it. How's your emergency food and water supplies? Medical gear? I know your guns and ammo situation is probably adequate, right? 
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that was WAY too technical... im confused now... do i need to put on tin foil?? YES. But this situation is so severe that you will need tinfoil covering your entire body, not just a hat. REMEMBER: It will only work if you take a picture of yourself in your tin-foil survival suit and post it on this thread. |
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Either way it goes, this terrible disaster reminds us to check ourselves. Do you have KIO3 handy? (NO)In a fallout situation it could be the difference between life and (a very ugly, relatively slow) death. Not trying to be alarmist, but it never hurts to be prepared. Murphy's Law Guarantees that by the time you actually need KIO3 it's sold out. I'm a certified radiation safety officer, so I at least know a moderate amount about radiation safety and have some tools/gear for self protection, but even just learning the basics of safety in a fallout situation goes a long ways. Google it. How's your emergency food and water supplies?Food and Water are ok here, about a week and a half currently. Too broke to get more for a few more days Medical gear? Plenty of that I know your guns and ammo situation is probably adequate, right?
Sadly, no. I am unarmed currently. I sold my ar upper and stock set to pay bills 2 weeks ago. Realistically, I'm a few months out of any form of firearm beyond my wife's .22. Only have 180rds of .223 also. Being unemployed sucks... |
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Preston where dose one get iodine pills locally I've only ever seen them at far north tactical, I'm sure somebody else sells them locally but don't know who. I bought them from these guys: http://www.kio3.com/ Good quality and very good prices, especially if you buy a lot. |
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Sadly, no. I am unarmed currently. I sold my ar upper and stock set to pay bills 2 weeks ago. Realistically, I'm a few months out of any form of firearm beyond my wife's .22. Only have 180rds of .223 also. Being unemployed sucks... Sorry to hear about that. At least you have a fighting spirit, so you're doing better than most of the sheeple out there. If you've got water, food, and a survival attitude you'll do well no matter what the circumstances. Remember what Sun Tzu said about weaponry- your enemies will bring it to you.
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A dose of under 100 rems is subclinical and will produce nothing other than blood changes. 100 to 200 rems will cause illness but will rarely be fatal. Doses of 200 to 1000 rems will likely cause serious illness with poor outlook at the upper end of the range. Doses of more than 1000 rems are almost invariably fatal[5].
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rad_%28unit%29 RAD is an outdated measurement, now they use rem(s). Read the article, they tell you how to convert but even at the lowest "Q" or quality factor it looks pretty bleak when you look at that map. I can only hope that is for the very worst case scenario. Plus, now Japan has a volcano to worry about? This is some major SHTF for those poor folks. |
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I just went and bought 7 bottles of KIO3 for $97 shipped- I looked at my stash and realized I only had enough for my immediate family, not enough to share...Man that would be a shitty situation if you ever had to really use it. I bought 5 bottles for my family from a place online. Does anyone know if it should be given to a pet to protect them too? |
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I found what seems to be a more accurate projection for the radiation based on jet stream maps.
I don't know how much accuracy they have. Maybe one of you guys can take a look & make a guess. http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2011/03/12/possible-fukushima-nuclear-fallout-projections-for-the-u.s.-based-on-wind-patterns-8145/ |
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I just went and bought 7 bottles of KIO3 for $97 shipped- I looked at my stash and realized I only had enough for my immediate family, not enough to share...Man that would be a shitty situation if you ever had to really use it. I bought 5 bottles for my family from a place online. Does anyone know if it should be given to a pet to protect them too? I've read it is OK for pets, the dosage would be scaled down by body weight I'd imagine. As for pregnant women and very small children, their dosage needs to be scaled back as described below. Blocking your thyroid is never good, it causes fatigue and sickness after a while, but it's certainly better than bio-accumulating 131-I (radioactive iodine). The trick is that you have to block your thyroid BEFORE you are exposed to 131-I. I've been warned about the KI, that the side effects are more pronounced than KIO3 but both will work. The fallout area changes with the jetstream, which is constantly changing but always travels East. That's why some maps show it hitting AK while others do not I believe. Here's what Chuck Fenwick from the Medical Corps has to say: Here Comes Fallout! (Now, What was it I was supposed to Take?) By Chuck Fenwick Director, Medical Corps, Courtesy of TACDA What is the big deal about KIO3 or KI? You know it is for nuclear preparedness, but just why is it so important? Of all the radioactive isotopes and radioactive particles that can come from a nuclear reaction, radioactive iodine 131 (I-131) poisoning is one of the most lethal. The good news is that damage to the thyroid from exposure to I-131 can be prevented. Keep in mind these facts about your thyroid: 1) Your thyroid runs on iodine. 2) Your thyroid is a pig. 3) Your thyroid is stupid. Your thyroid runs on iodine and will absorb all it can until it is absolutely full. This fullness is called saturation or blockade. However, your thyroid does not know the difference between good iodine and bad iodine. Good iodine is taken up by the thyroid in the form of potassium iodate (KI03) or potassium iodide (KI). Bad iodine, I-131, is a radioisotope of iodine which is produced in nuclear reactions such as a bomb or nuclear power plant. I-131 is what we call a beta emitter and if you get it on your skin it will burn you in much the same way as when you get bad sunburn. It has a half-life of roughly 8 days (8.01 to 8.07). One of the reasons spent fuel rods are stored in pools of water for months at a time, is that they will be off-gassing I-131 for roughly 10 half-lives (approximately 80 days). If you are caught unprotected and downwind from a nuclear reaction and the plume or cloud of fallout reaches you, your thyroid will absorb this bad iodine. You now have sunburn in your thyroid and it is not going to go away. Eventually that sunburn in your thyroid can give you cancer (the FDA doesn’t like me saying “will” give you cancer). Now that your thyroid has absorbed the bad iodine, is there anything you can do to clean the thyroid out? The answer is no. There are a few things that will help, but in reality you now have this radioactive sunburn in your thyroid and you are in big trouble. All of the good iodine or Prussian Blue or activated charcoal we can throw at the problem is not going to help. Depending on your age it will… uh.. may take you several months to several years to develop cancer of the thyroid. That is the bad news. The good news is coming up. The Good News: Iodine––including I-131 and the other iodine isotopes––are from the halogen group. They act like a gas, which combines with things such as soil or metal. In a plume they float along and when conditions are right they “plate out” and come down like microscopic rain where growing plants, animals, and humans absorb them. We may breathe, eat or drink I-131 and even absorb it through the skin. And yes, your pets are at risk too, as well as your livestock. In fact, it is best not to eat exposed plants or food animals for at least 90 days, and this includes eggs and milk. Remember, your thyroid doesn’t care if it is bad or good iodine, nor does it care where it comes from. Let’s get back to the “I’m going to die” part. When taken for the proper length of time and in the proper amounts, KI03 and KI act as “thyroid blockers”. When the thyroid is filled to capacity with good iodine, the bad iodine is blocked from entering. If you had KIO3 or KI on hand and had taken it before the plume or cloud reached you, then your thyroid would have been about 99% saturated with good iodine. The bad iodine would then biologically slough from your body through natural bodily functions. The bad iodine will only affect those who haven’t prepared. Will the government be able to provide KI or KIO3 to you after (or just before) exposure to fallout? Maybe. If a power plant melts down or in a small terrorist attack, government officials may have time to get the iodine blockers to you. If it is a full-scale nuclear attack, however, members of the state and federal government will be too occupied with personal survival to help anyone except themselves. Keep in mind that a nuclear attack always produces an EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) and quite likely all electrical circuits will be destroyed or damaged. It will then be impossible to print or distribute any printed material through normal media processes. In fact, that new digital safe where you keep your family papers, guns, money and medicines will never work again, and if your KIO3 is in there, then your thyroid is in big trouble. KIO3 versus KI: Actually there is no versus. They are both thyroid blockers and both will blockade the thyroid. Both KI and KIO3 are FDA approved and inspected. KIO3 is more heat tolerant than KI; therefore, KIO3 is used in most of the world’s iodized salt—not so the United States. When stored in a dark, cool place, KIO3 has a much longer shelf life than KI. Because it is so stable, Medical Corps stamps an 8 to 10 year shelf life on the label, and has given a lifetime replacement warranty on the product. If your KI03 has been damaged or is beyond the warranty date, send a picture of your bottle, and we will replace the 90-tablet bottle for $5.00, and the 200-tablet bottle for $10. How much should you have on hand? First and foremost, you need to have a several weeks’ supply of KI or KIO3 on hand in storage, now. If we have a nuclear event, the chances of you getting it after the event are remote to nonexistent. Another point to consider: If we have one nuclear event we will most likely have others over the next several days. That is the reason we produce multi-dose bottles. We had to ask ourselves, "How much is enough?" How do you Take KI and KIO3? KIO3 can be taken in tablet form or sprinkled on food or dissolved in drinks. It is not bitter and children won't throw it up––which is the point. However, taking KIO3 on an empty stomach feels like taking an aspirin on an empty stomach so take it with food or water. If food or water is not handy then by all means don't delay––just swallow or chew up the proper dose. KI, on the other hand, is terribly bitter and the taste must be disguised. This from the FDA on disguising the bitter taste of KI: The mixture of potassium iodide with raspberry syrup disguises the taste of potassium iodide best. The mixtures of potassium iodide with low fat chocolate milk, orange juice, and flat soda (for example, cola) generally have an acceptable taste. Low fat white milk and water did not hide the salty taste of potassium iodide. When should you take a thyroid blocker? I'm supposed to say that the authorities will tell you when to take the KIO3 or KI, but if there is an EMP it will be impossible for them to relay this information, and most likely the authorities will either be in a shelter or dead––so you really are on your own. A gas mask will not do the job properly. You would have to live, eat, drink and sleep in the mask for many days. Also, human skin will absorb radioactive iodine even if you do wear a mask. The only way to completely avoid I-131 is to stay in a self-contained blast shelter that has a proper air filtration system. Thyroid blockers are most effective if taken 8 to 12 hours before exposure. They can be started 8 to 12 hours after exposure with fairly good results, but the earlier the better, as any amount of radioactive iodine is bad for your thyroid. Caution! KIO3 in tablet form is for nuclear emergencies, only, and is not a supplement for thyroid health. You want your thyroid to function normally during peacetime and the amount of iodine you receive in your food and salt should be adequate for normal thyroid function. Do not take a thyroid blocker unless you expect an imminent exposure to radioactive fallout. Medical Corps' KIO3 will block the thyroid from working, which is exactly what you want to happen during a nuclear emergency. The directions are on the bottle and are very important. How long should you take a thyroid blocker? You will need to take your KIO3 or KI for 3 to 14 days depending on the event. For a period of 80 days after the last known nuclear event, do not drink the milk from cows or goats and eat only canned foods. Small babies should not take a thyroid blocker for longer than 3 days unless absolutely necessary. This means a baby in the womb, too! If pregnant, do not take a thyroid blocker for more than 3 days or nurse your baby while taking the blocker. If babies block their thyroid for longer than 3 days then a doctor may need to give them a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). If your thyroid has been surgically removed then you do not need to take a thyroid blocker. Read the label for proper dosing. KIO3 comes in 170mg tablets or 85mg tablets. KI comes in 130mg tablets or 65mg tablets so the dosing on the bottle will tell you how much to take and how often. In conclusion: Buy your KI or KIO3 now so you can concentrate on other things like food, water, shelter and education––especially education. The old civil defense motto was: Knowledge Replaces Fear. Chuck Fenwick, Director, Medical Corps |
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All the news orgs are reporting that the stuff is really hard to get right now, with all the panic buying and stuff we're shipping to Japan.
The good news is that some people who actually know about the reactor construction say there is no chance of a Chernobyl style meltdown because all the Japan plants have containment built in, as do all Gen 2 nuke plants. Chernobyl did not have a containment vessel. Also, they used graphite for cooling in chernobyl rather than water, the graphite caught on fire and burned uncontrollably for 4 days, spewing radioactive smoke everywhere. All the Gen 3 plants don't have the cooling issue as Gen 3's are designed with passive cooling- no cooling pumps needed, it's all done by convection. As you remember this whole thing started because the diesel backup gens for the cooling pumps got submerged/damaged by the tsunami. Too bad we can't get any Gen 3's up and running in this country- they are much safer than gen 2's. |
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++++++++++++++++++++++++Update+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 14, 2011: 5:00 pm CONTACT: Eric Mohrmann, Director Office of Emergency Management (907) 262-4910 / (907) 398-3533 STATE OF ALASKA DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTS “NO DANGER TO ALASKA FROM POWER PLANTS DAMAGED IN JAPAN” During a teleconference held today between state, federal and local officials, the State of Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management stated that there was no immediate or anticipated threat to Alaska from the nuclear plants damaged during the earthquake in Japan. The Department of Defense, Nuclear Regulatory Agency, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management are constantly monitoring for radiation through a network of monitoring sensors located in western Alaska. Additional monitoring stations are now being installed. No hazardous radiation has been detected. Taking potassium iodine as a preventative measure is not recommended as it is not needed and has side effects. These agencies will remain in constant contact with each other, the National Weather Service and local governmental agencies. More information can be obtained through the website www.hss.state.ak.us. The recent events in Japan, underscore that people should be prepared to be self-supporting for at least 72 hours by having a preparedness kit that includes, food, water, medication, clothing, a battery operated radio, flashlight and other necessities. A full list can be found on the OEM website at www.borough.kenai.ak.us under the Emergency Management tab. |
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Yeah, it's looking more and more like we're not going to have a radiation problem on this side of the Pacific. You know the old saying "the answer to pollution is dilution"? This is the current situation, maybe a mile or two away will be a problem, but not over here. This is my opinion only and if shit goes south the story could change, but I don't see it.
The biggest repercussion of this crisis is that Japan is/was the world's 3rd largest economy. This is a huge deal, and with all the stuff going on including Libya, Israel/Palestine, Iran, our pres is playing golf and taking a vacation to Brazil. I'm jealous.
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