How to Survive a Nuclear Attack

Shock wave: After the fireball comes the shock wave, or air blast. If detonated in the air, that same 10-kiloton bomb would destroy most buildings and kill nearly everyone within 0.38 miles of ground zero. The effect is reduced by 23 percent if the detonation occurs on the ground. The shock wave weakens from there, but can still take out residential buildings and cause mass casualties two to two and a half times the initial spread of the shock wave, according to Wellerstein’s projections.