The Obama Administration has some simple advice for Americans, who could be subject to a surprise nuke attack from terrorists at any time.
Says the New York Times:
The government has a surprising new message: Do not flee. Get inside any stable building and don't come out till officials say it's safe. The advice is based on recent scientific analyses showing that a nuclear attack is much more survivable if you immediately shield yourself from the lethal radiation that follows a blast, a simple tactic seen as saving hundreds of thousands of lives. Even staying in a car, the studies show, would reduce casualties by more than 50 percent; hunkering down in a basement would be better by far.
Perhaps more surprising than this advice is the tacit admission that nukes could strike at any time, without much warning, just the way the 9/11 attacks did a decade ago. At the same time, say officials, there is no cause to be fatalistic about a nuclear attack. They are unlikely - though of course we should be prepared. They are also survivable.
You may also have noticed that this advice hasn't changed much since the 1950s.
Read more about how the US government is preparing for a nuclear attack via The New York Times