IE 11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

Can You Find Your Old List of Fallout Shelters?

If you are on the West Coast, expect some questions to be coming.

With the successful test of an ICBM missile by North Korea, I'm sure there will be questions asked about civil defense — where you live. It is likely that no one remains working in emergency management from that era. Record retention has likely been been exceeded so ... you are starting from scratch when it comes to determining if there are any previously designated fallout shelters in existence.

See this story, Emergency officials explain why fallout shelters impractical for missile attacks. The one thing that will resurrect civil defense measures, including civil defense shelters, will be federal funding. That will quickly change our tune from, "You can't get there in time" to "Here is a list of designated shelters."

One other interesting factoid from the linked article is that Hawaii makes for three states that I know of that are telling their citizens to be prepared for 14 days. 

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.