Fallout Shelter Near Me: How to Find Adequate Shelter

We found no current official national list of fallout shelters. A sign on an old building would not tell you whether a space is usable today. The useful question is what nearby building would protect you, and federal guidance answers that clearly.

What counts as adequate shelter

FEMA's planning guidance says adequate shelters reduce radiation dose by a factor of 10 or more. Its examples are:

• basements
• the centers of large, multi-story buildings
• parking garages
• tunnels

Ready.gov adds that the safest buildings have brick or concrete walls, and that underground parking garages and subways can also provide good shelter.

What FEMA does not count as adequate

• Vehicles. FEMA says they lack dense shielding. CDC says not to stay in your car, and to get into a building right away.
• Single-story wood frame houses without basements. FEMA says they provide limited shielding and should not be considered adequate shelter.

If a house is the only building you can reach in time, go in. FEMA says any shelter is better than being outside for extended periods, and CDC says being inside any building is safer than being outside.

Why mass and distance matter

The main risk from fallout is penetrating radiation. FEMA says concrete, brick, stone and earth are good shielding, and that wood, drywall and thin sheet metal provide minimal shielding, though many layers can add up. CDC says to stay as far from the walls and roof as you can, because radioactive material settles on the outside of buildings. Stay away from windows, doors and corners too.

Do you need to seal the room? FEMA says structures do not need to be airtight to protect against fallout radiation. Close windows and doors and turn off fans that pull in outside air, as Ready.gov says. Do not delay getting inside to tape a room.

Choose yours before you need it

1. For home, work and school, pick the best spot you could reach within a few minutes. Ready.gov suggests going to a multi-story building or basement if you can safely reach one within a few minutes of a detonation.
2. Learn the school, work and care-facility plans for sheltering. CDC says schools and daycares have emergency plans and that going outside to collect loved ones could expose you and them to dangerous radiation.
3. Ask your state or county emergency management office whether it has local shelter guidance. Local plans differ.
4. Store water, food, medicine and a battery-powered or hand-crank radio where you would shelter.

If you are in a poor shelter

Officials may order you to move. FEMA also says people in poor shelter can cut their dose by moving to adequate shelter nearby, ideally away from ground zero. When adequate shelter is within 15 minutes of travel, it says people in very poor shelter (protection factor 2) should stay no longer than 30 minutes from the detonation, and those in somewhat better shelter (protection factor 4) for an hour or two, before moving. This is a short move to a building you know, not an evacuation. Do not set out without knowing where you are going. Leave at once only for an immediate hazard, such as fire, a gas leak, building collapse or serious injury.

How long to stay

Ready.gov says sheltering usually lasts at least 24 hours. Once you are in adequate shelter, leave only when authorities say it is safe, or an immediate hazard such as fire, a gas leak, building collapse or serious injury forces you out. See how fast fallout fades.