What would it feel like to die in a nuclear blast?

Question

From what i know everything catches on fire a brief moment before being blown away.

Answer 1

It depends on a few factors - whether you are killed by the immediate effects of the blast (electromagnetic burst), or the shock wave generated by the blast. Also, the distance from the blast and your location (inside, outside, basement, attic) also play a factor.

For a fifty megaton blast, everything out to about one half kilometer is pretty much vaporized instantly by the blast. Everything within two kilometers is set on fire instantly - including human flesh. If you're at ground zero, death is instant - you vaporize, you never even see the flash. If you're far enough out to not die instantly, you burn to death (at least until the pressure wave hits). From three to five kilometers are second degree burns (painful, blisters, but no burning flesh), and farther out are minor burns and sunburn.

The pressure wave is the real killer. If you're not caught outside and burning to death, you may be killed by the shockwave generated by the high heat of the explosion. Out to about two kilometers, there is 99% casualty rate - you *may* survive if you're in a basement, a bank vault, someplace out of the way and underground, but you will most likely die from the simple shock of the air, or, that failing, the debris. From two to four kilometers is the 75% casualty zone, where pretty much all but the strongest buildings are blown apart. You'll be picked up and thrown into a wall, the building will collapse around you, that sort of thing. If you're on the ground floor, or in a basement, you have a better chance of survival. Farther out your chances improve - the shockwave diminishes, less debris hits you, overall better time.

In short, there are four ways to die in a nuclear blast:
1. Instant death by vaporization or being crushed by a ground-zero pressure wave. No pain at all, most likely (who knows what we feel in the split-second before vaporization?)
2. Agonizing death by flames or pressure at mid-close range, where the explosion is enough to kill you, but not instantly. Worst place to be - you'll die, but it'll take a good couple minutes of agony.
3. Slow death by serious injuries sustained at the outer edges of the blast. Painful, but more like a normal natural disaster than a nuke.
4. Slow death by radiation sickness, leukemia, or other types of cancers after radiation from the blast kicks your DNA's ***.

Answer 2

It means you have no clue about how nuclear explosions cause damage. Or that you did watch Terminator III too often. Maybe infantry gets better training about nuclear damage effects in the USA, I remember that it was a big long listing of how many ways to protect yourself against the nuclear explosion will NOT work in my army (The moral of the story: You're doomed. Accept it. If you are not dead now, you will die in the next days.) The blast appears long after the heat of the fireball reaches you. When the blast reaches you, you will already be burned to ashes, or the blast will not be strong enough to affect you that badly. So, the nuclear blast is just facade in your dream. something else is the fear that expresses in it. Maybe you are afraid of dying in a fire?

Answer 3

I presume you mean within the outer blast radius? (If you were in the inner blast radius you would be incinerated before you could feel anything.) If you're lucky you might live with some radiation difficulties. To die in it would be a slow decent into dizziness, sizzling skin sensation like being in a sauna but 20 times hotter without the moistness and fainting. If you manage to remain concious, you will self-burn due to the toxics in the air reacting with your already badly damaged and mutilated skin. It would be extremely unpleasant. You would feel incredibly thursty and sick.

Answer 4

you would probably feel super hot for the smallest split second ever, then that would be it...

like being shot in the head.
you would feel the bullet penetrate the skin, crack the skull, and then enter into your brain before dying.

unles your an unlucky one who actually lives a head shot, then ahhgh!

Answer 5

Read "Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes".
She felt bad.

Answer 6

A split second of time until you are dead, and it doesn't really matter when you are dead, huh? I mean, you'll be dead, it's not like you'll remember or anything.

Edit: My friend said "You'd be blown away!", thought I'd add that.

Answer 7

Nobody alive knows so how in the hell can anyone answer this question?

Answer 8

You don't feel it. You'll be dead even before you know it's coming.

Answer 9

in modernwarfare2 it looks like a stinging burning feeling and then faint:)