Baffling Warning About Nuclear Attack Puts New Yorkers on Edge
A 90-second video lays out steps in case of an attack on the city.
New Yorkers are âbaffledâ by a warning put out by New York City about the chance of a nuclear attack, the Associated Press says. The confusion follows the release by the cityâs office of emergency management of a public service announcement last Monday with advice on what to do after âthe big one has hit.â
The 90-second video, set in a computer generated post-apocalyptic New York, âdevoid of life,â as the AP describes it, with âdamaged skyscrapersâ in the background.
The video lays out three steps in case of an attack on the city: get inside, stay inside, and stay tuned for more information. If you were outside during the blast, the spokesperson warns, remove and bag all clothing, and shower to avoid contact with nuclear dust.
The deputy commissioner for the emergency management office, Christina Farrell, told AP the PSA is not in response to any specific threat, and is instead âjust one tool in the toolbox to be prepared in the 21st century.â
Though the video, which has been viewed almost 800,000 times, confused and worried many New Yorkers, Mayor Adams told reporters on Tuesday that he didnât think it was alarmist.
âIâm a big believer in better safe than sorryâ he said, adding that âthis was right after the attacks in the Ukraineâ and that New York City is âone of the top terrorist threats.â He said that similar videos would be released soon ahead of hurricane season.
According to a Global Strategy Group survey last year, only 12 percent of the 1,000 New Yorkers polled said that they were prepared in the event of a radiological incident.
The video closes with an unexpectedly cheerful message: âYouâve got this.â