Our nation’s major metropolitan areas have detailed community response plans for hurricanes, forest fires, and other natural disasters.
asserted
areas → detail → hurricanes
But in my decades in the field, I have noticed a worrisome gap: pre-disaster community planning for a nuclear event such as a terrorist plot.
asserted
I → notice → plot
In 2010, President Barack Obama told the 47-country Nuclear Security Summit, “Two decades after the end of the Cold War, we face a cruel irony of history — the risk of a nuclear confrontation between nations has gone down, but the risk of nuclear attack has gone up.”
asserted
risk → tell → attack
A May 17, 2026, UN News article by Conor Lennon concurs, stating that the threat of nuclear terrorism is higher than ever.
uncertain
threat → concur → terrorism
The theft of 133 commercial-grade, uranium dioxide tablets in Tajikistan in 2021 remains unsolved.
asserted
theft → remain → 2021
Some believe terrorists are planning a radioactive dirty bomb.
asserted
terrorists → believe → bomb
That’s the low-tech scenario, which would be bad.
asserted
which → ’ → ?
But the higher tech scenario is the greater threat: terrorists detonating a compact tactical nuclear bomb in a U.S. city.
asserted
scenario → detonate → city
Imagine you and your family are home, and a flash of light floods the room.
asserted
flash → imagine → room
Your vision is temporarily blurred.
asserted
vision → blur → ?
Your home starts shaking as if a major earthquake just struck.
asserted
earthquake → start → ?
Next, a giant sonic boom ruptures your eardrums, leaving you in pain and with the sound of Niagara Falls persisting in your ears.
asserted
sound → rupture → ears
Everything in the house that can fall does.
asserted
that → fall → house
Every dish and glass in the kitchen cabinets flies out.
asserted
dish → fly → cabinets
You duck and cover under the dining room table.
asserted
You → duck → table
Car alarms go off outside.
asserted
alarms → go → ?
People everywhere are screaming for help.
asserted
People → scream → help
After the rumbling ceases, you work your way across broken glass to a shattered window.
asserted
you → cease → window
You see a massive mushroom cloud rising in the distance.
asserted
cloud → see → distance
Panicked, you try calling 911, but your fingers barely cooperate.
asserted
fingers → try → 911
No matter, you’ve already lost wi-fi and cell service, which also means you can’t go on the internet to ask for help or get advice.
asserted
you → lose → advice
You recall public health experts on TV recommending everyone stay indoors, preferably in a basement, until radiation dissipates.
asserted
radiation → recall → basement
But you don’t have a basement. Or a bomb shelter.
asserted
you → have → basement
Fearful of the spreading radiation, you hastily decide to flee.
asserted
you → spread → radiation
The experts say to have a go bag ready in case of disaster.
asserted
bag → say → disaster
But you never got around to it.
asserted
you → get → it
You toss some saltine crackers and a few bottles of water into a shopping bag.
asserted
You → toss → bag
Two gallons of water per person per day for a week is recommended.
asserted
gallons → recommend → week
But you don’t have that on hand, and your faucets are spitting air.
asserted
faucets → have → air
You and your family are not sure which way to drive. Or how far to drive.
asserted
You → drive → way
It seems like everyone is doing what you are doing.
asserted
you → seem → what
You notice your fuel tank is low.
asserted
tank → notice → ?
You head for the nearest gas station, but the pumps are down.
asserted
pumps → head → station
You drive on, but you don’t know which highway is best.
asserted
highway → drive → ?
Soon, you are stuck in gridlock.
asserted
you → stick → gridlock
After three exasperating hours — no gas and maybe five miles covered — your family abandons the car and heads home.
asserted
family → cover → car
You are walking home through radioactive dust.
asserted
You → walk → dust
You may be robbed.
uncertain
You → rob → ?
What if you and your community had made suitable preparations?
asserted
you → make → preparations
You have plenty of bottled water.
asserted
You → have → water
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
