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The public briefing will be by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
“While a nuclear detonation is unlikely, it would have devastating results and there would be limited time to take critical protection steps,” a CDC statement confirming the event reads. “Despite the fear surrounding such an event, planning and preparation can lessen deaths and illness.”
CDC said it’s important to plan for a nuclear attack since planning and preparation can help save lives.
“For instance, most people don’t realize that sheltering in place for at least 24 hours is crucial to saving lives and reducing exposure to radiation. While federal, state, and local agencies will lead the immediate response efforts, public health will play a key role in responding,” according to the CDC.
Social media went ablaze with reaction to the CDC statement.
CDC did not reference where a nuclear threat could come from. There has been growing tension between North Korea and the United States over the Asian country's testing of missiles that could carry a nuclear warhead. Leaders of the two countries boasted about their nuclear powers last week, including this tweet by President Donald Trump.
Anyone interested in learning about nuclear bomb safety can read a preparedness guide on CDC’s website. The guide offers three suggestion on how to protect yourself: go inside, stay inside and stay tuned for details on your local news station.
The CDC guide says people can be hurt by the blast from nuclear fallout (radioactive material that falls from the sky after a nuclear blast), radiation sickness and contaminated water and food.
Experts have theorized about a potential nuclear attack on the U.S. for months, the Deseret News reported. Stevens Institute of Technology professor Alex Wellerstein created an interactive tool that outlined how many people would die in each city if there was a nuclear blast.