New research says we should run from a nuclear blast before we take cover

IN THE unfortunate instance of seeing a mushroom cloud, our first reaction is to take cover. But that's entirely the wrong move.

Michael Dillon's model of what to do in case of fallout, he recommends the second...

IN THE past, most nuclear emergency guides have suggested that we should just get to any shelter as soon as possible.

But a new mathematical report suggests we're better off sprinting to a better shelter as long as its less than 30 minutes away.

Michael Dillon, a scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, created a mathematical model of nuclear fallout survival for some family members who were curious what would happen in the even of a nuclear fallout.

"I realised that I really didn't have a great answer," Dillon said to Science online. The official US government advice is to "take shelter in the nearest and most protective building".

For most people in the states, that would be the basement, but here in Australia most people don't have one.

Michael Dillon's model of what to do in case of fallout, he recommends the second option.

"If your current shelter is poor and higher quality shelter is less than five minutes away, the model suggests that you should run there as soon as you can," Science online said.

"If you have poor shelter but higher quality shelter is available farther away, you should get to that high-quality shelter no later than 30 minutes after detonation. Depending on the size of the city, if everyone follows this advice, it could save between 10,000 and 100,000 lives."