WHAT IS FALLOUT?

When a nuclear weapon explodes near the ground, great quantities of
pulverized earth and other debris are sucked up into the nuclear cloud.
There the radioactive gases produced by the explosion condense on and
into this debris, producing radioactive fallout particles. Within a
short time, these particles fall back to earth--the larger ones first,
the smaller ones later. On the way down, and after they reach the
ground, the radioactive particles give off invisible gamma rays--like
X-rays--too much of which can kill or injure people. These particles
give off most of their radiation quickly; therefore the first few hours
or days after an attack would be the most dangerous period.

In dangerously affected areas the particles themselves would look like
grains of salt or sand; but the _rays_ they would give off could not be
seen, tasted, smelled or felt. Special instruments would be required to
detect the rays and measure their intensity.


FALLOUT WOULD BE WIDESPREAD

The distribution of fallout particles after a nuclear attack would
depend on wind currents, weather conditions and other factors. There is
no way of predicting in advance what areas of the country would be
affected by fallout, or how soon the particles would fall back to earth
at a particular location.

Some communities might get a heavy accumulation of fallout, while