Your nuclear bunker isn’t going to help you if you’re not in it. What happens if a surprise nuclear attack comes at night while you’re sleeping? That is the most likely attack scenario from Russia and China. It will be the day in Russia and China, but the night in America.

So you got to your nuclear bunker in time, survived the nuclear attack and emerged 30 days later from your bunker. What happens when you run into a crisis a year or two later? Maybe your food runs out. An accident. An infection or other medical problems. Teeth issues. Surviving the nuclear attack just might be the easy part.

I’m an American in Switzerland. In my apartment building, there is a nuclear bunker next to the underground parking garage. It’s mostly used for storage. The toilet stalls are fenced off for storage, so no way to reach them. The stalls have no handles for the doors. No way to open them. In general, the bunker is standing room only. It’s almost useless.

I have a plan B in the underground parking garage. I have a portable toilet in a small tent. I have radiation detectors and enough food and water for a few days in the parking garage. So all is good, until the people in the official nuclear bunker are forced out and see me in the parking garage.

I have a plan C but that is thwarted by issues of CO2 buildup. I need power and some fans. So that option is unclear.

“The Rising Demand for Nuclear Bunkers” from The Week

• Increased Sales: There has been a noticeable increase in the demand for private nuclear bunkers, ranging from small metal boxes to elaborate underground mansions.
• Reasons for Demand: This surge in demand is driven by fears of nuclear war, which have been heightened by global tensions.
• Skepticism from Experts: Experts question the practical usefulness of these bunkers against a nuclear blast or fallout, suggesting they may offer a false sense of security.
• Market Dynamics: The average cost of a bunker is around $500,000, with claims from manufacturers like Hubbard that they sell at least one bunker per day. Bunkers are marketed not just for nuclear events but also for other disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes, and pandemics.
• Government Actions: Governments are also re-evaluating their nuclear shelter provisions, with examples like Switzerland upgrading its stock of 370,000 nuclear shelters.
• Public Perception: Buyers perceive bunkers as providing a sense of security, even if experts argue they might not be as effective as advertised in a real nuclear scenario.

I spent several years working through the nuclear bunker scenarios. I came to the conclusion that the only way to survive a nuclear attack is by moving to a country without a target on its back. Even then, you might still need to prepare for the fallout.