NYC accused of fearmongering over ‘useless’ nuclear war PSA
New York City officials have come under fire for airing a public service announcement instructing residents on how to prepare for nuclear war amid heightened tensions over the war in Ukraine.
The city’s emergency management office is instructing residents on how to prepare for a nuclear attack, with a three-point plan to get inside, stay inside and stay tuned to increase their survival chances.
The 90-second explainer suggests that to survive a multiple megaton explosion and resultant radioactive fallout, citizens should ‘move away from windows’ and make their way to the middle of their building as civilization collapses.
An accompanying website repeats the advice, complete with a terrifying image of a fiery mushroom cloud to hammer the point home.
Responses to the campaign were mixed, with some asking why the ad used the term ‘when’ not ‘if’ for an attack.
"The living will envy the dead".
— Cygnus X-321 (@cygnus_321) July 12, 2022
Many were quick to point out that a direct strike on the city would obliterate all buildings and people within seconds, rendering the advice ‘useless.’
The City of New York came up with a pretty useless PSA on how to protect ourselves from nuclear attack. Follow media? Um, there won't be electricity or media. Then again, we'll all be vaporized so... It pains me to say that there were no nuclear PSAs when Trump was president. pic.twitter.com/PhMzBCdSrY
— Margaret Kimberley (@freedomrideblog) July 12, 2022
Following criticism of the timing of the ad, mayor Eric Adams denied that the campaign was ‘alarmist,’ according to Al Jazeera.