*Also remember that the number of deaths from Chernobyl was 31 (maybe 50 some squabbles over the number internationally).....afterwards that increased because of cancer rates but that was a nuclear power plant. Thousands of people were evacuated from Chernobyl and they were OK. Hundreds got cancer particularly thyroid but they still lived for 10-20yrs+
People survived hiroshima and nagasaki. Chernobyl was 400 times more powerful in terms of radiation than hiroshima because it wasn't a bomb. Hiroshima was far more immediately destructive. Two completely different nuclear incidents. Here we are talking about nuclear bombs specifically.
Survival can be achieved if you're outside the radius. People live in Hiroshima now but you can't in Chernobyl. It's different. So you can't use Chernobyl as an example as the effects and fall out for a nuclear bomb.
A nuclear bomb is devastating but it doesn't mean the entire country dies if people don't have a lead enforced bunker to live in for years. That's just not how radiation from a bomb would work.
Even a nuclear war doesn't necessarily mean that. It would be catastrophic but it doesn't mean end of world for everyone.
I'm not being optimistic - I'm just stating facts. Also you're quoting hiroshima as an example of why everyone in the UK would die suddenly makes no sense - did everyone in Japan die? No. Just those within the radius of the blast. Japan continues, life did not suddenly end throughout all of Japan. It was horrendous but two nuclear bombs didn't wipe Japan off the map, did it?
You're making an awful lot of assumptions that one nuclear bomb would mean all NATO countries would suddenly go on self destruct and start nuking everywhere. That makes no sense either.
So if someone wants to turn a basement into a second bedroom but also a potential place to hold up in a disaster more generally it's not that ridiculous.
It's more ridiculous to say one nuclear bomb is end of the world.
I think my view is more balanced and less doomsday.
If London got nuked and you're up in Manchester or Newcastle in a basement and you can ride it out for a good few weeks - you stand a decent chance of survival depending on the nature, scale and quantity of bombs.*
Thank you @Dottdoo for the sensible post. I don't know why everyone seems to think that if it goes nuclear the whole world is going to be destroyed from radiation and life is going to resemble something out of the apocalypse. Too many watching films instead of reading sensible advice.
Here is a link to show where the danger zone would be if various nuclear bombs hit London: www.mylondon.news/news/local-news/incredible-map-shows-what-would-17138323. Don't worry - we aren't all going to perish and have to feed off our cats to survive. If Russia sets of a bomb towards us - well that will be the end of Putin. But seeing as we will not bomb our allies, and from most reports - not even most of Russia wants this war - I'm pretty sure that will just be the end of it. With Putin gone, they will accept defeat and we carry on as we were. However if a bomb did hit - there is no harm in having some extra bottled water and dried food in. Chances are we could be asked to remain indoors for 2 weeks, and if the last 2 years have taught us anything is that we should always have spare supplies in.
Also emergency grab bags are always advised - change of clothes, power bank, important documents, bottled water and cereal bars - not just in case of war but flood, fire etc.
Every time I go on holiday I take out insurance - in 20 years I have never needed to claim on it once, but I still take it out because you just never know and its better to have and never need, then need but not have.