--- title: "NYC Issues PSA on How to Survive Nuclear Attack" description: "NYC residents were treated to a public service announcement (PSA) about how to survive nuclear fallout earlier this week." date: "2022-07-14" modified: "2022-07-14" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nyc-nuclear-psa" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "emergency alerts" - "nuclear" - "nuclear alert" - "nyc" - "psa" - "public service announcements" - "the digest" --- # NYC Issues PSA on How to Survive Nuclear Attack ![NYC residents were treated to a public service announcement (PSA) about how to survive nuclear fallout earlier this week.]() *\Image: NYC Emergency Management\* ## Public Freakout New York City residents were treated to a public service announcement (PSA) about how to survive nuclear fallout earlier this week — because apparently we all need one more thing to freak out about. In [an interview with the *New York Daily News*](), Mayor Eric Adams defended the decision to release the PSA, in spite of criticisms that it was "alarmist" to do so, especially given the [city's own assessment that a nuclear attack is "very low]()." "I’m a big believer in better safe than sorry," Adams told the tabloid. "I take my hat off to (the Office of Emergency Management). OEM took a very proactive step and said, ‘Let’s be prepared.’" ## Cool Cool Cool As the report notes, the mayor referenced the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine as grounds for the PSA, and said that although there currently aren't any current known risks concerning or threats against the city, residents should nevertheless be ready when and if attackers do strike. "We’re still one of the top terrorist threats," Adams said, presumably speaking of NYC and not New Jersey, where he has [been accused of secretly living](). "We always have to be prepared as New Yorkers." In the video, the city's Department of Emergency Management (DEM) advises New Yorkers to 1) get inside, 2) avoid windows and remove all of their outer clothing, and 3) wait for more information from the government, which may be sent via "wireless emergency alerts" — if the cell towers haven't been burned to a crisp, at least. ## Plan Ahead In a press release about the PSA, the DEM said that it's currently working in tandem with the city's police and fire departments, public transit system, department of health and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prepare for a multitude of disasters, including "terrorist attacks and other no-notice events." The statement also plugged PlanNowNYC, [the city's bespoke public preparedness site](), though it used a broken link in doing so. "While the likelihood of a nuclear weapon incident occurring in/near New York City is very low," the city's statement reads, "it is important New Yorkers know the steps to stay safe." Here's hoping they're right. **READ MORE:** [Mayor Adams defends NYC public service announcement on surviving nuclear attack: ‘Better safe than sorry’]() \[*New York Daily News*\] **More on nuclear shit:** *[Putin Brags That "Satan II" Nuclear Missile Almost Ready for Launch]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()