Idaho Had the Premier Shelter in Event of Nuclear War

It probably wouldn’t have been nearly as comfortable as some of the vaults from the hit TV series Fallout, but Idaho was prepared.  To save a few lives in the event of nuclear war.  The website of Idaho’s Mammoth Cave details the story.  Nearly 8,000 people could’ve sheltered there if there was a strike on Mountain Home Air Force Base.

They believed they could be alerted quickly and then rushed to the site for shelter from radioactive dust clouds.  The belief was that there could be a couple of hours to make the drive.  On the roads of the time!

Considering by the time we reached the 1950s, the bombs were far more powerful than what was dropped on Japan in 1945, the blast wave alone would’ve likely cleared the roads. It was a fanciful idea, but probably not practical without 48 48-hour warning.  Two days warning would’ve been a bit too hopeful.

Today, we are simply on our own.  But you can imagine there would be people looking for shelter in many places, and possibly competing to get inside.  Can you also imagine some left from Blaine County getting on with the neighbors from Lincoln County?  Would there still be political arguments, or would people decide there was something bigger than the gulf between fellow Americans?

And what happens if some of the people don’t like showering?  Not that there would be many available shower heads.  All I’m saying is that it would get ripe and ripe quickly.

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