U.S. Called Unprepared For Nuclear Terrorism

Ready.gov gave almost no information on which to base a hide-or-flee decision, beyond advice such as to "Quickly assess the situation" after a nuclear blast. In general, it advised going inside, underground if possible, and fleeing by car rather than on foot.

Rand, which in the 1950s was an architect of U.S. nuclear doctrine, said going indoors "would provide little protection in a nuclear attack." It said Ready.gov's suggestion that people in the blast zone head underground after a blast is "misleading" because few people would have time to take that step.

Ready.gov made no mention of the critical factor of wind. But Rand advised that if wind is carrying smoke and the mushroom cloud toward people, they should immediately head perpendicular to it, on foot, for at least a few miles, to get out of the plume's path. Driving would be futile because of impassable roads, Rand said.

"Guidance from Ready.gov fails to indicate the time urgency involved," said Lynn E. Davis, a former undersecretary of state for arms control who was the Rand study's lead author. "We must act in a matter of minutes to survive."

Homeland Security officials said that some of the criticisms of Ready.gov are valid, and that they might change its wording in some places. But they said several experts they consulted believe miles-high winds could carry radiation in a different direction from wind on the ground.

"We decided [advice to flee crosswind] was not necessarily the best guidance for the American people," said Lara Shane, a Homeland Security spokeswoman who runs Ready.gov.

Department officials said their strategy is not for people themselves to decide what to do, but for them to listen for officials' advice over radio or television. Some emergency response experts, however, pointed out many radio and TV stations would be off the air.

"The threat information our leaders have given post-9/11 has often been disorganized, not confidence-inspiring," added Irwin Redlener, director of Columbia University's National Center for Disaster Preparedness. "It's perilous to have a system solely dependent on central leadership to save lives."

Retired Gen. Dennis Reimer, a former Army chief of staff who is now the director of the Oklahoma-based National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, said he prefers Rand's specificity. "The American people can handle that," he said. "It's like the Red Cross's lifesaving tips," he said. "Most of us aren't doctors, but we can help save lives."

Researcher Julie Tate contributed to this report.