A video of a woman giving a PSA about how New Yorkers should conduct themselves in the event of a nuclear disaster had Manhattanites trembling in fear.
The 90-second clip was released this week by the city’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) agency, according to the Associated Press.
\u201cThe 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.\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
In it, a spokesperson for NYC Emergency Management said, “So there’s been a nuclear attack,” and quickly resumed with:
“Don’t ask me how or why, just know that the big one has hit.”
The backdrop revealed a computer-generated street lined with seemingly deserted brownstone buildings.
"You, your friends, your family, get inside," the spokesperson advised and added that "staying in the car was not an option."
"You need to get into a building and move away from the window," she continued.
\u201c@freedomrideblog Me trying to shut the door.\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
Although the disastrous situation was vague, the woman did instruct viewers to get clean in the event they were outside "after the blast."
She added they should remove their outer clothing "to keep radioactive dust or ash away from the body."
The clip ended with her assuring viewers, “You’ve got this.”
New Yorkers, however, were not sure they were as confident.
\u201c"Alright, you've got this", is maybe the funniest way they could have ended this.\u201d— Kevin (@Kevin) 1657662816
\u201c@freedomrideblog Hiroshima. Yeah you got this!\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
\u201c@freedomrideblog The fact that ANYONE is making "PSAs" about surviving a nuclear attack - that we will not survive - is an absolutely terrifying indication of just how close to an actual one this government has brought us. Damn them all for damning us so.\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
\u201c@freedomrideblog I will not survive the rays of nuclear weapons\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
\u201c@freedomrideblog there wont be any utilities-anywhere. Good luck showering or even seeing this PSA\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
People had questions.
\u201cWhy now? Do they want to frighten us into going along with anything they do? False flag? U.S. plans a first strike against another country?\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
\u201c@freedomrideblog Don\u2019t you think it\u2019s a little weird that for over thirty years following the end of the Cold War, there were no PSAs about this, and then all of a sudden they release a new one after the JCPOA talks start falling apart?\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
\u201c@freedomrideblog Is this for real??? The Onion crowd? Hard to believe the City of NY would produce this!\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
Unanswered queries gave way to nervous sarcasm.
\u201c@freedomrideblog @WhiskersCrowley She said "shut all doors and windows." As if people don't know that \ud83d\ude05.\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
\u201c@freedomrideblog Simon says: Best to run to the roof and be instantly vaporized instead letting yourself be entombed and take a few days to die!\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
\u201c@freedomrideblog I'll be walking into the firestorm.\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
\u201c@freedomrideblog Don\u2019t worry. The global food shortage and global energy crisis we are entering will probably get us first. \ud83d\ude06\ud83e\udd23\ud83d\ude02\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
\u201c@freedomrideblog Hey guys remember. Don't go outside till it's safe. In around 10-20 thousand years. Also don't eat human flesh as it could be radioactive.\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
Christina Farrell, the city’s emergency management deputy commissioner, said the purpose of the clip was to raise awareness of a hypothetical most New Yorkers never think about.
Farrell told the AP:
“There’s no overarching reason why this is the time we sent this out."
"It’s just one tool in the toolbox to be prepared in the 21st century.”
\u201c@freedomrideblog How I wish that they should put more energy on prevention than survival.\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
However, New York City Mayor Eric Adams offered more insight about the video while speaking at a news conference on Tuesday.
When a reporter mentioned OEM's video and asked if there was something New Yorkers should know, Adams said the PSA was a "great idea" born out of the Ukraine conflict.
“This was right after the attacks in the Ukraine, and OEM took a very proactive step to say let’s be prepared," he said.
He also said he was not an alarmist.
“And it doesn’t mean just a nuclear attack, it’s any natural disaster.”
“I’m a big believer in better safe than sorry.”
\u201c@freedomrideblog We got this no doubt.\n\nThe RF just floated/launched it's super sub with super Nukes:\n\nUnique \u2018doomsday\u2019 submarine armed with tsunami-causing nuclear torpedoes delivered to Russian Navy\n\nhttps://t.co/PMVcBQ2Wva\n\nI think this is why...\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
Adams also reminded the city that while COVID has been on the forefront among other issues, "we're still one of the top terrorist threats."
\u201c@freedomrideblog So on top of COVID, we have to worry about Nuclear Attacks again? \n\nNah.\nI'm either going to find a school desk to duck under. Or get as close to "Ground Zero" as possible so I can be instantly vaporized.\u201d— Margaret Kimberley (@Margaret Kimberley) 1657584450
"There are no imminent threats to the city that we know about," he emphasized, but urged New Yorkers to be prepared for anything. "And I think OEM did the right thing."
"We're going to always be proactive, not panic, but we're going to be prepared."
Sure. Sounds like a plan.
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
@arianagrande/Instagram
@arianagrande/Instagram