I'm going to take ivfl's excellent post and make it part of the story. Thank you very much!
Thursday, 16 February 1984
0700 hours
Officer's Call
5th State Guard Regiment
Colonel Capparelli said, "Gentlemen, allow me to introduce Mr. Martin of the New York State Office of Emergency Management. Mr. Martin, thank you for coming so early to see us."
Martin was a haggard man in a fresh suit. "Thank you, Colonel. I'll tell you the assessment from the Governor's office. The situation in Germany is getting tenser and tenser. There are reports coming in from Switzerland that the Soviets will be issuing some sort of ultimatum today, and President Reagan will address the nation tonight.
"I have to tell you that the Governor believes that war is inevitable. Having said that, he has to determine what can be saved in New York State. The answer is 'not many'."
"Do you think anyone will get evacuated?" another officer asked Martin .
"It's not going to be easy," the City planner said. "Let's look at the census data. The last census had around 7 million residents, and that's an undercount. The Metropolitan area, Jersey, and Connecticut, are going to add another 7 million."
"We get all fourteen million out. To where? Sullivan County? Orange? The center of the State? You know and I know if the bombs fall, Albany and Schenectady get one, Fort Drum gets one, Seneca Army Depot gets a few, Plattsburg gets some, and of course, if the Russians like Canada, Ottowa, Toronto, and Montreal will be adding fallout to the center of the state.
New Jersey? Philly, Trenton, Fort Dix/McGuire, Newark, and Cape May will get hit. No way."
The officers nodded.
"Even if we get them out, how are we going to house them and feed them? How are we going to deal with sanitation?
"There are law and order questions. Some of these people are drug addicts who will do anything for a fix. They might decide to take food and shelter from the locals, who will shoot back.
"We're not the only city with this problem. Where will Philly go? Pittsburgh? Boston?"
"You're preaching to the choir," the Lieutenant said.
"Here's something else to think about... what happens if the bombs don't fall?"
"I hope so," Capparelli said.
"We all do. But if we evacuate and we don't have to, Mayor Koch and the borough presidents will be thrown out on their butts. Maybe not Staten Island, but definitely Kings, Queens, Bronx, and Manhattan. The City Council? They may lose some seats, though I doubt it."
"If the bombs do fall, 'twere best they go quickly. We may not even sound the sirens. All it will do is get people killed in a more gruesome way than going in a nuclear fireball."
"In short, New York City will not be evacuated. Those who can get out on their own are welcome to. Those who cannot will have to run the risk."
Capparelli said, "Gentlemen. Our orders from the Governor are to assist the New York City and State Police in maintaining order in New York City while it is feasible. When it is not feasible, we will withdraw to a rally point in Sullivan County, where we will assist in maintaining order among survivors.
"It's not Thermopylae, but it comes close."
Hadleyburg, Pennsylvania
The Lodge/The Mine
0900 hours
"I'm sorry, Joan, but we can't build what you want."
The Lieutenant's wife looked at her brothers-in-law. "What's the problem?"
"We can't get enough wood," Mark said. "You can only buy one hundred dollars' worth of construction materials. Everyone is trying to build a fallout shelter, and the State government started to ration it."
"We got what we could, but we can't build two cofferdams. We can only build one. But - we can take the material that we were going to pile between the cofferdams, make one cofferdam, and pile it on the outside.
"That's going to mean a lot more dirt and rock to pile there," she said. "I have an idea. Why don't we cut down some of these trees and use them for the outer cofferdam? We need four feet of earth to protect the shelter."
"Where will we put the door?"
"Why I don't let you guys figure that out?" the Lieutenant's wife replied.
"We don't have enough wood for that, we don't have enough wood to put up the bedding," Joanna said.
"Why can't we rig hammocks?" Robbie said. "It was good enough for the Navy."
"Possibly. Time is of the essence."