Houston, Texas – The difference between a well-protected interior space and an exposed room during a nuclear emergency could reduce radiation exposure by up to 90% in the first critical hours.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Texas Division of Emergency Management, residents near nuclear facilities including the South Texas Project near Bay City and Comanche Peak near Glen Rose may be directed to shelter in place immediately if an incident occurs. That makes choosing the right location inside your home critical within minutes.
Unlike many northern states, a large share of homes in Texas do not have basements. That means the safest option for most residents is a small, windowless interior room on the lowest level of a building. Bathrooms, closets and central hallways offer the best protection when surrounded by multiple walls and dense materials.
In major metro areas like Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth, residents in apartments or high-rises should move to interior corridors or lower floors and avoid units with large windows. Upper floors increase exposure risk, especially if fallout settles on rooftops.
Adding dense materials like books, water containers or furniture around your shelter space can further reduce exposure by creating additional shielding.
Potassium iodide, or KI tablets, may be recommended to protect the thyroid, but they do not shield the rest of the body. Shelter choice remains the most immediate and effective protection.
Emergency alerts could be issued with little warning. Identifying your safest indoor space now—especially in homes without basements—could make a critical difference in how long you remain protected.
