So, how much blast or overpressure is too much to survive?
It, of course, depends on where you are when it comes charging through, but from a 500 KT blast, 2.2 miles away, it’ll be arriving about 8 seconds after the detonation flash. (An even larger 1 MT blast, but 5 miles away, would give you about 20 seconds.) Like surviving an imminent tornado, utilizing those essential seconds after the initial flash to ‘duck & cover’ could be the difference between life & death for many. Both the overpressure in the blast shock wave and the blast wind are important causes of casualties and damage.
