10 Fallout Shelters in Georgia to Be Aware Of Leave a comment

Some of the most horrifying events that preppers try to prepare against are nuclear incidents. These include a nuclear power plant meltdown, the spilling or mishandling of nuclear waste, or something truly terrible like the detonation of a dirty bomb or genuine nuclear warhead.

flag of the state of Georgia

All these events are bad enough, and all have a high likelihood of scattering dangerous, irradiated particles in the form of nuclear fallout.

Protecting yourself and your loved ones from nuclear fallout is mostly a matter of putting as much solid material between you and the radioactive material as possible. The best way to do that is to seek a purpose-designed or natural fallout shelter.

Such a shelter can make all the difference when it comes to your chances of survival in the immediate aftermath of a nuclear incident.

If you live in Georgia, you’ll want to know about these 10 large and substantially protective fallout shelters located around the state:

Georgia State Capitol Building, Atlanta

This massive, beautiful steel-frame building is not only architecturally and historically significant to the state of Georgia, but it’s also made almost entirely from limestone and marble, two materials with significant attenuation factors of radioactivity.

Built in 1889, the massively thick construction of the entire building plus its purpose-designed basement fallout shelter means it will be the perfect location to ride out the aftermath of a nuclear incident.

Keep in mind that this is a high-security location, and one that might not be immediately accessible to the public when time is short.

Even if it is, its location in the heart of Atlanta’s downtown means that it might be overrun with clamoring throngs of people. Have a backup in mind.

Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta

A huge multi-wing hospital complex, the Grady Memorial Hospital is built predominantly from reinforced concrete and steel, and the lower levels will provide plenty of protection from fallout, and some of them were designed for the purpose.

Not for nothing, taking shelter in a hospital is always a good idea if you are fearing the worst because expertise and medical supplies are close at hand, along with backup power systems.

The building is certainly made tough, as it withstood significant tornadoes during the March 2008 outbreak.

Atlanta City Hall, Atlanta

Another towering, gorgeous building in the heart of Atlanta, and now in its third construction, this steel and concrete skyscraper is incredibly durable, and its lower levels will prove entirely suitable for resisting fallout.

The only concern is the preponderance of glass windows on all floors, but as long as these hold or can be sealed in the aftermath of an incident, most of the mid-level floors will also suffice as fallout shelters.

Savannah City Hall, Savannah

Finished in 1905 and opened in 1906, this relatively modest but substantially constructed granite and limestone six-story building is an excellent fallout protective structure.

Windows are few and relatively small, and the inner faces of the building are easy to isolate against the intrusion of dangerous radioactive debris. The basement would be particularly ideal for sheltering.

University of Georgia Main Library, Athens

Built predominantly of reinforced concrete and brick, the University of Georgia main library building might only be an echo of the elegant classical style that it emulates, but the sturdy construction and lower levels make it more than adequate as a fallout shelter.

Indeed, the basement is a designated disaster shelter for campus use.

Like some other prospective shelters on our list, the large, expansive windows on the front are a point of concern if they are broken and might prove difficult to block off.

LaGrange College, LaGrange

Originally founded as a ladies-only school, LaGrange is currently the oldest private college in Georgia, and has been around since 1831.

Accordingly, many of the old buildings are solidly built of brick, and over the decades the size of the campus has increased steadily and taken advantage of modern construction techniques.

Cold War-era buildings and renovations from the 1950s and 1960s were, in the style of the time, designed with shelter accommodations in mind. Lots of buildings across the campus can serve as fallout shelters as required.

Ellison’s Cave, Walker County

This pit cave is located on Pigeon Mountain, part of the Appalachian Plateau reaching into Northwest Georgia. It has the distinction of being the 12th deepest cave in the entirety of the United States, and is over 12 miles long.

Reaching an astonishing 1,063 ft below the surface, it goes without saying that there will be plenty of room inside for survivors and it offers superior protection against fallout as long as you move back from the entrances.

However, the cave is treacherous with many deep and seemingly bottomless pits, and there have been several accidents in just the past couple of decades. It’s a great shelter, but caution is advised.

Climax Caverns, Decatur County

Located very near the Georgia-Florida border in Decatur County, Climax Caverns is one of the largest dry caves in the eastern half of the United States.

The cave is situated on what’s presently private property, and though it is nominally open to the public, visitors and explorers must sign a safety release with the property’s owner. Make sure you take care of that if you want to scout it out…

The passages of the cave wind deep underground, very far from the entrance which is on the side of a hill. Assuming you have enough supplies and light to support yourself during your stay, you could easily wait out the worst of the fallout inside.

Case Cave, Dade County

A unique choice for a fallout shelter, Case Cave is located in Cloudland Canyon State Park, and is accessible only by descending 30 feet into a sinkhole. Once at the bottom, 3 miles of passageways wind deep into the earth, and you’ll also enjoy a magnificent view of an underground lake.

The trick is getting to the bottom of the pit without breaking your neck, but if you live nearby and have the right equipment this is one shelter that you might have all to yourself.

Sitton’s Cave, Dade County

Another cave located in Cloudland Canyon State Park, this one is unique because it is not advertised, unlike the other caves that call the park home.

Sitton’s Cave has an impressively large, towering entrance but it narrows down significantly the farther in you go, until you have to crawl on your belly through a narrow, muddy passage which opens up into a stream or small river.

It’s mucky, somewhat difficult to access, and always cold, but that will certainly be enough to deter most people even if they know of the existence of this cave. For the rugged or prepared, it can make a wonderful fallout shelter.

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