Civil Defense Evacuation Routes

Where to go in the event of a nuclear holocaust!

With the threat of nuclear devastation hanging across the globe, Americans did their best to prepare for the absolute worst during the Cold War. In this tremendous cartographic example, the Kings County, Washington Department of Civil Defense provides detailed instructions in case of a hydrogen bomb attack in the Seattle area.

Bold red lines identify routes of evacuation that lead to reception areas in more remote parts of the county. Accompanying advice encourages the reader to keep their gas tank filled, turn on the radio, ‘get as far as possible beyond the 13 mile circle’ and, in the event of no transportation, to start walking.

The verso includes additional instructions, a city plan of Seattle’s evacuation routes, and an evocative pictorial cover – DON’T SIT UNDER THE MUSHROOM.