Stage 2: Above-Ground Shelter Stage
The second stage will be to transition from below-ground to above-ground shelters. Man was not designed to live underground for long periods of time. (If you disagree, watch the movie "Debajo Del Mundo") The Stage 2 shelters should be built to withstand sporadic earthquakes, extreme cold, and violent weather conditions. For those who have lived in earthquake pronged areas, you will readily recognize that wood makes a better building material than concrete, bricks, blocks and stone when it comes to earthquake survival. Wood is flexible. The Stage 2 shelters will look like a one or two story wooden barracks without windows. The location of the shelters might use natural ridges or mound as windbreakers. The foundation of the structure should be earthquake resistant. I would recommend a dwelling based on post construction, similar to a pole barn, with a dirt floor. If you stored bricks or blocks initially, this could become suitable floor material. The structure should be very well insulated for the cold weather that will come with the "impact winter"
Transitioning to Stage 2 should be delayed until the firestorm ceases, the outside air again becomes breathable, and the outside temperature drops below 1000 F. I expect these conditions approximately 3 days after the impact event or sooner.
In transitioning above ground, the first problem that may be encountered is that the air may be almost unbreathable due to the smoke, dust, and toxins in the air. The ionization of the air by the comet impact, and the subsequent firestorms and the increased volcanic activity will produce large volumes of poisonous gases including nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride. These newly formed gases will react with the moisture in the air and convert to acids including nitric acid, hydrated sulfur dioxide, and hydrochloric acid. This conversion will occur quickly, a matter of minutes/hours, as long as there is moisture in the air. In low humidity conditions, such as found in deserts or in wintry below freezing areas, the conversion into acids may take days and present a hazard to transitioning into Stage 2. These gases are very dangerous and can combine with the moisture on the skin, on the eyes and in the lungs (for example, nitrogen dioxide can cause the membranes in the lungs to breakdown and you will literally drown in your own body fluids). As these acids form in the air, they will fall as a strong acid rain onto the ground. In general, the acids will react with the alkaline in the ground and be neutralized over a period of several days. But in some environments such as acidic swamp areas and areas without significant deposits of alkaline limestone (i.e. Granite deposits), the neutralization of these acids will be incomplete and pose a threat.
Filter masks will probably be needed during this transitional state. There will be a high level of dust and smoke in the air for several weeks after the impact. Suggest everyone out-in-the-open wear masks during this period. Also there will be periods of acid rain, consisting of sulfuric acid. Avoid getting out in this condition. But if you must, wear protective clothing such as rain gear, rubber gloves, boots, splash goggles. Tents, if available, could be set up in the staging area during construction of the Stage 2 Shelters. A sheet of black plastic, 6" x 6" beams, and a rope could be fashioned into a temporary shelter. (At the edges of the plastic tent where the rope touches, tie a knot in the rope. This will create a drip point and help keep the interior dry in the rain.)
The second problem that will be encountered is the darkness. Due to the ash and dust in the stratosphere, the world will be dark. Trying to assemble a shelter in the blackness of an "impact night" is a very great challenge. If you set aside portable generators and lights, now is the time to pull them out and use them.
After the firestorm has subsided and before the "impact winter" takes hold, the two disassembled pole barns should be removed to the surface and reassembled. Refer to Figure 9. One method of insulating a pole barn is to nail chicken wire to the beams and ceiling tresses and packing fiberglass insulation between the pole barn walls and the chicken wire. Nail the chicken wire horizontally to the rafters and place two layers of fiberglass insulation above the wire to provide R-38. These layers should be placed so that the top layer is laid cross ways to the bottom layer. After all the chicken wire and insulation is installed, tack on the black plastic to make a vapor barrier for the entire shelter. The plywood and 2x8s scavenged from the Stage 1 shelters can be fashioned into 4 level bunk beds. The 14-foot central aisle way can provide general living area.
The 20-foot Intermodal Shipping Container containing the seeds should be removed from the underground storage and relocated to the surface inside the Stage 2 Shelter. The seed (non-hybrid wheat & soybean) should be stored inside the shelter to prevent damage by freezing. The container should be placed on 6" x 6" blocks to raise it off the floor and should be located with a 1-foot setback from the shelter walls to allow air circulation. The container should be positioned on the opposite side of the shelter from the wood-burning stove to keep the seeds cool. The storage area should be separated from the rest of the shelter. A sheet of black plastic can be hung from the ceiling to form a flexible wall. The temperature can be controlled by raising and lowering the plastic curtain to allow air circulation. A thermometer can be used to monitor the temperature in this area. Wood burning will lower the humidity level within the shelter. Thus the seed will be stored in the ideal environment of cool and dry. This requirement also applies to all other seed stock and root stock. They should also be protected from freezing. Can goods and canning jars should also be located within the pole barn for the same reason.
Relocate the wood burning stoves in the Stage 2 Shelter. This may be no simple task, because the stoves may weigh up to 500 pounds. If you buried a tractor in Stage 1, it is time to dig it out and use it to move the wood stove(s) into position. I recommend the stoves be installed using metal flue pipes. The best types are double wall insulated chimney flues. Because these flues are insulated, they will inhibit cresol build-up, which could potentially produce fires. Metal flues are more resistant to earthquake damage, unlike block/tile/stone chimneys.
Approximately 360 sheets of plywood and 400 ten-foot 2’x8’s will be needed to construct bedding for 800 personnel within the Stage 2 Shelter. This material can be cannibalized from the Stage 1 Personnel Shelters. When dismantling the Stage 1 Shelters, care must be exercised to prevent the black plastic from being damaged. (A few of the Stage 1 Below-Ground Shelters should be kept intact as insurance against violent weather outbreaks. Two of the by-products of a comet collision which are a dust cloud producing a "impact winter" effect and enhanced carbon dioxide levels producing a "greenhouse" effect. These two effects are at odds with each other. I believe the combination will produce very violent weather patterns.)
Once the Stage 2 shelter is complete, the relocation of the food supplies to the surface will become the next priority. In the absence of any heavy machinery, the Intermodal Shipping Containers may have to be moved by hand. If that is the case, the containers will have to be emptied and refilled after they are relocated to the surface and positioned. The containers should be positioned to provide a windbreak for the pole barns. The grains to be used for food should be stored in the freezing environment following the impact winter to extend the shelf life.
Everything stored underground in Stage 1 must be moved to the surface in Stage 2. This must be accomplished before the ground freezes. Cover the firewood with canvas, tarpaulin, or as a last resort black plastic to keep it dry.
Set up outdoor latrines away from the shelters to prevent contaminating water supplies (which may be nothing more than ice and snow). It is very important that all sewage be kept over 100 feet from the drinking water system. If there is one problem that you don’t need in this stage is sickness & disease caused by poor sanitation.
One of the empty Stage 1 shelters could be quickly fashioned into a latrine. The shelter could be used as a large septic tank. A series of outhouses could be constructed above the shelter along its length. This large latrine could provide for the entire needs of the community in Stage 2.
There should be no talk of food rationing until in Stage 2, after the shelters are built and all goods are moved. All food should be treated as community property. There shall be no individual hoarding of food. This also applies to all seeds and rootstock that will be carried over for planting in Stage 3. All medicine shall likewise be treated as community property and shall be dispensed to those most in need.
Stage 2 will be characterized by extreme cold (-600 F to -800 F). This harsh environment can be very dangerous. Basic principles of cold weather survival are provided in this website. The information is derived from U.S. Army Field Manual 21-76.
At around -250 F fuel oil coagulates. At around -500 F metal fatigues and becomes brittle. Very dry environments cause electronics to fail from electrostatic discharges.
The ground will freeze in this extreme cold. The water system should be protected from freezing. This can be done by putting part of the system in a semi-heated area, such as burying a spring tank under the Stage 2 shelter site. Or it can be done by building a mound of earth over water lines, well heads, and springs. This mound should be 5-6 feet deep.
Packing 800 people into two Stage 2 Shelters will present several problems. The high density of personnel will mean that the shelter will become a breeding ground for cold and flu germs. Two steps should be taken to minimize sickness. First, the temperature inside the shelters should be kept a little on the cool side. Second, the humidity levels within the shelter should not be allowed to become very dry. Keeping a pot of water on the wood stove should help to solve the second element.
In very low humidity environments, some individuals, especially children develop nose bleeds. Coating the inside of the nose with petroleum jelly will help to prevent this condition.
In very crowded environments, individuals may contract and spread lice. I recommend that all individuals cut their hair short to minimize this problem. A metal head lice comb can be used to attack this problem.