![]() ![]() ![]() Families needed to plan for a stay of two weeks in their shelters. One very important item was a battery-powered radio so one could tune into CONELRAD (CONtrol of ELectromagnetic RADiation, 640 or 1240 on the AM radio dial) for information and instructions. Shelters were stocked with canned goods, lanterns, sleeping bags, and drinking water. Shelters were not roomy affairs one local built a 9-by-14-foot shelter meant to hold two adults and four children. Concrete was the favored building material, with walls at least 12 inches thick. The Federal Housing Authority offered financing at favorable terms for shelter construction. The federal Office of Civil Defense listed five basic designs for private shelters, three of which were underground. To some, therefore, it was apparent they would have to fend for themselves. At the most, though, these sites would only be able to accommodate some 2,000 people in a town that then had a population of a little over 60,000. Plans had been put in place to designate certain buildings as public shelters, including the Museum of Art, the Granada Building, and the Historical Museum. Others estimated the town would have no more than 30 to 45 minutes before the radioactive fallout would begin to settle here. Some experts felt Santa Barbarans would have around two hours warning. What exactly would be the result of an attack on the base was a matter of conjecture. In the early 1960s, many had little doubt that should it come down to a nuclear confrontation, the Santa Barbara area would be a primary target due to its proximity to Vandenberg Air Force Base. Santa Barbara was no different in this regard than anywhere else in the country, and the response on the part of some was to build bomb shelters, also known as fallout shelters. The 1950s and 1960s of the Cold War was a period of great international tension the threat of nuclear annihilation at the hands of the Soviet Union hung in the air. ![]()
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