New York mayor defends nuclear attack survival PSA: ‘These are just smart things to do’

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) defended a public service announcement Tuesday with survival tips for a nuclear attack the city sent out to citizens this week. 

The 90-second video tells citizens to get inside and stay inside, to shower if they were outside during the attack and to keep up with news and officials to know when it is safe to go back outside. 

When a reporter asked Adams if he thought the video was overly alarming, the mayor said he didn’t think so, but that “these are just smart things to do.”

After Russia attacked Ukraine, people raised concerns about nuclear weapons and the fighting that was happening in Ukraine around nuclear power plants. The mayor claimed those concerns prompted the video, despite its release months after the Russian invasion.

The city’s office of emergency management “took a very proactive step” after Ukraine was attacked, Adams said. 

He explained that there are “no imminent threats to the city that we know about” but that the area is “still one of the top terrorist threats.”

The NYC mayor and the city’s Office of Emergency Management emphasized the importance of being prepared for an attack on the city, even in the absence of a specific threat.

“We always have to be prepared as New Yorkers,” Adams said.

New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol released a statement following the video’s release, directing New Yorkers to “a multitude of free resources” to prepare for emergencies. 

“As the threat landscape continues to evolve, it is important that New Yorkers know we are preparing for any imminent threats and are providing them with the resources they need to stay safe and informed,” Iscol said.