Watch: New York City Releases Bizarre PSA on What to Do in a Nuclear Attack

The New York City Emergency Preparedness Department released a bizarre public service announcement (PSA) Monday instructing city residents on what to do if a nuclear attack were to occur.

While the likelihood of an attack on the city is “very low,” the department admitted in a press release, they still want residents to know how to act in the unlikely situation.

Watch: 

The eerie 90-second PSA starts with a narrator saying, “So there’s been a nuclear attack. Don’t ask me how or why. Just know that the big one has hit. Ok. So, what do we do?”

The first instruction the narrator provides is for residents to “get inside, fast” while staying away from windows. The narrator also mentioned not to take shelter inside a vehicle.

Once inside, the following step is to “stay inside” and get into a basement or the middle of the building.

The narrator then states that if an individual were outside before moving indoors, they should “get clean, immediately,” and remove and bag clothing items to prevent radioactive dust from coming into contact with the skin. A screen graphic also suggests the person “shower with soap or shampoo” in case the skin is contaminated.

The final step is to “stay tuned,” as the narrator suggests to “follow media” and download a notifications app commissioned by the city.

While the PSA received some pushback online, New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) defended the PSA, telling reporters, “I don’t think it was alarmist. I’m a big believer in better safe than sorry. I take my hat off to [the Office of Emergency Management],” the New York Post reported.

As New York City officials make sure the public is aware of what to do in the unlikely situation of a nuclear attack, crime continues to surge in the Big Apple.

The city has seen a 25.8 percent increase in violent crime — ranging from homicide, rape, robbery, and assault — from June 2021 to last month. A poll, taken this year, also revealed that 92 percent of New York City residents believe crime is a “serious problem,” with 62 percent saying it is a “very serious issue.”

You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.