Federal officials prepare for aftermath of nuclear attack.

• Position: SECURITY BEAT: HOMELAND DEFENSE BRIEFS - Senate hearings on America's preparedness against a nuclear attack

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

* Although the chances of a nuclear attack remain slim, the effects would be colossal, witnesses at a Senate hearing said.

"We can expect hundreds of thousands of casualties," said Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and America's security affairs. In addition, there would be 100,000 victims sheltering in safe areas, 250,000 sheltering in place to avoid the plume, and contamination of up to 3,000 square miles from the site of the explosion, he added.

The initial blast would involve injuries from radiation, burns and broken glass. "Failure to develop and test a comprehensive plan for dealing with the aftermath would magnify its impact," said Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., chairman of Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. The committee has held five hearings examining the government's preparedness in response to a nuclear attack.

However, when developing an initial response plan, officials should assume that federal support wouldn't arrive at the scene for as long as 48 hours, said James Schwartz, chief of the Arlington County, Va., Fire Department. Local governments must be prepared to work on their own for up to 72 hours, he said.

"In order to...