REPORTS OF RAIN DURING BRAVO FALLOUT
Transcripts of post-detonation briefings suggest that seli-induced rainout
oceurred for a short time after Bravo was detonated.

The crew of the Japanese

fishing ship, No. 5 Fukura Maru (Lucky Dragon), while fishing downwind just outsice
the exclusion zone, noted that the initial fallout on their ship was accompanied by "a
light rain or drizzle.)

It

is unlikely that

this was a continuation of the

self-induced rainout, some two or more hours after Bravo's cetonation; it was
probably a natural rain system superimposed on the debris cloud.
Another report of rain during Bravo fallout was made by a group of Rongelap
natives after evacuation!

They lived in Rongelap Village, on the southern part

of Rongelap Atoll, and stated that it "rained a little" during the afternoon of March
Ist.
Another interview with an American Air Force radio operator’?! who had
2een on Rongerik Atoll prior to evacuation disclosed that "rain commenced about

2100 [LST] and continued for 30 minutes."
Finally, the S. S. Roque, owned by Micronesian Lines, left Kwajalein at 0345
LST and arrived at Utirik at about noon on Mareh 2, 1954.

The ship left Utirik

(apparently a few days later) and arrive at Majuro Atoll on March 7. A radiological
survey at Majuro disclosed radiation readings of 10 to 30 mr/h on March 7.

The

ship's captain mentioned that he had encountered rain squalls during his voyage, but
was not specific about where or when.

It appears certain that the S. S. Roque

encountered Bravo fallout, possioly accompanied by rain showers, either while
2pproaching or while in harbor at Utirik. If 10 mr/h are "grown back” to five or six

cavs earlier (when the Bravo debris cloud passed near Utirik), the dose rate is
estimated at about 100 mr/h.

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