How can a bunker protect from a nuclear catastrophe?
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Dirt is real sturdy.
Dirt is heavy and doesn’t compress well. Under that is stone that is even more heavy and durable. Even intense heat and force on the surface of the ground is unlikely to penetrate more than a few feet down, and a bunker will be buried pretty deep.
That said, bunkers aren’t really expected to survive direct hits from nuclear weapons. Penetrating delivery devices can be made to dig in before detonation so that even if your bunker is built deep into a mountain then multiple direct hits could destroy it.
But if you are just relatively nearby the explosion then the bulk of the force will be moving horizontally on the surface. This is where bunkers would really shine, protecting you from the blast and ensuing devastation.
Inside the bunker should be generous stores of food and water along with other basic survival necessities. Those inside will want to stay there for a while as things cool down outside, quite literally as there will be large fires immediately following the blast. One of the biggest concerns is a supply of fresh air which can be pulled in and filtered before entering the bunker. Armored intakes are part of the design.
Ultimately nukes just produce intense heat, pressure, and light as their damaging effects. They aren’t magic, 8 feet of dirt is sufficient armor in most cases.
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