Prudence dictates that folks keep the windows to their homes closed, and refrain from going outside for several hours until the radiation plume passes. If folks do go outside, it would not be wrong to wear a filter mask of the type used in hospitals (N95) or, preferably, the type used in industry (n100) to make certain that "hot particles" of radiation are not inhaled.
Families with children should take appropriate measures to make certain the children are protected; remain inside until the plume passes, wear a mask if going outside.
For both children and adults when returning indoors from the outside, remove clothing directly into a washing machine, add detergent and start the washing machine, and take a warm shower with plenty of shampoo, soap and water to wash off any radiation that may have fallen onto hair or skin.
The levels of radiation taking place today are not necessarily dangerous and people should not panic. Scientists do say, however, that the effects of radiation are "cumulative" -- they add-up over the years. More importantly, it is possible that "hot particles" from the exploded reactors, may be in the air. These dust-sized particles are millions-of-times more radioactive and if they get into a person's lung, they begin to burn the lung tissue, and lead rather quickly to cancer.
In the past, such "hot particles" have been captured in filters all the way around the world in Norway, and have been positively traced back to the melted-down nuclear fuel from inside the three reactors which were destroyed in Fukushima, Japan after the March, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
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