At 15 megatons, it is 1,000 times the strength of the Hiroshima bomb. Within hours a gritty, white ash is enveloping islanders on Rongelap and Ailinginae Atolls. Those exposed experience nausea, vomiting and itching skin and eyes. March 3 Rongelap islanders are evacuated 48 hours later, and Utrik is evacuated 72 hours after Bravo. Both groups are taken to Kwajalein for observation.
Skin burns on the heavily exposed people begin to develop, and later their hair falls out.
There were no burns. All were reported well. Balancing the effort required to move the 400 inhabitants against the fact that such a dose would not be a medical problem it was decided not to evacuate the atoll. May Operation Redwing begins at Enewetak and Bikini. A total of 17 nuclear tests, including several hydrogen bombs, are detonated.