Chernobyl exclusion zones showing "hot spots" of nuclear contamination

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chernobyl_radiation_map_1996.svg

The deposition of radionuclides is almost always uneven as this image shows. Eventually we'll have a similar map for Japan but fortunately for the Japanese most of the radioactive material was carried by the wind over the Pacific Ocean toward North America. The takehome lesson here is if you find yourself near a nuclear disaster, make sure you're not downwind of it.