How did Americans perceive the threat posed by the Soviets and nuclear war in the 1950s?

They reacted thur the red scare a time where many American feared the threat of undercover spies. Another factor imposed was the black list (which was made to prevent assumed some actor as Soviet spy's in Hollywood). Some northern school systems would imposes missile drills (we student were taught how to act if a nuclear strike were to happen) due to the fear that Russia would strike during the cold war.