What would happen if a nuclear bomb was dropped on Washington DC?

What would happen if a nuclear bomb was dropped on Washington DC?

Cars would be overturned at a mile radius, and light structures would be damaged. The U.S. Capitol, Washington Monument, Supreme Court, Pentagon, and the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials would only experience light damage–meaning people would experience minor injuries and there would be some broken windows.

How many miles does a nuclear bomb cover?

A 1 megaton nuclear bomb creates a firestorm that can cover 100 square miles. A 20 megaton blast’s firestorm can cover nearly 2500 square miles. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were small cities, and by today’s standards the bombs dropped on them were small bombs.

How far does the radiation from a nuclear bomb spread?

Detonating nuclear weapons above ground sends radioactive materials as high as 50 miles into the atmosphere.

Can you survive a nuke in a basement?

Using a basement as a shelter can limit a nuclear bomb’s effects even further by being more protected from the radiation wave and air blast. Sheltering in a basement even two miles from the bomb explosion could keep you almost completely safe.

Can a bank vault withstand a nuke?

While skin is good enough protection for alpha radiation, once a radioactive particle has entered the body it can do much damage. So you can survive a nuclear attack in a vault if: You can open it from the inside. It is outside the blast area.

Is Canada a nuclear target?

While it has no more permanently stationed nuclear weapons as of 1984, Canada continues to cooperate with the United States and its nuclear weapons program.

What would a nuke do to Washington DC?

As much as the study states the obvious—a nuke will destroy an extremely large part of DC!—it paints a horrifying, incredibly detailed radioactive portrait, step by vaporizing step.

How bad would a nuclear attack on the White House be?

It would be very, very bad. The study—”National Capital Region: Key Response Planning Factors for the Aftermath of Nuclear Terrorism”—simulates and prognosticates a nuclear strike at 16th and K Streets, the heart of downtown DC and only a couple blocks from the White House. The kind of spot a terrorist would want to plant a bomb.

What is the force of a 1 megaton bomb?

Within a 6-km (3.7-mile) radius of a 1-megaton bomb, blast waves will produce 180 tonnes of force on the walls of all two-storey buildings, and wind speeds of 255 km/h (158 mph). In a 1-km (0.6-mile) radius, the peak pressure is four times that amount, and wind speeds can reach 756 km/h (470 mph). Technically, humans can withstand

How far away from a nuclear bomb would you be blind?

For a bomb that size, people up to 21 km (13 miles) away would experience flash blindness on a clear day, and people up to 85 km (52.8 miles) away would be temporarily blinded on a clear night.

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