Results Of Nuclear Attacks In Texas, New Mexico And Arizona

Tensions with Russia are rising and the subject of a nuclear attack is back on the table. Should the USA be targeted, El Paso, Texas and Arizona will be hit hard.

Newsweek used maps produced by a professor and historian of nuclear technology named Alex Wellerstein to determine the impact of a Russian nuclear strike using their most powerful missile.

One in the El Paso range, which extends well into Mexico and as far north as Alamogordo, would kill 849,010 and injure 952,950.

The Newsweek article says a midair blast would have minor effects almost 4,000 miles from the point of detonation. Broken windows, maybe light structure damage, etc. The most immediate effects, in the main blast zone, are pretty horrifying.

The fireball radius (inner yellow circle), in which everything would be vaporized by intense heat rising to millions of degrees F, would reach around 15.1 square miles. The more moderate blast damage radius (inner gray circle), covering 442 square miles of the blast, would destroy residential buildings and probably cause widespread fires.

Anyone within 2,360 square miles of the explosion (the thermal radiation radius: wider orange circle) would be at risk of suffering third-degree burns throughout the skin, "often painless because they destroy the pain nerves," which can cause severe scarring, disablement and require amputation. - Newsweek

How Many Would Be Hurt Or Killed In A Nuclear Blast?

Based on the average number of people in the area during any given 24 hour period:

• Houston = 1,238,500 dead, 1,995,390 injured
• Dallas = 1,045,700 dead, 1,957,170 injured
• San Antonio = 761,840 dead, 754,110 injured
• Albuquerque = 417,980 dead, 359,500 injured
• Phoenix =   972,050 dead, 1,475,300 injured

What About Other Cities?

You can use the same interactive map Newsweek did to "nuke" the city of your choice and see the results based on different types of bombs and detonations.

Just drag the cursor to the city you want and fill in the blanks. The results will show up below the form.