Recent geopolitical tensions have rekindled fears of a "nuclear apocalypse".
US study lists the biggest nuclear targets in the country
The United States has compiled a report listing the biggest targets in the country for foreign adversaries. The report looked at population density, military bases and ease of evacuation.
Washington, D.C. has been ranked as the worst place to live in the event of a nuclear attack on America.
With deadly conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and China on the brink of invading Taiwan, the world may not have been this close to war in a century, the Daily Mail reports.
And even though Americans are on the other side of the globe, the United States will not be safe from nuclear war, experts warn.
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Στρατηγός ε.α. Τζούμης για βόλτα στην Αθήνα: Από τα 1.000 άτομα που συνάντησα οι 950 ήταν «σκούροι» άντρες
The Russian-Chinese nuclear arsenal
As the British publication notes, Russia has an arsenal of more than 5,900 warheads capable of reaching US soil in about 30 minutes.
At the same time, China has a stockpile of more than 500 warheads aimed at the west coast of the United States.
The parameters for prioritising targets in the US
Experts believe that 15 US cities would be priority targets if a foreign adversary decided to launch a nuclear attack against the US. These are potential targets because of their population density, distance from a strategic military installation, emergency preparedness, and ease of evacuation.
The US capital was ranked as the most valuable target due to being the center of America's defense, followed by the larger New York metropolitan area, according to an analysis by 24/7 Wall Street, an independent financial news source.
The group compiled the report using research by Dr. Irwin Redlener, a professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
Previously, Redlener identified six economic areas that are potential targets for hostile nuclear weapons.
These sites were combined with 15 strategic military targets identified by Stephen Schwartz, who is part of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and author of The Costs and Consequences of U.S. Nuclear Weapons From 1940.
The targets, according to Schwartz, are command centers, intercontinental ballistic missile bases, air force bases and submarine bases.
Wall Street 24/7 staff then rated each location by population, emergency preparedness, mileage to a strategic military facility using Google Maps and ease of evacuation.
Simulation of a megaton nuclear explosion
The team then used Nukemap's nuclear explosion simulator and "dropped" a one-megaton bomb to see the damage and casualties, the Daily Mail reported.
Most Americans believe the country's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers, located in Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wyoming, would be the adversary's priority.
The five (5) most dangerous areas in the USA for nuclear attack
Next, the Daily Mail, based on an expert report, provides a top list of the most dangerous places in the United States in the event of nuclear war.
1. Washington - Arlington - Alexandria
This area is the most dangerous because it is the "heart of democracy", the seat of the US government, the White House and the Pentagon, which were the targets of the 9/11 attacks.
The area is home to more than 6.1 million people, making it the fourth most populated area among the 15 targets. Experts ranked the capital as the fifth worst city to evacuate and predicted the bombing would kill more than 461,000 people and injure more than 924,000.
2. New York-Newark - Jersey City
That Manhattan was targeted is perhaps not surprising, as it was also damaged in the 9/11 attacks.
Not only is it America's most populous city, but it is also a symbol of Western values and capitalism.
A bomb dropped in New York City will affect Newark and Jersey City, both in New Jersey, which are across the Hudson River from each other. It is also the country's largest metropolis, home to more than nine million people. The report listed the area as the second most evacuated region and predicted that 1.7 million people would die and 3.1 would be injured.
3. San Francisco - Oakland - Berkeley, California
The Bay Area is another large metropolitan area in the United States, with a population of 18,629 people per square mile.
Surrounded by San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean, evacuation of the three cities would be impossible if a megaton nuclear bomb had been dropped, ranking it third on the worst list.
The region is home to nearly two million people who call it home. Projected casualties could exceed 507,000, with 582,870 injured.
4. Chicago - Naperville - Elgin, Illinois.
Chicago may seem an unlikely target to many, but the Illinois city is within 50 miles of four nuclear power plants. Naperville and Elgin are within 40 miles of the Windy City, meaning they would also be affected in the event of a nuclear attack.
The region ranked fourth out of 15 targets for the number of evacuations for more than two million inhabitants. Experts predicted the attack would cause 626,170 deaths and more than 1.1 million injuries.
5. Los Angeles - Long Beach - Anaheim, California
California's vibrant region is known for its Hollywood stars and stunning beaches, but it can also become a priority target for the enemy.
The three cities are about 26 miles apart and are home to more than four million people.
This part of California will be targeted because it is the second largest metropolitan area in the United States.
The report ranks the area as having the fifth highest number of evacuations, which U.S. experts estimate will result in 645,750 deaths and more than 1.6 million injuries.
The US and Russia are playing too much with nukes
Our conclusion from the above and from what has been said and implied by Russian top officials is that the US and Russia have been dangerously "flirting" for two years with the use of nuclear weapons, which is not at all good for humanity, since in a nuclear holocaust no one will emerge victorious.
