Surviving a Nuclear Attack on Washington, D.C.

National Journal ^ | June 24th 2005 | By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.

[sheik yerbouty]

It's been in a lot of people's heads since 9/11.

[Dubyous]

Why would our enemies do us such a favor?

I think you forgot about the guide at the Smithsonian...the groundskeeper at the Vietnam Memorial...the elementary school field trip at the Lincoln Memorial...

You would consider their incineration a favor, eh?

[ravingnutter]

Not new info, but informational for those who have not done the research. You also might want to check out the Nuclear Blast Mapper

I gave packages of potassium iodide to all of my friends and family as stocking stuffers for Christmas a few years back, they all think I am a little crazy, but, oh well...

[Willie Green]

It's just predicting another doomsday scenario unless we fund more socialized medicine.

[nina0113]

All those politicians dead..... Why would our enemies do us such a favor?

Thank you so much...I work in downtown DC too.

[redgolum]

Bookmark to mapper.

[ContemptofCourt]

Well, at least the IRS building buys the farm.

Nice article, but could be summed up thusly: if the bomb goes off in D.C., bad things happen.

[Blzbba]

"Assume every line of defense against nuclear terrorism is breached: "



Considering how criminally easy it was for 15 Saudis to fly planes into buildings, this is an easy assumption to make.

[Tiger Smack]

this is the domestic/civilian side of things, I wonder what the military reaction would be? marshall law? we nuke every arab country in the world?

[Recovering Hermit]

LOL!

[Blzbba]

"The offices of the Internal Revenue Service — less than a quarter-mile west from ground zero — ... collapse"



Well, THERE'S a silver lining to the mushroom cloud.

[ExSoldier]

What a GREAT idea. Let's just IRRADIATE and render unusable a huge oil supply. We can even call it a work of art. Title: OIL UNDER GLASS. Sorry, don't mean to sound snide. But some of the reactions to this thread are depressing. Freepers certainly seem jaded and embittered. ~sigh~

A much better solution, IMHO is to use your solution but neutron warheads. That way we can walk in and declare the whole area the 51st state, just a few days after detonation.

[nina0113]

...the only thing I don't have is plenty of water stored...

Walmart sells 6-gallon heavy duty storage bottles in the Camping Department - $7 I think. Ours have been filled & in the garage since at the latest October 2001 with no leaks. We should cycle the water out at some time, though.

Food is in 5-gallon new paint buckets. Lowe's does not sell lids - Home Depot does. Home Depot also has orange ones rather than just white, so I bought one of those for a sanitation bucket.

[backtothestreets]

Months before 9-11 my local newspaper printed a letter to the editor in which I suggested relocating our nations capital to the heartland for protective and political reasons. The heartland is the demographic center of our nation and would be the easiest to protect.

This assessment of what a nuclear attack could accomplish gives credence to the suggestion. We cannot hope to protect an eighteenth century city from twenty-first century perils.

For political reasons, I would also like to have our Congressional delegation closer so they may better serve their constituency. Presently, the bastion of liberalism is the sole region receiving this exclusive treatment.

[rudy45]

I believe this reference is to the "Twilight Zone" episode that features Burgess Meredith as a bookworm who happens to survive a nuclear attack?

[Jonathan]

I would agree but someone cancelled our development of neutron warheads.

Also our entire stock of warheads on the Ohio boats is now untested, unreliable, and I believe "down graded" to lower throw weights and warhead yeilds.

I somehow doubt that our enemies are as concerned with such things as we are.

It's actually treasonous . . .

[Porterville]

No more Ted Kennedy?

[Diddle E. Squat]

Perhaps this is something for your ping list? Many already know much of this, but the article does contain very good practical advice in dealing with a disaster as individuals.

[ExSoldier]

The heartland is the demographic center of our nation and would be the easiest to protect.

Ummmm I don't think Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols got the message.

For political reasons, I would also like to have our Congressional delegation closer so they may better serve their constituency. Presently, the bastion of liberalism is the sole region receiving this exclusive treatment.

Now THAT is a great point I never even considered! Kudos to you!

[OB1kNOb]

My wife and I have both said that same thing to each other over the past 3 years of reading various articles, watching TV shows, investigative reporting, many dealing in these "what-if" scenarios. It's like they(?) are trying to prepare the general population's mindset for the "when" not "if".