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If a terrorist group detonates low yeield nuclear weapons in, say, NYC, DC, and Los Angeles, just as an example. The entire cities would not be destroyed, most likely - initial blast crater would be a few blocks, and fires would rage for a few blocks more radiating outward. True, the entire city would not be destroyed, but your estimation of a the effect of a 'low yeild' nuclear blast is off. The heat, blast and radiation would immediately kill immediately everyone within 3/4 a mile in every direction, even people in reinforced buildings. Nearly everyone exposed out of doors out to 3 miles would be killed or terribly burned within 10-15 seconds after the blast(people make fun of the 'Duck and Cover' films, but lowering your exposure immediately after a blast increases your chances for survival exponentially). 5 - 8 miles out, most buildings would be severly damaged. Flying glass and other objects would injure a large number. Radiation from fallout would start to effect people down wind within the hour.

You are right, but we are talking about different things.

I should have been more clear and that's my mistake, I'm sorry. By 'low yield' I meant the more likely, smaller nuclear weapons that these jokers could get their hands on, colloquially called 'suitcase nukes, whose yeild is mostly likely less than 1 kt, maybe as low as 0.1 kt (and nowhere near 1mt).

What you are describing is a major bomb of 1 mt or more. You are right, but best anyone can tell, there is no suitcase nuke or anything comperable in the 1 megaton yeild capability.

Check the following link for some info on a 1 mt surface blast (which is what you are describing)

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bomb/sfeature/1mtblast.html

Check the following for some insight into the so-called 'suitcase nukes,' which at best are nowhere close to as potent to yeild a 1mt blast (with .1 kt to 1.0 kt being more likely).

http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/020923.htm

To be sure, there is a dubious background to these low yeild nukes, but I don't think the badguys have what it takes to craft a 1mt nuke and get it inside a major us city. Smaller 'suitcase' nukes is a different story. Then again, unless they have been maintained, they are better suited to 70kg paperweights.