Nuclear Strike on NYC - Scenario

I've just read a very frightening article. It describes what could be a possible scenario, and the resulting carnage of a nuclear attack on New York City. The article begins with the scenario of a nuclear weapon being smuggled into the heart of Manhattan, and being detonated by terrorists. It then gives a second by second account of the devostation that would result.

This is pretty spooky to me. I would suggest people read it if for nothing more then the descriptions of what a nuclear detonation in NYC would create.



Horrific Scenario: NYC Hit by Terrorist Nuke
Detonating the IND in Midtown positions the bomb where the largest number of people would be located, in the many skyscrapers that house the city's offices. Assume the IND is detonated outside the Empire State Building at 11:45 a.m. Assume that the weapon is a 150-kiloton HEU gun-type bomb. Damage estimates can be scaled down to approximate damage and casualties should the bomb be a lower-yield weapon. Assume the day is the beautiful day that 9-11 was – clear and cool, few clouds in the sky, with a light wind from the east. Assume the population density is uniform, with an average of 125,000 people per square mile. Assume the bomb's shock wave spreads out evenly, not affected by the structures.

For the terrorists, the mission is a suicide mission. Those driving the truck will remain in place, acting normal, so those inside the truck can trigger the device before anyone becomes suspicious. Remote detonation of the IND, or timed detonation, would be too risky. The way to make sure the device explodes is to stay in place and trigger the detonation locally. All terrorists on the weapons delivery mission are vaporized as the weapon detonates.

1 second after detonation

Within the first second, a shock wave with an overpressure of 20 psi (pounds per square inch) extends four-tenths of a mile from ground zero. This destroys the Empire State Building and all other buildings within that radius, including Madison Square Garden, Penn Station and the New York Public Library. The reinforced steel in the skyscrapers does nothing to support them. Everything within the first four-tenths of a mile from ground zero is reduced to a pile of debris hundreds of feet deep in places. No one in this area survives or even knows what happened to them. The blast kills somewhere between 75,000 and 100,000 people instantly. Those outside in direct line with the blast are vaporized from the heat. Those inside the buildings who survive the blast are killed as the buildings collapse.



The rest of the article continues on with the play by play of the devastation throughout the inital strike and the effect that it would have on the entire country.

The author even goes into some of the possible retaliation scenarios, and the effect those would have on the world as a whole.