With WWIII trending on Twitter and following on the post immediately below, an article from The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (the doomsday clock people), February 25, 2015:
Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles are believed to carry a total of approximately 1,000 strategic nuclear warheads that can hit the US less than 30 minutes after being launched. Of this total, about 700 warheads are rated at 800 kilotons; that is, each has the explosive power of 800,000 tons of TNT. What follows is a description of the consequences of the detonation of a single such warhead over midtown Manhattan, in the heart of New York City.
The initial fireball. The warhead would probably be detonated slightly more than a mile above the city, to maximize the damage created by its blast wave. Within a few tenths of millionths of a second after detonation, the center of the warhead would reach a temperature of roughly 200 million degrees Fahrenheit (about 100 million degrees Celsius), or about four to five times the temperature at the center of the sun.
A ball of superheated air would form, initiallly expanding outward at millions of miles per hour. It would act like a fast-moving piston on the surrounding air, compressing it at the edge of the fireball and creating a shockwave of vast size and power.
After one second, the fireball would be roughly a mile in diameter. It would have cooled from its initial temperature of many millions of degrees to about 16,000 degrees Fahrenheit, roughly 4,000 degrees hotter than the surface of the sun.
On a clear day with average weather conditions, the enormous heat and light from the fireball would almost instantly ignite fires over a total area of about 100 square miles.
Hurricane of fire. Within seconds after the detonation, fires set within a few miles of the fireball would burn violently. These fires would force gigantic masses of heated air to rise, drawing cooler air from surrounding areas toward the center of the fire zone from all directions.
As the massive winds drove flames into areas where fires had not yet fully developed,the fires set by the detonation would begin to merge. Within tens of minutes of the detonation, fires from near and far would join to form a single, gigantic fire. The energy released by this mass fire would be 15 to 50 times greater than the energy produced by the nuclear detonation.
The mass fire, or firestorm, would quickly increase in intensity, heating enormous volumes of air that would rise at speeds approaching 300 miles per hour. This chimney effect would pull cool air from outside the fire zone towards the center of the fire at speeds of hundreds of miles per hour. These superheated ground winds of more than hurricane force would further intensify the fire. At the edge of the fire zone, the winds would be powerful enough to uproot trees three feet in diameter and suck people from outside the fire into it....
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Should the war expand and, God forbid, go nuclear, Paris is the European capital that would suffer the worst effects from a single Russian 800 kiloton nuke launched on the Topol SS-25 missile....
By comparison the same weapon used on London, again, a single, less-than-one-megaton bomb would result in....
Also, you may recall that last summer the city of New York ran Public Service Announcements on what to do should the city be struck with nuclear weapons. From NBC4, New York:
‘So There's Been a Nuclear Attack'
...In the event of a nuclear incident, the PSA advises the following actions:
- Get inside: Move indoors and away from any windows.
- Stay inside: Close all doors and window, and move into the basement if you have one.
- Stay tuned and stay put: Follow media for latest details and watch for officials alerts when its safe to go outside....
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The city's public health department also offers:
Emergencies Radiological Nuclear Incident - NYC Health - New York City
If there is a nuclear explosion affecting the city and you feel overwhelmed and unable to cope, or if you are concerned about someone else, you can find help by calling (888) NYC-Well (888-692-9355). NYC Well is a free, confidential helpline for New York City residents, available 24/7, with trained staff ready to take your calls and offer advice....
