NM city listed as one of the top targets during nuclear war

In the midst of global tensions and the specter of nuclear conflict, a recent analysis has pinpointed Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the 11th most vulnerable city in the United States in the event of a nuclear attack. The report, conducted by 24/7 Wall Street using research from experts, sheds light on potential high-priority targets and the associated risks faced by various American cities.

Westinghouse Atom Smasher, Forest Hills, United States. Allie Reefer, Unsplash.

The study, which amalgamates research from Dr. Irwin Redlener and Stephen Schwartz, considered factors such as population density, distance to strategic military facilities, emergency preparedness, and ease of evacuation. The results position Albuquerque among cities where significant casualties and injuries are anticipated in the unfortunate event of a nuclear strike.

Albuquerque, with a population exceeding 562,000, is home to the Kirtland Air Force Base and serves as the headquarters for the Air Force Global Strike Command’s largest installation, the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center. Despite being ranked the 11th worst for evacuations, experts predict that a nuclear bomb dropped in the area could cause approximately 11,200 deaths and 157,630 injuries.

Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. Joel Mabel, Wiki Commons.

The report underscores the vulnerabilities faced by cities housing military facilities, as the nature of these installations makes them potential targets in the eyes of adversaries. Albuquerque, with its strategic significance in the nation’s defense infrastructure, becomes a focal point in discussions about the potential impact of a nuclear attack.

The other top cities identified as potential high-priority targets for nuclear attacks based on factors such as population density, proximity to strategic military facilities, emergency preparedness, and ease of evacuation include Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, New York City-Newark-Jersey City, San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Urban Honolulu, Omaha, Ogden-Clearfield, Colorado Springs, Great Falls, Cheyenne, and Shreveport-Bossier City.

Nuclear weapon test Bravo (yield 15 Mt) on Bikini Atoll. The test was part of the Operation Castle. The Bravo event was an experimental thermonuclear device surface event. U.S. Department of Energy via Wiki Commons.

While the prospect of such an event remains a grim hypothetical, the analysis serves as a reminder of the geopolitical uncertainties faced by cities across the United States. As international tensions persist, discussions surrounding emergency preparedness and the potential consequences of military conflicts become increasingly crucial for communities and policymakers alike.

Advertisements

22 thoughts on “NM city listed as one of the top targets during nuclear war”

    1. Climate Warming Global Change is #1? Really?
      I thought “White Supremacists” or those “PTA Parents against Drag Queens” or “Catholics protest abortion mills” were the real problem.
      But I guess I’m confusing the local threat with the international threat – it’s hard to keep up with all the looming disasters facing America.
      Maybe pRezidon’t Jao Xidung could skip a nap to design a NEW & IMPROVED DEFCON ‘O METER so us mere mortals could get woke on the latest threat de jour.

    2. Actually, climate change is not a “major’ threat. As seen with Pearl Harbor and 9/11; nuc attack is much more “clear and Present” danger. People all over the world are rising up against the US for support of Israel; we displayed incredible weakness in the untimely exit of Afghanistan; weak posture with the people in the middle east and China. Our country has had the worst possible leaders in the past 20 years. Doubt we can recover.

  1. If New Mexico was nuked Republicans in Congress would still exclude us from any relief just like they recently did with the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.

    1. The Republicans also didn’t want to support additional funding for the compensation of victims of 9/11 in New York City.

    2. If the Dems (and many GOP) would quit spending willy nilly on wasteful pet projects, there might just be funds available for such important compensations.

      1. You mean like the $7 trillion tax cuts given to the Uber rich and international corporations during the tRump administration?

    3. If the republicans were running things we wouldn’t be woke but protected and alive. The liberals have all but killed the USA, the party of JFK died with him it no longer what can I do for my country, it’s what can my country give me. Now we are being forced to electric everything with no thought of the damage those lithium batteries cause with materials mined and the after product just like the blades from those wind mills. President Regan knew how to take care of business, get back to work or your fired, he didn’t pass billions for people to stay home. Just how much money has been spent to target Trump? False Russian probe, multi law suits, promises by the DA to get Trump, using law enforcement to target him, recall James Comey et al. Nikki Haley please save whats left of the USA.

  2. The lack of intelligence manifested on this side is mind-boggling. Albuquerque has a large nuclear weapons (bombs) storage site and a weapons research facility at Kirtland Air Force Base and has for decades. It has been there under Democratic and Republican presidents going back to Reagan so wake the f****** up and try to know what you’re talking about.

  3. Well that certainly sucks for the 11,200 who’s names have been withheld for obvious reasons.

    I’ve been on “the rock”. I’ve worked inside and outside. To my knowledge and understanding, Manzano Nuclear storage has been shuttered for quite some time since my service connected exposure to unknown yellow and green crap bubbling and foaming out of the ground in Bravo Sector by the old CSC entryway, south side of the parking lot… the one with radiation signs and posted no trespassing with the 6-8″ hinged lidded pipe jutting out of the ground about 8″…

    So wasting a nuke on a target that will have limited kills and little to do with stopping the warfare capabilities of the USA is sorta stupid.

    Now Washington DC when a session is in without warning… Well that’s a different story. Those are the idiots with the codes and suitcase…well a cell phone and a notebook nowadays.

    M.A.D… something the Koreans and Russians and Chinese have forgotten about… maybe not the unnamed 11,200 in Albuquerque… but they dang sure have.

    1. I’m sorry you were exposed to that, and I pray you are correct, that they leave us alone. I have 2 kids and 5 beautiful grandkids and parents and friends that are here. God help us all.

  4. I think the death toll would be much higher as energy from the bomb would reflect back off the mountain.

    Funny that from time to time, this crosses my mind when I’m heading home to the other side of the mountain from Albuquerque.

  5. WILLIAM J BEERMAN, Sr.

    Walked by the Ground Zero Cafe at the Pentagon every day for years. The joke was nobody would nuke DC because it serves our enemies so well.

  6. John Torrey Baird Jr

    Belen would be a more strategic target. Small population with a huge impact on transportation. The world would be a lot safer today if the Keystone pipeline was completed and we didn’t have a wide-open border.

  7. The nuclear bombs were produced and probably still are in Los Alamos. If you ever been to Los Alamos. It’s very top secret. They have guards checking as you enter. Check workers some times very extensively and delivery trucks. The labs are spread out throughout Los Alamos and no one really knows what goes on there. Some are even underground.On 285/84 tons of cars drive fast one after another. I have seen fences that say monitored by camera, some have electric wires, security patrol, and violators will be shot. No joke. They were the first to make the Atom bombs. There’s a gallery that you can visit and see an example of the atomic bombs of The Little Boy and Fat Man. The reason they made highway 599 is to transport atomic bombs and the toxic waste they provide. I’m sure many places make nuclear bombs and transfer them throughout the states. The White Sands Missile Range is from Socorro all the way to Las Cruces. Lots of top secret stuff goes on there. I hunted Oryx and I seen tons of airplane shells.. The trinity site can be viewed once a year where the first a-bomb was tested.I was able to see like a huge pipe that must have 20-30 ft tall and about 5-10 thickness. The bomb put in that made a visible crack throughout. It was amazing to see the devastation.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top