Nuclear explosions can cause significant damage and loss of life as a result from blast, heat, and radiation. Russian President Vladimir Putin has brought the war much closer to home with his decision to put his nuclear forces on high alert. What would happen in Indianapolis if a nuclear event occurred?
A 1986 Nuclear Blast Newscast Simulation in Indy
A fictional newscast created in 1986 tried to create a nuclear blast simulation. Featuring “Jeff Schwartz” and “Ann Miller” of Channel 9 Eyewitness News, the broadcasters walk through a fabricated event.
The U.S. Department of Energy created the Nuclear Emergency Search Team in 1974. This task force was assigned the job of planning against nuclear attacks. In 1986, the Pentagon, CIA, FBI, and the Department of Energy met in downtown Indianapolis for a real training seminar, in which a nuclear attack on the Circle City was discussed.
NEST created the exercise simulating a nuclear attack under the name of MIGHT DERRINGER.
Under the Freedom of Information Act, the phony newscast was recently released when Gizmodo made a request.
(Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Is Indianapolis Located In A Target Zone?
With mounting tensions in Europe, some are wondering about our hometown and safety.
After UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently stated that nuclear war was “back in the realm of possibilities”, Business Insider listed the cities that would be potential targets in the event of nuclear hostilities. Indianapolis is not a first strike target.
Reuters reported in 2019 that Russian TV listed The Pentagon, Camp David, Jim Creek Naval Radio Station in Washington, Fort Ritchie in Maryland, and McClellan Air Force Base in California as targets. Since that report, some locations have closed. Also, targeting has shifted from cities to nuclear stockpiles and nuclear war-related infrastructure. However, Survival Geek states,
“The federal government has also identified Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, and New York as most likely to be targeted for nuclear attacks.”
What Should You Do If A Nuclear Blast Occurs?
FEMA published a nuclear explosion fact sheet. The sheet includes instructions in the event of a nuclear burst.
- Get inside, remove contaminated clothing, wash skin, go to basement.
- Stay inside for 24 hours, if separated from family remain where you are.
- Tune into any media, use battery powered radio, understand that texting and phones may be unavailable.
If you’re questioning the damage circumference of a large nuclear bomb, at NukeMap you can place a marker on the map and see the area effected by a detonated bomb.
