Last weekend’s panic-inducing false alarm that warned Hawaiian residents of an incoming ballistic missile has brought to light the catastrophic events that could take place under a real nuclear attack.
According to a new report from DefenseOne, a warhead launched by North Korea would likely be far bigger than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The blast alone would cause well over 150,000 deaths if dropped over the capital city Honolulu – and, given the landscape and prevalence of wood-frame buildings, experts say an even more devastating ‘firestorm’ would soon follow.
The hypothetical fireball would have a radius of roughly .5 kilometers (.3 miles). According to Nukemap , the radiation radius would stretch 2.02 kilometers (1.2 miles), while the thermal radiation, which can cause third degree burns, would extend as far as 6.25 km (3.9 miles)
The false alarm mistakenly issued on Jan 13 highlighted the need for more thorough efforts to educate the public and help them prepare for such an attack, according to DefenseOne.
Based on North Korea’s demonstration of a roughly 200 kiloton weapon last year, which could reach Honolulu, the Nukemap tool shows a blast at roughly 2,000 feet above the surface could cause over 150,000 deaths.
And, there would be over 173,000 injuries.
The fireball would have a radius of roughly .5 kilometers (.3 miles) – and the effects of radiation would be far more extensive.
According to Nukemap, the radiation radius would stretch 2.02 kilometers (1.2 miles), while the thermal radiation, which can cause third degree burns, would extend as far as 6.25 km (3.9 miles).
Depending on a number of other factors, the outlook for fatalities could be even worse.
Experts say the worst effects may not even come from the blast itself.
Last weekend’s panic-inducing false alarm that warned Hawaiian residents of an incoming ballistic missile has brought to light the catastrophic events that could take place under a real nuclear attack.
‘The mountains will reflect the blast back onto the target,’ Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at Middlebury Institute of International Studies, told DefenseOne.
‘Most homes in Honolulu are wood-frame construction, so there is a significant chance of a firestorm following the blast which was what really devastated Hiroshima, much more so than the blast.’
The fallout would also carry cancer-causing radioisotopes, which would linger for weeks.
Based on North Korea’s demonstration of a roughly 200 kiloton weapon last year, which could reach Honolulu, the Nukemap tool shows a blast at roughly 2,000 feet above the surface could cause over 150,000 deaths. And, there would be over 173,000 injuries
According to a new report from DefenseOne, a warhead launched by North Korea would likely be far bigger than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima (shown) and Nagasaki
And, it would contaminate the local food and water supply, according to DefenseOne.
As nuclear tensions grew this year, experts have increasingly shared tips to help the public prepare for the event of an attack, including ensuring you have an emergency supply kit ready to go.
Last year, YouTubers Gregory Brown and Mitchell Moffit explained that the best shelters are those which place as much concrete as possible between you and the blast.
For a house, this could be the basement, while those who live in apartments would be advised to go toward the middle, to get away from windows.