CLASSIFIED Nuclear War Plan EXPOSED

Line of nuclear missiles with radiation hazard signs.

The first nuclear strikes on American soil would deliberately avoid major cities, targeting remote military installations instead—but what happens next would change everything you thought you knew about nuclear warfare.

Story Snapshot

Initial nuclear attacks would target remote military bases, not major population centers
New York, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles top the list for secondary strikes
A single escalation scenario could kill 34 million Americans in the first few hours
Even “safe” regions would become uninhabitable due to fallout and nuclear winter effects

The Strategic Logic Behind Nuclear Targeting

Military strategists distinguish between “counterforce” and “counter-value” targeting for a chilling reason. The first wave would strike remote installations like Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico and Kings Bay Naval Base in Georgia. This counterforce strategy aims to cripple America’s nuclear response capability while minimizing civilian casualties—at least initially. But this restraint represents only the opening move in an escalation ladder that climbs toward unthinkable devastation.

The Princeton Science and Global Security Programme modeled exactly this scenario, revealing how a conflict triggered by a single low-yield weapon spirals into catastrophe. Their simulation shows 34.1 million deaths and 57.4 million injuries within hours—and that represents just the beginning of America’s nightmare.

When Cities Become Primary Targets

Once counterforce strikes fail to end the conflict, military doctrine shifts to counter-value targeting. This phase transforms America’s greatest cities into bulls-eyes. New York leads the target list, followed by Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. Washington D.C. would likely face attack in the initial wave due to its command and control significance.

Each detonation would unleash thermal radiation carrying 35% of the weapon’s energy, causing third-degree burns miles from ground zero. The electromagnetic pulse would disable every unshielded electronic device for miles, crippling communications and transportation. Buildings would vaporize, debris would fly at 784 miles per hour, and those not instantly killed could suffer radiation sickness or blindness from miles away.

The Geography of Destruction

FEMA’s fallout modeling reveals a sobering truth about nuclear war’s geographic reach. Almost all of California, coastal New England, and the entire state of Florida would face severe contamination. The eastern United States would experience fallout ranging from minor to catastrophic levels. Even regions initially spared direct attack—western Texas, Nevada, Michigan, and Wisconsin—would likely become uninhabitable due to nuclear winter effects.

John Erath from the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation emphasizes that “nowhere is truly ‘safe’ from fallout and other consequences like contamination of food and water supplies and prolonged radiation exposure.” This assessment reflects the reality that nuclear war’s effects extend far beyond blast zones, contaminating food supplies and creating prolonged radiation exposure across vast areas.

The Survival Timeline Nobody Discusses

The most critical period for survival spans the first 72 hours, when radiation levels peak at their most lethal concentrations. Most Americans would need to shelter for at least a week, requiring thick walls between themselves and the contaminated environment. Those who emerge too early would face radiation sickness, while those who wait face the challenge of navigating a collapsed infrastructure.

But even perfect preparation cannot overcome the larger consequences. A full-scale nuclear exchange would trigger below-freezing summer temperatures, causing deaths exceeding 5 billion people globally within two years. Even a regional conflict using 250 warheads could kill over 1.4 billion people through nuclear winter effects alone. These numbers transform nuclear war from a military conflict into an extinction-level event that makes traditional survival planning seem almost quaint.