NO CITY IS SAFE
SIX major US cities are most at risk of a "horrific, catastrophic" nuclear attack and experts warn that we're not prepared for it.
Disaster preparedness specialist Irwin Redlener said federal guidelines won't adequately protect NYC, Chicago, Houston, LA, San Francisco, or Washington DC.
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"There isn't a single jurisdiction in America that has anything approaching an adequate plan to deal with a nuclear detonation," Redlener told.
"It would just be a horrific, catastrophic disaster with many, many unknown and cascading consequences," the public-health expert at Columbia University said.
COMPLETE DEVASTATION
The Department of Homeland Security designated these six cities as "Tier 1" which means a terror attack there would have the most devastation.
Although the US Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) for a nuclear attack is multifaceted, it's not infallible.
It involves deploying first responders, shelter relief, and decontaminating radioactive victims in the event of a major US city being bombed.
But Redlener said FEMA's advice to get inside, stay inside, and stay tuned won't be enough in the event of an attack on any of these six major cities.
EMERGENCY STRUGGLES
Major urban areas like NYC have vital infrastructure like energy plants, government facilities, and wireless transmission systems, crucial for US security.
Although every city has their own emergency stratefy in the event of such an emergency, only LA and New York mention a nuclear attack.
People can significantly reduce their exposure to nuclear fallout by simply getting indoors and taking cover.
Redlener said the main apocolyptic event people should prepare for is a single nuclear explosion - or missile launch - courtesy of Korea.
North Korean missiles could reach Alaska or Hawaii, but disturbingly they will soon be able to reach West Coast cities.
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TERROR ATTACK
Another major risk to US cities would be a nuclear device robbed, built or bought by a terrorist group, Redlener told the publication.
The results would certainly be cataclysmic for New Yorkers.
Data shows a Hiroshima-like explosion would yield and 610,000 injuries there.
Redlener said there would be a lack of hospital beds and queried what would happen to the emergency responders deployed to radioactive zones.
"Every strategic or tactical response is fraught with inadequacies," Redlener said.
THREATS TO NATIONAL SECURITY
Redlener's concern is not a surprise given the US is facing a multitude of possible threats as the year draws to a close.
Scientists have warned that a nuclear war between the US and Russia could plunge the Earth into a 10-year winter and WWII.
Fires from ballistic missiles would throw a staggering 147million tonnes of soot and dust into the atmosphere which would block out sunlight for years.
Experts predict it would take ten years for light to return to normal - with average surface temperatures plummeting by 9C.
Every strategic or tactical response is fraught with inadequacies.
Irwin Redlener
Likewise, fresh intelligence recently pointed to Iranian forces and weapons that could be put in place for a potential attack on the US, reports .
Another increasing concern was the launch of North Korea's submarine-launched ballistic missile earlier this year.
The missile was a Pukguksong-3 designed to "contain external threat and bolster self-defence" according to KCNA, their state news agency.
South Korean officials said the missile flew 280 miles and reached an altitude of 560 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan.
AFRAID TO EDUCATE
With all these potential threats on the horizon, Redlener said it was vital to educate the metropolitan masses in the event of a nuclear catastrophe.
He also highlighted the lack of designated shelters in these major American cities in the event of an attack from foreign forces.
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City officials can't justify fallout shelters in enormous cities like New York and San Francisco where there's a lack of affordable housing.
Redlender also said officials were afraid to share disaster prepardness tips in case it created mass panic but said it was important.
"This is part of our 21st-century reality," he said. "I've apologized to my children and grandchildren for leaving the world in such a horrible mess."
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