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US Southwest cities face projected casualties in simulated Russian nuclear strike
Newsweek published interactive maps created by Alex Wellerstein, a professor and historian of nuclear technology, that model the effects of a Russian nuclear strike on cities in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The simulation uses Russia’s most powerful missile and predicts that a strike centered near El Paso would kill 849,010 people and injure 952,950. The fireball would vaporize everything within roughly 15.1 square miles, while a moderate blast radius of 442 square miles would destroy residential structures and spark widespread fires. A thermal radiation zone extending 2,360 square miles would inflict third‑degree burns on anyone inside.
The model also provides casualty estimates for other major metropolitan areas: Houston could see 1,238,500 deaths and 1,995,390 injuries; Dallas 1,045,700 deaths and 1,957,170 injuries; San Antonio 761,840 deaths and 754,110 injuries; Albuquerque 417,980 deaths and 359,500 injuries; and Phoenix 972,050 deaths and 1,475,300 injuries. The maps are intended to illustrate the potential human cost of a nuclear conflict involving the United States.
Entities
Alex Wellerstein · El Paso, Texas · Newsweek · Russia · United States
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Estimated casualties for Houston are 1,238,500 dead and 1,995,390 injured. 710keel.com · 1470kyyw.com · k945.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The thermal radiation radius would extend 2,360 square miles, causing third‑degree burns to people within that area. 710keel.com · 1470kyyw.com · k945.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The fireball radius would be about 15.1 square miles, vaporizing everything within. 710keel.com · 1470kyyw.com · k945.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Newsweek used an interactive map created by Alex Wellerstein to estimate casualties from a hypothetical Russian nuclear strike on US cities. 710keel.com · 1470kyyw.com · k945.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The moderate blast damage radius would cover 442 square miles, destroying residential buildings and causing widespread fires. 710keel.com · 1470kyyw.com · k945.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Estimated casualties for Dallas are 1,045,700 dead and 1,957,170 injured. 710keel.com · 1470kyyw.com · k945.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Estimated casualties for Phoenix are 972,050 dead and 1,475,300 injured. 710keel.com · 1470kyyw.com · k945.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] A strike in the El Paso range would kill 849,010 people and injure 952,950. 710keel.com · 1470kyyw.com · k945.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The thermal radiation radius of 2,360 square miles would cause third-degree burns to anyone within that area. 710keel.com · 1470kyyw.com · k945.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Alex Wellerstein created maps for Newsweek estimating the impact of a Russian nuclear strike on US cities. 710keel.com · 1470kyyw.com · k945.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The fireball radius would vaporize everything within about 15.1 square miles. 710keel.com · 1470kyyw.com · k945.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] A simulated Russian strike near El Paso would kill 849,010 people and injure 952,950. 710keel.com · 1470kyyw.com · k945.com