These Mississippi Cities Are Likely Targets In A Nuclear Attack
Since 1945, the world hasn’t seen a nuclear bomb dropped on a place that had a population of more than zero. Those of us of a certain age will remember the bomb drills in elementary school, praying that a desk made of wood and metal would protect you from the blast. Fortunately, those days are far behind us, but that doesn’t mean the threat is completely gone.
While the chances are incredibly low, they are nothing. With the craziness going on around the globe and right here in the good ole U.S of A, it’s always best to stay on your toes. You know, just in case.
Here in Mississippi, there are places that would be more likely than others to be targeted by an attack. So for this hypothetical, here are some of the locations in the Magnolia State that could come under attack.
FEMA took the time to map out possible attacks.
Jackson
No surprises here. The most populous city and the state’s capital. Other than just the sheer amount of people, there’s a strong government presence that could make Jackson an attractive target for someone trying to cause harm
Columbus
As someone who has spent a considerable amount of time in Columbus, this one just bums me out. Aside from some cultural significance to the American south, there wouldn’t be much here to take out. I think this town wouldn’t even show up on radar if it wasn’t for the Air Force base.
Oxford
Mississippi’s oldest and proudest university (although I’m sure the Bulldogs would like a word) makes this city one of Mississippi’s biggest from the months of September to May. Plus, if a would-be attacker was trying to hit the cultural heart of America, I couldn’t think of a more culturally significant place than an SEC football game.
Gulfport
Coming in as the second biggest city in the state, there’s more than one reason that Gulfport finds itself on this list. The access to the gulf being the biggest one. Looking at the map of potential targets, you can see the entire coast is covered so this entry represents Biloxi and the rest as well.
Nuclear Power Plants
Nuclear power is a great way to supply a large area with stable energy to power everyday activities. Unfortunately, given how they produce their power, they could be a target for a nuclear attack. Fortunately for Mississippi, we’ve only got the one in Grand Gulf. While this minimizes the threat to the whole state, it would still be disastrous.
What Would Happen to a Power Plant?
Nuclear fallout is a nightmare. If you’re familiar with Chernobyl, their power plant melted down and that area of land wont be habitable for the next 20,000 years. Yes, that is five ‘zeroes’. The radiation leaves anything living in the area dead after mere hours.
This is simply a thought experiment. Truth being told, the U.S. is more than equipped to handle any threats thrown our way an obliterate any opposition if it comes to blows. So sleep well tonight knowing that more likely that not the world will be how you left it when you wake up.
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Gallery Credit: Stacker