Thermo-nuclear war will NOT wipe us out

Most people will assume that a full-on nuclear war will end all of mankind as we know it.  Not only that, but it will also kill everything on the planet rendering the planet permanently dead.  This is not the case.  While a thermo-nuclear war will be hugely devastating there will be plenty of survivors and the planet will recover relatively quickly. Regardless of where you live on the planet, you will need to take note of any likely targets around you, plus the prevailing wind direction.  Likely targets for attack are:

• Any city with a population of over 250,000
• Any airport with a runway over 10,000ft (3,050 metres) long
• All military bases housing air force
• All military bases housing 1 or more tank divisions
• All military bases with a complement of over 25,000 personnel
• All nuclear power plants with an annual generation of over 42 TWh (terawatt-hours)

If you are anywhere near one of these targets it may be time to move into the countryside.  These targets are guaranteed to be hit during a nuclear war. While a thermo-nuclear war will be hugely devastating there will be plenty of survivors. Share on X  

Nuclear weapons by country

• Russia (12,000)
• USA (9,400)
• France (300)
• China (240)
• UK (225)
• Israel (200)
• Pakistan (90)
• India (80)
• North Korea (10)

The numbers above are as accurate as possible considering the classified nature of nuclear weapons programs around the world.  There is huge speculation about North Korea’s nuclear arsenal with many speculators believing they don’t actually have any.  

Damage

As a general rule, nuclear weapons are devastating, however, a considerable amount of people and property survived after the blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII.  Radiation will be the most dangerous thing that you will face during a nuclear war.  The best rule of thumb for determining your risk of radiation exposure is literally a rule of thumb.  When a nuclear blast occurs, hold your thumb up to the mushroom cloud.  If the mushroom cloud is bigger than your thumb you are at immediate risk of radiation poisoning and should evacuate the area immediately. To see the possibilities for yourself, check out the NukeMap. Radiation poisoning can kill you within a week of exposure.  The symptoms of radiation poisoning include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Headache
• Fever
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Hair loss
• Vomiting blood
• Blood leaking from multiple orifices
• Death

While the devastation will be widespread and many hundreds of millions, possibly billions, will die, mankind will continue as always.  A semi-normal life will return to most, if not all, of the survivors within 50 years of the war.