Nuclear Strike Impact on Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona: Projected Casualties

As tensions with Russia escalate, the threat of a nuclear attack has once again become a topic of serious concern. If the U.S. were targeted, cities like El Paso, Texas, and those in Arizona would bear the brunt of the devastation.

Newsweek used data from Alex Wellerstein, a professor and historian specializing in nuclear technology, to show the potential impacts of a Russian nuclear strike using one of their most powerful missiles. The results are alarming.

For example, a nuclear strike on the El Paso area, which stretches into Mexico and as far north as Alamogordo, New Mexico, would result in 849,010 deaths and nearly 953,000 injuries. This zone, where the immediate effects would be the most catastrophic, would experience horrific destruction. The explosion would cause widespread death and injury, with structures in the blast zone obliterated.

However, the impact of such a strike would not be limited to the area near ground zero. The blast’s effects would be felt miles away. Newsweek notes that in the region nearly 4,000 miles from the blast, the effects would be less severe but still noticeable, with broken windows and some light structural damage occurring.

Here are the projected casualties for major cities across the U.S. if struck by a nuclear missile:

• Houston: 1,238,500 dead, 1,995,390 injured
• Dallas: 1,045,700 dead, 1,957,170 injured
• San Antonio: 761,840 dead, 754,110 injured
• Albuquerque: 417,980 dead, 359,500 injured
• Phoenix: 972,050 dead, 1,475,300 injured

For those interested in exploring the potential effects further, Newsweek’s interactive map allows users to simulate nuclear attacks on various cities, helping visualize the impact based on different bomb types and detonation methods. Just drag the cursor to any city and fill in the relevant details to see the results.

This sobering simulation serves as a reminder of the far-reaching consequences a nuclear conflict would have on populations, infrastructure, and everyday life across the U.S.

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