How Many Nuclear Fallout Shelters Are In New York?

Are New Yorkers ready for a nuclear attack on the United States? While we tend to think it is unlikely, it seems we are living in dangerous times, where federal 'leadership' may unilaterally start World War III. According to Newsweek,

"A nuclear exchange would be disastrous for all involved. The Federation of American Scientists estimates that Russia has around 5,580 nuclear weapons, compared with the U.S.'s 5,428. Both are thought to have around 1,600 active deployed strategic nuclear warheads."

At this point, the new administration has pissed pretty much every country off, but only a few can execute a nuclear strike. One of those is Russia. A map shows that one of the targets Russia would hit is New York City. There are nine sovereign nations believed to have nuclear weapons - the United Kingdom, France, China, Israel (not formally acknowledged), India, Pakistan, and North Korea, in addition to Russia and the U.S., according to Wikipedia. Due to current policies, we now have rocky relationships with the UK and China.

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A leftover fallout shelter sign, one of hundreds in New York, is displayed on a building on August 11, 2017 in New York City. The signs signifying a protective space to sit out a nuclear attack date back to the early 1960's when America was in a Cold War with Russia. Americans are once again contemplating the possibility of a nuclear attack as America and North Korea threaten each other with war. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a response to Trump's strikes, writing on Twitter, "Those who know the Iranian people and their history know that the Iranian nation isn't a nation that surrenders." Trump made the decision to bomb three of Iran's key nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, without consulting Congress or, seemingly, anyone else.

With a White House that seems to be operating without concern for long-term repercussions, we may be headed in the wrong direction. If there were a nuclear retaliation, it would be devastating. New Yorkers who survive the initial attack would quickly need to find the nearest fallout shelter to shield themselves from radioactive particles, known as fallout. There are around 250 fallout shelters in New York City and others around the state, according to True Prepper.

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Many of the shelters in New York remain from the 1960s, so there's no telling how effective they would be. Hopefully, we don't need this anytime soon. Congress needs to get on its job and keep the Executive Branch in check.

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