Malhamah Scenario: Impact of a Nuclear Bomb Detonated above Midtown Manhattan


What would happen if just one 800-kiloton nuclear warhead was detonated above midtown Manhattan?


by Steven Starr, Lynn Eden, Theodore A. Postol


Impact of a nuclear bomb over a city
As prophesied...?
Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles are believed to carry a total of approximately 1,000 strategic nuclear warheads that can hit the US less than 30 minutes after being launched. Of this total, about 700 warheads are rated at 800 kilotons; that is, each has the explosive power of 800,000 tons of TNT. What follows is a description of the consequences of the detonation of a single such warhead over midtown Manhattan, in the heart of New York City.