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New University of Georgia study finds U.S. unprepared to respond to nuclear attack
 | 03.22.2007 | 06:36:08 | Views: 6683 | ID:

March 22 '07: A three-year study by the University of Georgia has found that the U.S. is not ready to respond to a nuclear attack, a press release read. The study, which has called "the most advanced and detailed simulation published in open scientific literature," found that surge capacity inadequacies and a breakdown in response services would result from a large nuclear attack in a major American city.

The study focused on New York, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Atlanta. William Bell, the University of Georgia's Center for Mass Destruction Defense and the co-author of the study said, "The likelihood of a nuclear weapon attack in an American city is steadily increasing, and the consequences will be overwhelming. ... So we need to substantially increase our preparation."

A 20 kiloton and 550 kiloton bomb were used as benchmarks for destruction. Using a 550 kiloton bomb, which can be found in old Soviet-era arsenals thought to be vulnerable to terrorists, attackers could unleash an explosion in New York that could kill 5 million people while sending out a radioactive plume over the whole of Long Island.

In the Washington D.C. area, a similar sized bomb would cripple the Northern Virginia and Baltimore areas' emergency medical services while destroying all services inside D.C..

The study suggested that hospitals prepare for triaging large amounts of burn patients while advocating greater public awareness about what to do in the event of a nuclear attack.

According to the Associated Press, the "study calls states to stock thousands of mobile hospital beds in rural areas and make plans for fast transport of the equipment if there is an attack. ... Cities could also buy geographic information system devices that pinpoint where toxic chemicals or radioactive agents have been released."

 

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