U.S. Nuclear Target List Now Includes 15 Missouri Sites

When you live in Missouri, you've likely seen your share of maps that show several locations in the state that would be prime targets if a nuclear exchange were ever to happen. I've now found something I've not seen before. It's a United States nuclear target database that reveals there are now 15 Missouri places that would be in big trouble if this worst-case scenario ever becomes reality.

I found a website simply called Nuclear War Map. It includes several scenarios including a single weapon or a large scale attack. When you run their simulation, this is what the damage looks like with 15 Missouri targets hit.

If you look at their US Nuclear Targets database, these are the 15 Missouri places they believe would be hit in just about every first-strike scenario. What's interesting is they show not just the targets, but the size of nuclear weapon that analysts believe would be used and whether they would be air burst or surface burst.

• Missouri Whiteman AFB - Military - 1000kt  - Air Burst
• Missouri Marine Corps Command - Military - 1000kt - Air Burst
• Missouri Marine Corps Command - Military - 1000kt - Air Burst
• Missouri Marine Corps Command - Military 200kt - Surface Burst
• Missouri Marine Corps Command - Military 200kt Surface Burst
• Missouri Marine Corps Command - Military 200kt Surface Burst
• Missouri Kansas City - Economic - 1000kt - Air Burst
• Missouri Kansas City - Economic - 1000kt - Air Burst
• Missouri Kansas City - Economic - 1000kt - Air Burst
• Missouri St. Louis - Economic - 800kt - Air Burst
• Missouri St. Louis - Economic - 800kt - Air Burst
• Missouri St. Louis - Economic - 800kt - Air Burst
• Missouri St. Louis - Economic - 200kt - Surface Burst
• Missouri Jefferson City - Government - 300kt - Air Burst
• Missouri Jefferson City - Government - 300kt - Air Burst

It's no secret that military bases like Fort Leonard Wood or Whiteman Air Force Base would be first-strike targets for any nuclear-equipped enemy. What I find unexpected are all of the economic targets in St. Louis and Kansas City that would be the targets of multiple weapons.

I don't know about you, but I grew up in the generation that watched "The Day After" on TV in 1983. That was the era where there was a real fear of a nuclear war with what used to be the Soviet Union. After the Cold War ended, most of us thought those times of nuclear war fears would be over. We were wrong. It seems like every few weeks, Russian leaders will make threats of striking the United States if we become more involved in their war with the Ukraine. One of their leaders just made that threat again earlier today. That's why many are now wondering again if we'll some day face this grim reality. Let's hope this remains nothing but imaginary war games and databases and never a real world event.