75% of US population could turn into ashes in a Thanos-like snap, new map reveals

A new map reveals that a sudden nuclear attack could incinerate 75% of the US population, totaling up to 250 million.

A newly released map indicates that a sudden nuclear attack could turn 75 per cent of the United States population, up to 250 million people, into ashes in seconds.

(Image is generated using Meta AI) The risk of nuclear conflict has escalated, with new developments in arms control and weapons technology, leaving American cities vulnerable to rapid missile strikes from adversaries like Russia and China.

Design project Halcyon Maps used their expertise to create the map, revealing how the fallout would spread across the States and all the destructive consequences it would leave behind. The map was created using data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which includes blast radius measurements, fallout patterns, radiation exposure measurements, and population density calculations in different zones.

A map reveals that 250 million Americans could face devastating fallout in the event of a nuclear strike, with only a few regions remaining temporarily safe.(Halcyon Maps)

The most densely populated areas, including cities on the East Coast, Midwest, West Coast, and Southern regions, are expected to be primary targets. Plus, regions such as California, much of the East Coast, and parts of the Midwest would be under severe radioactive fallout, requiring survivors to remain in shelters for over three weeks to avoid exposure.

Only a few regions, such as western Texas, parts of Nevada, Michigan, and Wisconsin, would escape immediate annihilation. However, these areas would not remain habitable for long due to the nuclear winter. The radiation exposure could cause severe health effects, including nausea, fatigue, vomiting, skin damage, seizures, and even coma. With high exposure, it could be fatal, too.

Researchers warn of increased risk of nuclear war

The illustrated map marks over 100 military locations through which it displays the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) silo positions. These silos, located in states like Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, and North Dakota, would be among the first targets in a nuclear strike.

The US mainland falls within the reach of missiles fired from Russian and Chinese adversaries through 30-minute missile flight time. A submarine based missile launch next to American borders would need only 15 minutes to reach targets.

Russia currently maintains possession of 5,580 nuclear warheads, exceeding the U.S.'s 5,044, while China holds between 500 and 600 warheads in its nuclear arsenal.

“The risk of nuclear war has increased dramatically in the past two years as the US and Russia have abandoned long-standing nuclear arms control treaties, started to develop new kinds of nuclear weapons, and expanded the circumstances in which they might use nuclear weapons,” wrote Princeton researchers in a blog post.

Dr. John Schuessler, an associate professor of international affairs at Texas A&M University, echoed the same sentiment with the Daily Mail, “Americans are not wrong to worry about the United States getting dragged into wars where it is supporting one side against another. That said, the US has managed to stay out of the wars in Europe and the Middle East thus far.”