In the event of a large-scale nuclear exchange, the consequences for the United States would vary greatly due to geography, wind patterns, and agricultural capacity.
No federal agency provides an official ranking of the safest states, but we can evaluate this by combining atmospheric science with food production data. I aimed to create a framework based on research on how radioactive fallout spreads and to identify regions farthest from potential strike zones.
The primary factor in nuclear fallout exposure is the wind, not distance from the blast. Radioactive particles rise into a cloud and are carried by air currents, settling over areas that can stretch hundreds of miles downwind. In the continental United States, the westerly jet stream typically moves debris from west to east.
States upwind of major population centers and military installations have a lower deposition risk than those downwind along the Eastern Seaboard or Great Lakes. The National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, conducts advanced atmospheric dispersion simulations.
NARAC’s modeling includes advances in cloud rise and particle-size distribution. Larger particles fall near the detonation site, while finer particles can travel vast distances. States with fewer targets and favorable winds experience less dangerous fallout.
Based on wind patterns, target density, and agricultural self-sufficiency, I created a ranked list of seven states likely best equipped to withstand a nuclear aftermath.
These areas are not guaranteed safe zones; instead, they are locations where distance from strategic targets, food production potential, low population density, and natural barriers align favorably. For example, a remote valley upwind of major cities poses less risk than a suburb downwind of missile fields and refineries.
(1) Montana is far from major military or industrial targets. Its large wheat and cattle operations could support survivors, and the northern Rocky Mountains provide natural protection from drifting fallout. Moreover, its small population relative to its land area makes it less likely to be targeted in a large-scale conflict than coastal or industrial hubs.
(2) Idaho’s mountain barriers and strong agricultural base, including potatoes and dairy, contribute to its low population density, reducing resource competition. Many valleys lie west of the Continental Divide, keeping them upwind from contamination sources in the Midwest and East, which helps protect soil and water quality.
(3) Wyoming presents challenges due to missile silos in the eastern plains, which would likely be targets for adversaries. However, the western high-altitude, sparsely populated areas are relatively defensible, leading to varying survival prospects. Remote mountain communities face different risks compared to towns near strategic military installations.
(4) South Dakota has extensive farmland and a low population density. The western Black Hills are elevated and distant from the eastern industrial belt, where fallout would concentrate. While some areas may be impacted by strikes, many agricultural regions could still produce food if farmers adjust their planting for a cooler post-war climate.
(5) North Dakota has agricultural strengths like South Dakota, but ranks slightly lower due to Minot Air Force Base, a strategic target. Communities farther from the base can benefit from grain production during coastal supply chain disruptions. The state’s survivability, like Wyoming’s, is affected by its distance from military infrastructure and fallout paths.
(6) Utah has high desert terrain, a strong agricultural sector, and a culture of community preparedness. Located west of the Rockies, it is upwind of eastern fallout corridors, and local wind patterns are influenced by surrounding mountains. While irrigated agriculture may thrive despite rainfall disruptions, water source contamination remains a significant concern.
(7) New Mexico is notable for housing Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, but much of the state is remote and arid. Its southern and western regions would likely face less fallout than the eastern U.S., especially if attacks target coastal cities. While ranching and limited farming could offer basic food supplies, water scarcity remains a major concern.
A common misconception is that nuclear fallout spreads evenly. In reality, its risk depends on meteorological conditions. Wind speed and direction, precipitation, and local terrain significantly affect the dispersion of radioactive material. For instance, strong westerly winds can carry debris toward the Atlantic Ocean, while easterly winds may shift the fallout zone.
The variability in circumstances means no fixed ranking is absolute. Regional survivability challenges aren’t just in the U.S.; a 2023 study found that Australia and New Zealand were well prepared for a global nuclear crisis due to their isolation, strong food systems, and distance from conflict. These factors also apply to America’s interior regions.
Montana, Idaho, and Utah share key traits with some Southern Hemisphere countries: they produce more food than they consume, are far from primary targets, and can sustain agriculture even during nuclear winter conditions.
However, it’s important to note the limitations of this analysis. No publicly available NARAC simulation ranks U.S. states by fallout exposure, and any attempt to do so oversimplifies a complex situation.
The patterns of destruction and contamination would depend on who launched first, the chosen targets, the number of warheads used, and the subsequent weather conditions. In even the most stable countries, some communities may be at risk due to their proximity to military or energy sites, while others could be downwind of multiple explosions.
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2 Peter 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2 Peter 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Revelations 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Revelations 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
James 1:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
James 1:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
Luke 21:9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.
Luke 21:11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and diseases; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Revelations 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Read more at: NATO braces for World War 3 with China because of possible Taiwan invasion (transformedbythetruth.com)
Read more at: “London will be bombed first” if World War III happens (transformedbythetruth.com)
Read more at: https://transformedbythetruth.com/rich-people-preparing-for-the-apocalypse/
Read more at: Great Power Competition: China Is a Superpower with Plans to Beat America in a War (transformedbythetruth.com)
Read more at: https://transformedbythetruth.com/worst-places-to-be-if-theres-a-nuclear-attack-on-america/
Read more at: https://transformedbythetruth.com/what-a-nuclear-war-would-do-to-the-world/
Read more at: https://transformedbythetruth.com/if-russia-and-the-america-had-a-nuclear-war-what-would-happen/
Click here to read more articles transformedbythetruth.com