Well, this is terrifying. 

I grew up in the 80s during the Cold War and can vividly remember the anxiety caused by the threat of nuclear war. It was at the top of many people’s minds back in those days. 

The made-for-TV movie The Day After came out when I was 10 years old in ‘83 and it pretty much threw gas on the fire that fueled everyone’s worries. And while I didn’t watch it (and still haven’t to this day), it was all everyone was talking about in the weeks after it came out.

102.3 The Bull logo
Get our free mobile app

 

A few years later, the Berlin Wall came down and everyone figured at that point, we and the Russians were good buddies, and the threat of nuclear war was gone. 

And we were wrong. 

For one thing, tensions have been high between the U.S. and Russia over the last few years, especially since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. There’s also the fact that several other nations have nuclear weapons as well, many of which aren’t necessarily our closest allies. 

I guess that’s why FEMA published a map that shows potential U.S. targets in the event of a nuclear strike. The dots represent potential targets in a 2,000-warhead scenario. The triangles show targets that would most likely be hit in a 500 warhead strike. 

As you can see, a smaller strike would be focused on the most populated areas of Texas, while a larger strike would also include many of the cities that house military installations. 

Let’s all hope and pray that never happens.

FEMA via Reddit
FEMA via Reddit
loading...

See the full map at this location.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF

How Many in America: From Guns to Ghost Towns

Can you take a guess as to how many public schools are in the U.S.? Do you have any clue as to how many billionaires might be residing there? Read on to find out—and learn a thing or two about each of these selection’s cultural significance and legacy along the way.

Gallery Credit: RACHEL CAVANAUGH

LOOK: Controversial songs from the year you were born

Stacker celebrates history's most boundary-pushing—and thereby controversial—songs from 1930 through today.

Gallery Credit: Stacker