Could Russia Actually Nuke Boise? How Bad Would It Be?

The threat of Russia has been on a lot of people's minds as the war continues with Ukraine. While a lot of drones are being used in the fight, there is still the fear of nuclear weapons being used, especially against the US. What would happen if Russia deployed a nuke on Boise... how bad would it be?

Another simulator to give us nightmares

We previously showed you what would happen if an asteroid hit Boise and while that damage was devastating, a nuclear bomb could be just as destructive. The simulator we found is at NuclearSecrecy.com and allows you to launch a nuke anywhere on the map to see what happens. Interestingly enough, the simulator allows you to select the type of payload the missile would be carrying and they include the Topol SS-25 which carries an 800-kiloton payload. That missile has been replaced by the "Topol-M" which also carries an 800-kiloton payload.

Now, if you're like us, seeing "800 kilotons" doesn't really mean much or make us go "WOW! I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE!"

But trust us - the effects would be devastating.

If Russia launched one of those missiles at the Idaho State Capitol (for whatever reason), this simulator says that 17,490 people would be killed instantly with another 360 injured. That's not the worst of it though... take a look:

That outer ring is the thermal radiation radius which reaches 17.3 km out and everyone inside would have a 50% chance of suffering 1st-degree burns. The radiation is in the green circles and while the area may look small, it's deadly. Anyone within 1.7 miles would be at risk for cancer for the rest of their lives with those closer expected to die within 4-6 days of exposure to radiation.

The simulator notes that it doesn't take nuclear fallout into consideration and there are a wide variety of other factors that play a role in how that goes.

If you want to dig deeper into what would happen if that missile hit Boise, check out the simulator here.

In all seriousness though, does Russia have any superweapons that could make it to Boise in the first place?

Speaking of simulators, remember that asteroid simulator we talked about? What would happen if an asteroid hit Boise?

At least Boise was named one of the best places for a zombie apocalypse... right?