If NYC was nuked, would Canada be safe from the Fallout?

[Betwyn]

Like, obviously it is affected by wind direction and strength, but also, just what is the range on something like that?

and, what if it was DC? or say LA?

[FalloutVaultB0y]

A portion of the surrounding region will directly be affected by the nuclear fallout. It also depends on the wind patterns, current season, and type of nuclear warhead.
The range of a nuclear bomb greatly varies in relation to the type of nuclear bomb. Atomic warheads, such as, let's say, Fatman would wipe out a few city blocks with the initial blast and the thermal radiation radius (anything within it will receive 3rd degree burns) would take out 1/5 of Manhattan.
However, if we bring in the largest nuclear bomb every detonated, Tsar Bomba, the effects would be extremely catastrophic. The initial blast would take out 3/4 of Manhattan itself and the infrared radiation radius would extend to a small portion of Philadelphia, Connecticut and Long Island.
Fallout of the latter could potentially affect Canada, albeit insignificantly.

[MrOracle]

It would really depend on the wind patterns, but most of Canada would likely be fine, with either NYC or DC.

LA could be a problem, again depending on the wind patterns. Fallout can easily travel 2-3000 miles, though at longer distances the density is going to be reduced. But since Canada's major cities are mostly just over our northern border, they're potentially in the path of a nuke plume. But the risk even there is minor, as wind patterns, usually don't cross the border when starting in LA.

Now, Seattle, Chicago, or Cleveland? You're in trouble if it's of any significant size.

[Betwyn]

Who would waste a nuke on Cleveland? c'mon now...

[MrOracle]

Hey, I lived there for a year, so believe me, it was purely hypothetical...

[Red_Arrow]

What the heck are you talking about? NYC and DC are both much closer to Canada than LA is. The distance from NYC to Ottawa is about 330 miles and DC is not much further. Distance from LA to Vancouver, BC is close to 1,300 miles.

[Throwaway420]

@Red_Arrow red_arrow, its the wind patterns, the wind from LA goes north east, the wind from NYC also goes east out into the atlantic ocean.

If a nuke actually went of though Canada would be affected because we would go to war with the united states.

[Red_Arrow]

@Throwaway420 - I just looked up the wind patterns for John F Kennedy International Airport, and east is actually the least common direction. South is the greatest. But north and northwest are definitely up there. For LA, there is almost no northerly wind pattern. It is almost all to the west. www.windfinder.com/.../los_angeles_airport

And if someone dropped a nuke on the USA, why would Canada go to war with the USA?

[Throwaway420]

@Red_Arrow as allies

[Red_Arrow]

@Throwaway420 - Thank you. You had me wondering.

[Betwyn]

@Red_Arrow I never said LA was closer.. just thinking about likely targets.

[Red_Arrow]

Asker - My comment was in reference to this opinion which stated Canada would likely be fine with either NYC or DC, but that LA could be a problem. And the wind pattern from NYC includes a lot of northerly blowing wind, whereas LA is almost exclusively blowing to the west.

[MrOracle]

@Red_Arrow Wind patterns in all of North America are generally to the west, and NYC is right on the east coast, so even with a wind blowing NW, a fallout plume is not likely to hit any part of Canada.

Thus, it's more likely for an LA plume to hit Canada - though even that is unlikely, because while sometimes the wind patterns from there are NW, they aren't often north enough to reach Canada.

But northern cities from the mid-west to the Pacific NW would all be likely problems for Canada.

[Red_Arrow]

If you will look at the link in my comment above for wind patterns in LA, you will see that it is almost consistently to the west, with close to zero to the north or anything remotely north. That is based on wind patterns over the last several years. For NYC see www.windfinder.com/.../john_f_kennedy_intl and you will note that it is predominately to the south, but the next most common is to the northwest, and even to the north is more common than to the east. And any direction between NE and NW would be harmful to Canada.

You better review your maps. Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City are almost directly north of NYC; Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to the NE. And only a few hundred miles. Canada is over a thousand miles from LA, and with close to zero winds other than to the west, the chances of a plume from LA reaching Canada are just about as close to zero a you can get.

So good chance from NYC and just about zero from LA

[mystique253]

Yes it would be safe since unlike Europe the cities in North America are very spread out.
America isn't getting nuked any time soon and even if the Russians or Chinese try we have a defense system for that.

[electromagnetic]

I sure hope so.
Especially considering I don't live to far from New York.
But I'm sure Northern Canada will still be okay.

[Kris85]

I'm in Alberta , so hopefully we would be safe. But who really knows. Is someone planning to nuke the states or something?

[Betwyn]

I'm just thinking ahead for if Trump wins.

Like, it's all well and good to make lots of popcorn.. IF I'm not in the path of the fallout

[Kris85]

Thanks!

[9mfeo]

Eh, probably. Although the background radiation from Project Manhattan still causes cancer in the area.

[poopedmypantsagain]

I do not know the answer to that one.. but what I do know is that once one party releases their nuke's.. it would not stop until the last one is launched from the rest of the powers that have the stupid things.. then that party that pushed the button last would claim victory.. pretty sad because no people in this world would be left.. so to answer your question.. yes Canada would be gone.. but so would every other place on earth

[Betwyn]

The whole world would only be destroyed, if the whole world was targeted.

I imagine a great many of those nukes would all hit the same cities.

[AleDeEurope]

Depends on the amount of kilotons the nuke has. Most likely Canada will be safe from the explosion.
If "Little Boy" would hit NYC, even Brooklyn would be safe, but that was a "weak" bomb compared to what we have today.

This map will answer your question.
https://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/

[BeerFarts]

I'm not sure if Canada would be affected but I'd be toast since I'm from NYC.

[TsubasaCorrupted]

Depends on where in NY, the type of bomb and atmospheric conditions. You are likely screwed in NY but la and DC should be ok provided it isn't too large.

[Anonymous]

If NYC was nuked, America would nuke practically everyone, so no, no one would be safe.

[Betwyn]

They wouldn't nuke Canada

[Opinion Owner]

No, but someone they nuke, probably would.

[Betwyn]

No one will Nuke Canada...

they'd hit a relative.

[singlebee]

Man this fallout 4 is a shit game... I don't like it at all :-(

Yeaa I think Canada will be safe

[Anonymous]

Well this isn't a terrifying question or anything...

[Anonymous]

There's a website called nuke map that will tell you all that information

[Anonymous]

I hope not burn baby burn

[Anonymous]

What a silly notion