Indiana Fallout/Targets?

[irishfan]

I would be worried about a small nuke or terrorist attack on a nuclear reactor in a major area such as Northwest Indiana/Chicago or possibly downtown Indianapolis much more than Crane. Crane would be a targer for a country to hit in a war but terrorists want to cause as much havoc as possible which would be a massive strike in a major city or something like a reactor or water supply that cripples a populated area.

 

[JohnR]

I always heard Naval Avionics, which is now Raytheon, on the east side of Indianapolis was a high-level target.

 

[cosermann]

Once again... What measures can be taken to protect from contamination by fallout?

This is not a bad place to start:

Free online book - Nuclear War Survival Skills

If you like what you see online, get the book.

Targets change with time and tactical objectives. Here's an interesting one from a previous thread:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/555582-post18.html

Hence, time spent wondering whether targets are nearby is time wasted, imo. Plan on dealing with fallout regardless. If you survive the initial blast, there's no reason to die from fallout if you know what you're doing. Having a defeatist, fatalistic attitude could kill you pretty quickly, however.

 

[printcraft]

Grissom ARB about 12 miles north of Kokomo

When it was Grissom Airforce Base it was a Strategic Air Command base.
It was probably on a list (probably still is on such as list) as a prime target.
The 434th Air Refueling wing still operates out of Grissom.
They were (are) flying missions in Iraq and Stan.

 

[IndyBeerman]

I always heard Naval Avionics, which is now Raytheon, on the east side of Indianapolis was a high-level target.

Not only that but people are forgetting the really obvious targets....

Lilly, major drug manufacturer
Allison Gas Turbine, manufacturer of jet engines and military supplier.
Allison Transmission, manufacturer of the Abrams M1 tank transmission
GM Truck & Bus stamping plant
Ford Motor Company's plant on the east side
NaviStar, plant is closed but could reopen in a heartbeat
Indianapolis International Airport
FedEx shipping hub

The above are the most likely "must hit" targets because they involve medical, transit and military, and Lilly's would be a high target for terrorist attack because of drug manufacturing abilities.

 

[6birds]

Don't forget, Lake County is one huge, high-value target. Any fallout would go across the northern part of the state.
Not to mention a strike on Cook Nuclear Plant in MI would send fallout toward South Bend.

With the way that corner of the state smells now, would anyone notice?

 

[LtScott14]

For NWI, Amoco Oil refinery in Whiting, US Steel in Gary, Mittal Steel in Burns Harbor, numerous Nisource Power Plants (all over), NWI Water(formerly Gary Hobart) to name a few possibles. Chicago less than an hour drive away, ports,railroads, and Sports Fields (Sox,Cubs,Bears) Of course in Indy: Colts football

 

[dieselman]

how about that massive oil tank field off of zionsville road? surprised no ones mentioned that yet.

 

[cklein6576]

SurvivalRing > Potential US Nuclear Target List with Maps


also with links to answer the OP questions

 

[DocBoCook]

Once again... What measures can be taken to protect from contamination by fallout?

Clothes are your friend. Plastic is your friend. Alpha and Beta Particles have very low penetrations rates. Simple Cotton will work well. Gamma Radiation has a bit better penetrations rates, plastic suit (Kyvex suits) work well for that. Neutron Radiation, well, Put your head between your knees. Best way to limit Radiation exposure it Time (limit your time of exposure) Distance (get as far away as possible) and Shielding (Put as much between you and it as you can)

 

[jeremy]

Duct Tape and Plastic are your friends. Have enough Tape and Plastic on hand to seal the windows, doors, vents, etc... on your structure you are in the less dust in the habitat the better.

Plus showers. Being able to wash the dust off of you will do a lot of good.

 

[thompal]

Let's assume for discussions sake that this is not a terrorist with a dirty bomb scenario, rather that this is a massive exchange between nations.

Big boy nukes and serious targets.

I wouldnt think that Indianapolis is high on a list of cities important enough to get rid of...but what about the bases?

Allison's, GM, Naval Avionics, U.S. Army Finance Center, Amtrak, Conrail, Lilly, Olin's, etc.

I'd say if it's the big boys, then Indy is a prime target (I heard it was in the Top Ten during the Cold War, and was even on Hitler's "to do" list).

 

[thompal]

Clothes are your friend. Plastic is your friend. Alpha and Beta Particles have very low penetrations rates. Simple Cotton will work well. Gamma Radiation has a bit better penetrations rates, plastic suit (Kyvex suits) work well for that. Neutron Radiation, well, Put your head between your knees. Best way to limit Radiation exposure it Time (limit your time of exposure) Distance (get as far away as possible) and Shielding (Put as much between you and it as you can)

I once had a person who was well-versed in nuke design and tactics tell me that a good shielding medium against neutron radiation was 12 inches of water.

I've never been able to test that claim, but figured he should know.

 

[Astrocreep]

Not only that but people are forgetting the really obvious targets....

Lilly, major drug manufacturer
Allison Gas Turbine, manufacturer of jet engines and military supplier.
Allison Transmission, manufacturer of the Abrams M1 tank transmission
GM Truck & Bus stamping plant
Ford Motor Company's plant on the east side
NaviStar, plant is closed but could reopen in a heartbeat
Indianapolis International Airport
FedEx shipping hub

^^This is what I was thinking ^^

I've heard from several sources that Allison's plants were the most significant Cold War era targets in Indiana.
They make (at that time at least) vital parts for just about everything in the US military with an engine.
Pretty important.

I'd add that Indianapolis still has massive oil/fuel storage north of 86th street near where the old Rock Island refinery was.
In addition to FedEx, there is also a large distribution facility for UPS in that area.
Makes sense to make Indianapolis a priority target in a nuclear shootout.
Lots of critical infrastructure and the whole 'crossroads of America' thing.
Drop a nuke downtown and major east-west US Interstate travel would become a nightmare.
Good thing Ivan has all but hung up his hat.
Not that worried about China either.

I disagree with the idea that a terrorist threat is realistic for the facilities named in this thread.
If a dirty bomb or actual nuke were to be detonated in Indiana by terrorists, my guess is Lake county / Chicago area or smack dab in the middle of downtown. The psychological impact would seriously mess with transportation and commerce in the entire midwest, not to mention state-wide morale would be devastated.
Modern terrorists go for the psych impact, not the subtle infrastructure damage. If they attacked a mall downtown, that would cause more significant damage than any of that other stuff most normal folks are barely aware of.

Maybe Lilly's research/manufacturing facilities, but that seems a bit of a stretch for simple-minded terrorist nutjobs.

My

If they were really crafty, they would destroy the Nestle factory near Anderson and make all the office buildings in America run short of Coffee Mate!
Horrors! Take out one building and everyone in the country would know someone who personally felt the effects of the attack.

 

[DocBoCook]

I once had a person who was well-versed in nuke design and tactics tell me that a good shielding medium against neutron radiation was 12 inches of water.

I've never been able to test that claim, but figured he should know.

He is correct. It is used in Nuc Propulsion as shielding. But if you have enough time to jump in a lake, it should work well, just don't stay too long. The particles will set in the water and Ionize it

 

[cosermann]

I once had a person who was well-versed in nuke design and tactics tell me that a good shielding medium against neutron radiation was 12 inches of water.

Water works to shield against neutron radiation. Damp earth works passably as well. However, neutron warheads are more exotic nuclear weapons, and usually have/had significantly lower yields (more typically tactical, think 1/10th the explosive power). I don't think we even have any in our active arsenal (someone confirm?). According to wikipedia, "no country is currently known to deploy them," that is, neutron warheads.

Therefore, I'd say one's risk from conventional nukes (blast, thermal, alpha, beta, gamma) is significantly higher than the risk posed by neutron radiation. Conventional nukes don't pose a significant neutron hazard in comparison.

 

[DocBoCook]

Water works to shield against neutron radiation. Damp earth works passably as well. However, neutron warheads are more exotic nuclear weapons, and usually have/had significantly lower yields (more typically tactical, think 1/10th the explosive power). I don't think we even have any in our active arsenal (someone confirm?). According to wikipedia, "no country is currently known to deploy them," that is, neutron warheads.

Therefore, I'd say one's risk from conventional nukes (blast, thermal, alpha, beta, gamma) is significantly higher than the risk posed by neutron radiation.

We liked Hydrogen and Tritium, Plutonium and Uranium as our Critical masses of choice

 

[pinshooter45]

We were in the top 20 during the cold war!

Indianapolis is/was a major target! I took an Indiana Studies course and found out some crazy information about Indy and the cold war.

Since many major roads (thus the crossroads of America) meet here in Indy, it would cripple our transportation system. Also, in Avon (where I went to High School) is ConRail, and at the time of the war was a major RailRoad loaction. This would also cripple the flow of supplies.

Seems like deep in the recesses of my failing memory Indy was on the Soviets top 20 targets because of Fort Ben being a finacial center for the militarty, and Naval Avionics (sp?) I also remeber reading somthing about the distruction of a Soviet Strike on Indy. Don't remember the Megatonage, but for simplicity he used monument circle as ground ZERO. if you put a compass point there and place the pencil at 38th and meridian and drew a circle that area would be 90-100% destroyed, rest of Marion co. in the 75% range and the rest of the doughnut counties would see some direct or fall out dammage. And since the prevailing winds are generally out of the west, fallout could reach Richmond, Dayton Ohio, and possibly Columbus, OH. Seems like I also read somthing about if a trerroist let off one of those "suitcase bombs" the Soviets lost track of, at monument circle it would basicly take out the downtown mile square. Because to be most effective a nuclear weapon needs to explode above the target so the downtown clutter would absorb much of the blast. Seems like I remember the two dropped on Japan went off like 2 or 3 thousand feet above, my high school report on that subject was more than 30 yrs ago so it's hard to remember

 

[CW9]

IUPUI is also the central hub for the internet in the US. A very high priority target, or at least I would think so.

 

[Scarnucci]

^^^^^^^

Can you elaborate please?

Do all the inter-tubes go thru downtown?