A recent study that merges Scientific American's nuclear fallout predictions with military target analysis reveals which US states have the greatest likelihood of surviving a significant nuclear conflict. States that are located far from missile silos, key military bases, and densely populated areas rank highest — including Hawaii (distant from major targets but vulnerable to warheads launched from the Pacific), Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, Idaho, and regions of the upper Midwest. States such as Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota, Montana, and Nebraska — which host the nation's missile silo fields — are deemed the most perilous, despite their low population density, due to the potential targeting by Russian first-strikes.
