As military strategists assess which states in America would encounter the highest nuclear risk during a WW3 scenario, experts in survivability present a different list—those states that benefit from geographic seclusion, lower population levels, distance from military installations, and abundant natural resources. These factors collectively enhance the odds of residents weathering the initial stages of a nuclear conflict. Key considerations include proximity to ICBM silos, distance from naval facilities and major urban centers, availability of fresh water, agricultural potential, and protective terrain. According to civilian defense analysis using open-source data, states situated in the interior mountain West, Upper Midwest, and certain regions of the South score highest on survivability metrics.
