The U.S. Cities That Theoretically Could Face the Highest Risk in a Nuclear Emergency

Nuclear Winter Would Cause Global Famine and Mass Death

Even a limited nuclear conflict could trigger worldwide famine through a phenomenon called nuclear winter, according to peer-reviewed research published in 2022 and 2023. Soot from burning cities would encircle the planet and cool it by reflecting sunlight back into space for years. This dramatic reduction in sunlight would cause global temperatures to plummet and crop yields to collapse across every continent. Research published in Nature Food found that a full-scale nuclear war between the United States and Russia could inject 150 million metric tons of soot into the stratosphere. This smoke would persist for 10 to 15 years, causing temperatures to drop by as much as 16 °C globally.

Scientists using climate and crop models estimate that more than 5 billion people would die from starvation in the aftermath of a full-scale U.S.-Russia nuclear war. This would equate to approximately 63% of the world’s current population perishing from just famine alone. Countries in Africa and the Middle East that depend heavily on food imports would face the worst outcomes, with nearly complete population losses in many regions. Even nations not directly involved in the conflict would see massive die-offs as agricultural production collapsed. India and Pakistan alone could lose more people to famine than the number killed in the actual combatant countries.