# If a Hydrogen Bomb was dropped on New York City, how much damage would it cause? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 19, 2009, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-hydrogen-bomb-was-dropped-on-new-york-city-how-much-damage-would-it-cause/481916 "2009-01-19T01:23:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-hydrogen-bomb-was-dropped-on-new-york-city-how-much-damage-would-it-cause/481916/21 "2009-01-21T01:00:08Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > That just seems to show thermal damage. What about the shockwave and radiation? > There should also be a “Chuck Norris roundhouse kick” option There was, but it destroyed the user’s computer. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-hydrogen-bomb-was-dropped-on-new-york-city-how-much-damage-would-it-cause/481916/22 "2009-01-21T01:32:52Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > Here’s a [google maplet](http://www.carloslabs.com/projects/200712B/GroundZero.html) that lets you detonate nuclear bombs of varying yield wherever you so chose. This gadget vividly suggests two things: 1. Most nuclear explosions are surprisingly manageable. A 140-kiloton ICBM warhead detonated above Manhattan results in “sunburn-like discomfort and skin redness” in Greenwich Village. 2. An asteroid impact is less manageable than a nuclear explosion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-hydrogen-bomb-was-dropped-on-new-york-city-how-much-damage-would-it-cause/481916.md?page=1)