Does Lubbock Have a Shot At Surviving Nuclear Fallout?

With memes and "jokes" circulating once again about the potential for WW3 (which happens about every five years, there's always something nerve-wracking going on), you may be wondering- would Lubbock folks have any chance of surviving a nuclear fallout?

Lubbock Is Home To A Huge Fallout Shelter

Interestingly, Lubbock is home to a large fallout shelter. It is located in the basement of the Wells Fargo building downtown (1500 Broadway Street). This fallout shelter is one of the largest in Texas.

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Although the exact number of people who could be sheltered in the fallout shelter isn't listed, it is rumored that the shelter could handle a nuclear air burst as close as Reece Air Force base.

Of course, Reece Air Force Base has been closed since 1995, so the threat of a bomb in that area is pretty low. The Wells Fargo building was completed in 1968, when this area was still a strategic military zone.

Would Lubbock Even Need A Fallout Shelter?

The likelihood of Lubbock becoming a target for a nuclear strike is extremely low. I hope it doesn't hurt your feelings to know that we would be a non-existent priority for a hostile foreign power.

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However, according to Newsweek, our neighbors to the north may not fare so well. Amarillo, home of the Pantex Plant, would be a strategic target as it is, "the primary nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility" for the U.S.

So the real problem we have is wind blowing from Amarillo to Lubbock (as there's nothing between us to stop the wind). This would carry radioactive particles to our area.

I don't know if it gives you comfort to know that we'd likely die from the radiation poisoning instead of the initial blast, but that's the best news I can give you in this (luckily very unlikely) scenario.