What renewed nuclear testing could mean for Nevada, Utah, and Arizona

What happens just outside Vegas, doesn't stay just outside Vegas

In light of recent news, I feel compelled to share an article I wrote earlier this year for The Nevadan News on the history of nuclear testing at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). If nuclear testing resumes in the U.S., it could happen just outside Vegas, but due to winds and other environmental factors, it won’t stay just outside Vegas.

Blast from the past: Nevada’s bizarre nuclear testing culture

It’s been 62 years since some of the country’s most notable nuclear weapons tests lit up the Nevada skies, fascinating tourists and locals in Las Vegas and up to 100 miles away.

Between 1951 and 1992, there were 100 atmospheric and 828 underground atomic blasts conducted 65 miles north of Las Vegas at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS)—then known as the Nevada Test Site (NTS). These Cold War-era and later tests helped the United States develop nuclear weapons, protocols, and guidelines to increase the chance of survival in case of a nuclear attack.

The blasts became a pop culture phenomenon as mushroom clouds and bursts of light rocked Las Vegas. It would be two decades before the public learned of the lingering health dangers.

The U.S. government knew the risks of nuclear testing as early as 1947, but they continued with testing anyway. They’re still dealing with compensating victims from Nevada, Utah, and Arizona today.

-AF