I somehow missed hearing anything about this show. Was just sitting here paying cursory attention to The History Channel and suddenly they're nuking my neighborhood.

Pleasant dreams tonight.

http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=481864

Against a morning sky, a mushroom cloud spirals heavenward. A nuclear bomb has detonated in the heart of Washington D.C., incinerating 15,000 residents in just 15 seconds. More than 50% of the population living within a 1/2 mile radius of the explosion is either dead or severely injured. The next 24 hours will determine whether the rest of the city lives or dies. To survive this horrific ordeal they will need a plan. And lucky for us--there is one. But will it work? For the first time on television, the Department of Homeland Security reveals the most detailed and comprehensive plan to save America should terrorists go nuclear. This chilling two-hour special delves into the complex and highly secretive world of disaster planning.

Rating: TVPG

Running Time: 120 minutes

Looks like they're covering the gamut: Continuity-of-government (COG), Continuity of operations (COOP), civilian casualties, nuclear fallout, mass exodus, clogged roads, thousands instantly blinded with burned retinas (many permanently -- "the light of a million suns").

Even the psychological impact to the country and around the world (bringing to mind some phone calls I received on the evening of 9/11).

Assumption of a second bomb somewhere in the country. Extremely detailed description of the ramifications of radiation on a human body. This is a very thorough show.

It's a DHS document come to life.

We won't be evacuating in this scenario.

Am having a strong urge to go camping.

This makes me want to move either one thousand miles away, or half a mile closer.

Look at it this way...

If you actually SEE the mushroom cloud, you are already ahead of the ones who didn't. They are now permanent shadows on the concrete. Then you just have to get the heck out of Dodge City.

We won't see the cloud. We'd be the cloud. Whether at home or work. That'd make us luckier than thousands downwind.

This is going to prompt another "why the H am I still here?" session.

They're now discussing the nuke search teams that will fan out across the country looking for additional threats.

This is fascinating for those who've contemplated the worst man-made scenario.

There is enough nuclear material around the world to make 250,000 nuclear bombs.

What would you all do if DC were nuked tomorrow?

Would you leave work and go home and hunker down?

Would you head for the hills on the chance that your city was next?

This show even explores whether parents who survive the blast should try to pick their kids up at school.

And whether to shelter-in for a few days or try to evacuate.

Whether martial law should be declared.

Threat of anarchy in other major cities.

If I were in New York City that day I'd sure be trying to get away, upwind.

I wonder why they figure Washington would be the primary target.
Politicians are easy to replace, they should be replaced at each election anyhow.
The business leaders are not so easy to replace, and technical experts like university researchers are even less replaceable.
Surely any sane terrorist would prefer to damage the economy and cause political unrest instead of eliminating the people they are trying to negotiate with.

Precautionary mass evacuations of New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago.

When you want to harm a nation, destroy it's capital and its government leaders. It's fundamental.

The current crop of terrorists don't seem interested in negotiating.

Business leaders are replaced all the time and they don't all live and work in one city. Technical experts -- we can issue more visas to those who can't telecommute from India. They aren't concentrated in one area, either.

The only other target that comes close to the destruction of the federal government infrastructure would be New York City and it's financial infrastructure.

Congress would not be easy to replace. There is not a uniform system for replacing members now when seats open up due to death or resignation. Since 9/11, this has been the subject of legislative proposals and hearings but has not been settled.

The Supreme Court can only be confirmed by the Senate which no longer would exist. In a weekday blast scenario, POTUS and the VPOTUS may not survive.

Destruction of the Pentagon would be a grievous blow.

An expert on the show just said there are not enough "burn beds" in the entire nation to cope with an attack on just one city.

America would go on but it would be a generation before things were normal again. Rebuilding DC would be a heck of a stimulus project.

300,000 dead.

And it's just a Hiroshima-sized nuke.