We all like to think of Montana as “the Last Best Place,” but even Big Sky Country isn’t immune to the terrifying hypotheticals of a nuclear strike. If tensions with Russia ever escalated to an unthinkable level, Montana’s vast landscapes and scattered cities might not be the shield we hope for.
Thanks to Malmstrom Air Force Base, home to a hefty chunk of America’s nuclear defense system, Great Falls would likely be the first target on the map. A direct hit there would devastate the area, and the fallout could spread far beyond city limits. For cities like Bozeman, Missoula, and Helena, secondary effects could disrupt life as we know it, from power grid failures to communication blackouts.
It’s easy to dismiss this as fearmongering, but let’s face it, Montanans are planners. From prepping for winter blizzards to stocking up for hunting season, we’re not new to thinking ahead. While U.S. officials stress that no nuclear conflict is on the horizon, it doesn’t hurt to be informed…