After the advent of nuclear and biological weapons, people for the first time began to think about where they would hide if they were used. At first, the subway was used to escape from any enemy attacks – the tunnels are located at a depth of tens of meters, so even with strong explosions on the surface, people had a great chance of survival. But then bunkers and underground shelters that could withstand even a nuclear explosion began to appear in all countries of the world. During their construction, durable materials such as concrete and steel are used, and canned food, water supplies, medical kits and everything that is necessary for survival are stored inside. One of the most unusual bunkers in the world is located in the American state of Colorado, in the depths of Cheyenne Mountain.
The entrance to the bunker inside Cheyenne Mountain. Source: CNET
Contents
- 1 American bunker in Cheyenne Mountain
- 2 What is the Cheyenne bunker for
- 3 How does the NORAD bomb shelter work
- 4 The safest bomb shelter in the USA
The American bunker at Cheyenne Mountain
The American bunker under Cheyenne Mountain is best known as theNORAD complex.Its construction began in 1961 against the backdrop of great successes of the USSR in the field of space exploration and the creation of long-range missile weapons. Cheyenne Mountain was not chosen by chance – it was important for the authors of the project that the bunker could be built at the greatest possible depth, and earthquakes would not occur there.
Mount Cheyenne in the US state of Colorado. Source: Wikipedia
To build the tunnels, the builders had to use explosives – using them693,000 tons of granite were blastedWe are talking about a very hard rock that has a structure with crystals and granular particles. After this, the builders strengthened the tunnels and premises, and already in 1966 the bunker was completely ready for use.
The construction of the bunker was not secret – news about it was widely covered in the media. In the press it was called the “Doomsday Bunker”, and it was also mentioned in books by science fiction writers, TV series and even computer games.
Read also: How to prepare for a nuclear war in order to survive?
What is the Cheyenne bunker for?
The constructed bunker became not only a refuge in the event of a serious military threat, but also a command post for the aerospace defense of North America. Itworked for 30 yearsuntil the collapse of the USSR – people were on duty there every day. The huge doors of the bunker were almost always closed, they were opened only when there was a change of duty.
The doors to the bunker weigh more than 20 tons. Source: CNET
Since July 2006, due to the high cost of maintenance, the NORAD complex was transferredto a state of “hot preservation.”This means that there was no duty there, but in case of a sudden need, the point could be operational within a few hours.< /p>
In 2015, the bunker became operational again.This was explained by the fact that the equipment inside it must be monitored daily to ensure that it does not break due to a suddenelectromagnetic pulse . This is the name of a powerful surge of electromagnetic energy that can occur as a result of a nuclear explosion or lightning storm. This pulse can briefly create a very intense electromagnetic field that can damage electronics.
As you can see, the walls of the tunnels are not treated with anything. Source: CNET
It is known that at the command post, the military is also engaged in monitoring air and space space and studying intelligence data.
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How the NORAD bomb shelter works
The NORAD bunker is located at a depth of 610 meters.Its basis is a “lattice” of four and three intersecting tunnels. Their walls are not treated with anything – to strengthen them, the builders only screwed 115 thousand bolts into them to a depth of 2 to 9 meters. Inside these tunnels there are 15 metal structures for various purposes. They stand on 1319 springs 1 meter long, each of which weighs 450 kilograms. They are necessary so that the bunker does not shake in the event of a nuclear bomb explosion.
Springs on which metal structures stand. Source: CNET
The most important part of the bunker is the underground “building”, consisting of three floors. In case of rock collapse, it is protected by a reinforced concrete dome with a thickness of 1.2 to 4.3 meters. This building houses all the equipment of the Aerospace Defense Command. Rocks completely block any radio wave, so communication with the surface is provided only through wires.
Bunker Command Center. Source: CNET
The area of the bunker in Cheyenne Mountain is 18 thousand square meters.For people escaping, it has a canteen, a hospital and even a fitness center with a hairdresser.
Read also:Scientists have told what people will eat after a nuclear war
The safest bomb shelter in the USA
And now let's talk about the most important thing – how safe is the NORAD bunker in the USA. According to the scientific publication IFL Science, in addition to hundreds of meters of rocks, people will be protected by huge doors weighing 23 tons.
Video of the NORAD bunker at Cheyenne Mountain
The Cheyenne bunker is believed to be able to withstand nuclear explosion with a yield of 30 megatonsFor comparison, the B41 nuclear bomb in service with the United States from 1960 to 1976 had a yield of 25 megatons. However, this shelter could not withstand the explosion of the Soviet “Tsar Bomb” with a power of 50 megatons.
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There are a lot of bunkers in the world, and it is impossible to tell about them all. If you are interested, we have another article on a similar topic: “Where are air-raid shelters and how are they arranged?” We strongly recommend reading!