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In my world, technology that could alter a living creature's biology (later called Lazarus Tech) became incredibly popular in many places, until the overuse of the technology cause countless millions to mutate into monsters (later called Lazarus Beasts). The USA was hit the hardest by this event (later called the Uproar), and a group of people from the USA decided to hit their own country with several nuclear warheads to prevent the Lazarus Beasts from spreading out and killing more people.

Currently, around 300 years have passed since the Uproar, and I am trying to figure out how the nuclear bombardment affected North America. I believe it is safe to assume the radiation has dissipated by now, but what would the landscape look like? Additionally, I would like to know if the nuclear bombardment of the USA would negatively affect the rest or the world, so that my worldbuilding holds up.

Important things to note for this setting:

  • Lazarus Beasts are essentially megafauna for all intents and purposes (typically reaching car size).
  • Lazarus Beasts are biologically separate from humans at this point.
  • Some people mutated into beastfolk, developing animal-like qualities.
  • Many countries and governments are still active (ie. Russia, Greenland, Australia, etc.).
  • Lab-Grown food is easily accessible to the remaining governments.
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  • $\begingroup$ Please clarify your specific problem or provide additional details to highlight exactly what you need. As it's currently written, it's hard to tell exactly what you're asking. $\endgroup$
    – Community Bot
    Jun 19, 2022 at 2:41
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    $\begingroup$ How do you mean "the landscape"? I don't expect the mountains will have been reduced to rubble, unless that's what you're after. Are you referring to the plants and what remains of the cities? Could you edit to say, but be aware that we've similar questions already such as this. $\endgroup$
    – Escaped dental patient.
    Jun 19, 2022 at 3:53
  • $\begingroup$ 'It is safe to assume the radiation has dissipated' - no, by far not. Many isotopes are good for millions of years. $\endgroup$
    – Aganju
    Jun 19, 2022 at 20:27
  • $\begingroup$ @Aganju Yes, and by that same reason, its contribution to the radiation background can be dismissed. $\endgroup$
    – Rekesoft
    Jun 20, 2022 at 10:42

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If the nukes are targeted at wiping out living beings, most of the landscape will be physically unchanged: the explosions will happen above the ground, to maximize fireball and radiation exposure, and that has not so much landscape altering power.

Sure, the blast will wipe out most of the buildings not designed to resist it, but after 300 years with no maintenance those buildings would have collapsed on their own.

On the other hand, nuking the entire US to wipe out a pest will require quite a number of nukes. The amount of debris lifted in the high atmosphere as a consequence might as well trigger a nuclear winter, and if that is not yet gone after 300 years, the landscape will surely bear its signs, not only in the US.

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