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Do you want to survive the Apocalypse? America's safest places to ride out Armageddon revealed

Real estate experts have given their picks keeping in mind potential nuclear targets such as nuclear reactors and military installations

WASHINGTON, DC: With the threat of a nuclear holocaust looming in the wake of Russia's conflict with Ukraine, real estate experts have offered their picks for the safest places in America to buy property that could survive a nuclear fallout. Top spy officials in the US reportedly concluded in March that Russia's mounting losses of ground forces had "increased its reliance on nuclear weapons."

The prospect of impending doom has brought forth the reality that major cities in the US could be targeted by Russia, which is believed to have 5,977 nuclear warheads, including 1,185 ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles), 800 submarine-launched ballistic missiles and 580 air-launched from nuclear bombers, per the Federation of American Scientists. Now, real estate experts have given their recommendations keeping in mind potential nuclear targets such as nuclear reactors, military installations and large population centers.

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Potential targets

The Daily Mail overlaid recommendations by the property experts on a map that highlighted potential hotspots and targets, including data from the Natural Resources Defense Council that dates back several years. The map reportedly looked at two scenarios, a 500-warhead exchange and a 2,000-warhead exchange. Irwin Redlener of Columbia University told the newspaper that he believed six cities were more likely to be targeted due to their financial and government connection - New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, DC.

Andrew Ragusa, CEO/Broker of REMI Realty on Long Island, New York, advised potential buyers, who were worried about nuclear war, to reconsider their usual priorities. "In the event of nuclear war the location of your home can determine your chances for survival," he told the Daily Mail, adding, "What used to be important when purchasing a home such as a great school district, close to shopping and near public transportation, has now changed to warm climate, access to food and access to water."

Ragusa recommended rural parts of Texas, Florida and California as the best places to survive a nuclear exchange. "The reason why I picked these three states is because they are near water and have warm climates. If you're near water you will always be near food and water that can be ingested after it has been desalinated," he explained, adding, "Be sure not to move into densely populated urban centers such as Miami, West Palm Beach, Houston, or San Francisco. The reason being these are likely targets for a nuclear attack."

The real estate expert also suggested states along the Mississippi river, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. "Obviously the further south you go, the warmer the weather, but being in densely populated areas is going to be a counter-survival scenario," he insisted. "Some people can weather the cold in the winter and if you can tough it out and be a little bit more isolated your survival chances are better. Something else to consider is if you are close to farm areas, you'll be able to find cattle who are hopefully unaffected and reproducing naturally, which would give you access to more protein and greater diversity in food options."

Ragusa noted that North and South Carolina also had favorable options. "Great weather, close the water, farmland, it has everything that you need for food, water, and shelter," he continued. "Just make sure you stay away from densely populated urban areas. In a post-apocalyptic setting, the surviving people who become desperate will be one of the most challenging parts of life. I would look for a place to live that's in isolation, maybe in a wooded area," Ragusa recommended, adding, "It's important now to learn survival skills that our ancestors used to know as a daily way of life. Or at least buy a book on survival skills and keep it handy."

Rural areas recommended

Jasen Edwards, Chair of the Agent Editorial Board and the author of 'The Top Producer Life', also agreed that rural areas were the best option. Edwards said that the best place to buy property and possibly survive a nuclear war was the Rocky Mountains. "The best place to buy property in the United States in the event of a nuclear war would be in the Rocky Mountains," he told Daily Mail. "This is due primarily to the terrain, which is rugged, remote, and difficult to access, making it difficult for nuclear warheads to reach the area. The elevation of the Rocky Mountains means that fallout would be dispersed more quickly and assisted by higher winds, which could help to minimize any radioactive material reaching the area," he added.

Edwards also suggested areas in the Midwest and southeast, especially rural ones with access to fresh water and farmland. "Areas in the Midwest and Southeast are far away from major nuclear targets, and have plenty of access to fresh water, food, and supplies," he explained, adding, "These areas are generally outside of major population centers, meaning there is less of a chance of fallout from a nuclear attack. These areas are often less expensive than other parts of the country, which makes it easier to buy a property and build a shelter." He also tipped Nebraska as a good choice because its "geographical location offers protection against nuclear fallout."

The reference map created by the Daily Mail listed potential nuclear targets in every state, showing dense clusters along the eastern seaboard and in California. Large clusters were also highlighted in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming. The newspaper noted that active nuclear power plants were major targets, with at least 90 functional facilities in Alabama, Arizona, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. It's worth noting that the US has strategically positioned nuclear armaments -- which could be prime targets -- far from dense population centers, albeit they are scattered across the country.