About a year and a half ago, I posted an item about an online nuclear blast simulator that told you just how you might fare in the event of a nearby atomic explosion. While I was having dinner the other night with some old friends, several of whom work for various intelligence agencies, they mentioned there’s a new and improved version out there.

So here you go—-this one’s a Google maps mashup.

If you select D.C. from the drop-down menu, it defaults ground zero to the middle of 9th Street NW at the Mall. Centrally located sure, but I doubt that’s where any terrorist would choose—-unless they really, really wanted to blow the Hirshhorn off the map.

More likely would be closer to either the Capitol or the White House, I’m thinking.

So how would we City Paper folk do here in our Adams Morgan offices, according to the latest and greatest in blast-simulation technology? Pretty well, in the event of a Capitol-area strike under 50 kilotons—-we’d probably get nothing more than shattered windows. A White House strike of that magnitude would be a bit more serious, with “Severe damage to ordinary houses, and light to moderate damage to reinforced concrete structures.”

Log your own fortunes in the comments…