Hazleton (1983: Doomsday)

Hazleton is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Susquehanna. It has a population of 23,047 people in the city proper, and a total of 28,265 people in the Greater Hazleton Area. The city is the capital of Wyoming County and a regional economic powerhouse, with rail lines linking it to Reading and Bloomsburg, as well as an airport and fairly modern public transit system to cut down on fuel cost and wear on the roads.

Pre-Doomsday
Hazleton was a city in southern Luzerne County. It was formed from a single outpost constructed at the junction between Wilkes Barre and Berwick. A few homes and buildings were constructed, but most of the area remained heavily wooded, but there was some logging in the area.

In 1818 coal deposits were found in the region and several rail lines were constructed into the area. More building were constructed. Several coal companies sprung up in the area, and several schools were constructed by them.

The coal industry attracted immigrants from the rest of the world.

In 1857 the area was incorporated as a borough, and a city in 1891 with a population of 14,000 citizens. That same year it became the third town to install a citywide electric grid.

The city was at its height in the 1940's and began to decline afterwards up to Doomsday.

Doomsday
On Doomsday, the city was not a target, being the 17th largest city in Pennsylvania, with a population of 27,318 citizens. Wilkes-Barre and Scranton were both struck by nuclear weapons, an a smaller tactical nuke hit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.

Refugees streamed down the interstate into the city. The local police, State Police and Air National Guard contingent mobilized to help the survivors, setting up a triage center.

Post Doomsday
Immediately after the first reports of a nuclear war came in the fire chief pulled the air raid sirens. People began to panic, and many fled the town for the south where they though it would be safer. The town council called an emergency meeting and quickly ordered all police units to the courthouse, municipal buildings, and supermarkets.

Then, they mobilized the small Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Air National Guard, and the recruiting station along with JROTC and ROTC men from the local colleges, and high school. These units secured the entrances to Hazleton with soon to be useless cars and trucks.

Meanwhile, the State Police guarded the gas stations, and moved their cars and trucks into a concrete and steel garage, in hopes of saving them.

All this was accomplished within hours of the bombs striking.

After the bombs hit, and the people began to come out of their shelters, the refugees came in droves. Hundreds, if not thousands of survivors of the strikes on Scranton and Wilkes-Barre begin to overrun the city's police and supplies.

But within hours, the police and hastily assembled National Guard were forced to retreat back to the town hall. After a gun battle with desperate refugees, and a handful of gangs, the soldiers made the decision to evacuate the government from Hazleton to a safer location.

Some riot police armed with tear gas, pepper spray, and handguns held off the crowd until the National Guard was able to safely remove the government from the dangerous situation.

A few soldiers wanted to commandeer an old J3 Cub at the airport, but eventually elected to go to McAdoo, a small community south of Hazleton, spared refugees and radiation only by luck.

After spending several months in the community, and organizing a small militia, the survivors attempted to reclaim the city from the mob of refugees.

Modern Day
Today the city encompasses six square miles of land with a population density of 392 people per square mile. It is the sixth largest surviving city in former Pennsylvania, behind State College, Reading, Warren, Gettysburg, and Allentown.

Demographics
Hazleton has the largest concentration of minorities in the nation. There are several hundred within the city.

Infrastructure
Much of the city's infrastructure remained intact following Doomsday. Roadways have deteriorated due to the lack of maintenance, but with asphalt from Montour County, repairs have begun. The Hazleton Transit Authority has recently reformed, operating three pre-Doomsday school buses modified for public transportation, nine vans, and six Jeep's purchased from North Pennsylvania in 2014. There are talks of purchasing new buses and vans from Niagara Falls to replace the aging fleet of vehicles.

Interstate 80 runs into Hazleton with a new roadway complete in 2009 between the section near Berwick and bypassing the I-81 exit.

There are many office building and many businesses have set up in Hazleton due to better transportation available, plus tax incentives.

Law Enforcement
There are two law enforcement agencies located in Hazleton. The City of Hazleton Police Department is the primary force in the city. There are 35 sworn in officers, and 150 civilian employees. They are the largest law enforcement agency in Susquehanna. They are also more heavily armed than the other police departments, often engaging the raiders and gangs operating in the area.

Economy
Much of the local economy is focused on agriculture, light manufacturing, and services. There are several important companies with their headquarters in Hazleton. Susquehanna Power and Utilities Company has moved the headquarters from Bloomsburg to the city. Susquehanna Bank and Finance operates out of the former Markle Banking and Trust building, with a yearly revenue of nearly two million dollars. Hazleton Textile Mills make cloth for export and sale, with both the headquarters and primary facilities in, and around Hazleton.

Future
The city is rapidly increasing in size. There are plans to expand the city outwards, possibly absorbing West Hazleton, and the surrounding communities. There are four planned high rises and skyscrapers to be constructed over the next fifty years. Most are for commercial space, but there are plans for some residential space. They are all planned to be constructed on a patch of empty land encircled by West Diamond Avenue (North), North Vine Street (East), West Maple Street (South), and North Locust Street (West), as well as the surrounding properties, most of which have been purchased, and the homes demolished.

Proposed High Rises and Skyscrapers by Completion Date (Italics indicate Ground Breaking)
 * One North Locust Building- 334 Feet, 20 Floors (2018)
 * West Diamond Avenue- 380 Feet, 26 Floors (2026)
 * Wise Tower- 596 Feet, 58 Floors (2028)
 * Susquehanna Power and Utilities Tower- 597 Feet high, 40 Floors (2039)

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