Alternative History
Greater Hazleton
Timeline: 1983: Doomsday

OTL equivalent: Hazleton, PA
Location of Hazelton
Capital Hazleton
Largest city Hazleton
Other cities West Hazleton
Language
  official
 
English
  others None
Demonym Pennsylvanian
Mayor Thomas R. Kline
Area 59 sq mi
Population 25,936 (2014 est.)
Independence January 8th, 2003
Annexation to Susquehanna 2012
Currency US Dollar, Barter

Pre Doomsday[]

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 thought 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.

Government[]

The national government is modeled off a mix of the former state government and city government. Overall, the national leader is a governor, and the legislative branch is the Senate. They meet in the old Hazleton Town Hall, with the city government using the former municipal building.

Each town has a mayor as the leader, and a town council of six members, with the mayor casting a vote in the case of a tie.

Economy[]

Much of Hazleton's economy is a survival economy. There is a small amount of exports, mainly to Susquehanna or Reading in exchange for raw materials and ammunition.

They do export a small amount of coal to Susquehanna which has not opened enough mines for complete energy independence.

The Hazleton Textile Mills manufacture cloth for the nation from cotton and wool. It is the largest business in the nation.

Natural Resources[]

The area is over a rich coal vein, and has been able to take advantage of it to power the one operational coal fired facility.

After Doomsday, much of the metal used came from abandoned cars and vehicles on the roads and interstate.

Military/Law Enforcement[]

Greater Hazleton does not maintain active armed forces, instead relying on a well-armed police force. At the formation of the formal government in 1987, the new government inherited the provisional militia. Realizing the high cost of maintaining a standing military, the militia was disbanded, and the police took over.

Surprisingly, the National Guard facility held several Jeeps (the M151 MUTT) for training purposes. Most have survived, due to the location being outside the city and in a concrete and steel bunker.

Most of the vehicles are no longer in service, but recent reports show that several of them have been repaired and were transferred to the Commonwealth of Susquehanna National Guard.

Ironically, due to their location in a concrete and steel shelter, the EMP had a negligible effect on them during the war. Several were disabled due to the lack of parts and fuel.

List of Unarmored Vehicles:

  • M151 MUTT- Six

Foreign Relations[]

Currently the government only maintains ties with the Commonwealth of Susquehanna, and Reading. They have knowledge of other Pennsylvania survivor states, the fall of the former USA and other world issues, but due to the small size of the nation, lack diplomatic contact with most of the world.

The nation has since dissolved, joining Susquehanna as Wyoming County.