All information in this report has been gathered by scouts from Kentucky, Superior, Virginia and the WCRB
With God, all things are possible | |||||
Capital (and largest city) |
Columbus (Pre-Doomsday) | ||||
Language | English | ||||
Governor | |||||
Lieutenant Governor | |||||
Area | 44,825 sq mi km² | ||||
Currency | US Dollar |
Ohio[]
Before the War[]
When people use to talk about quintessential Americana, they talked about the Midwest. Before the war, Ohio was the seventeenth state admitted into the Union having been admitted in 1803 and the seventh most populated. Although the state’s economic stability had been hit hard by the swiftly growing rust belt, by outsiders it was still viewed as one of the most ‘average’ states. In national elections it held the distinction of being a swing state and was key to Benjamin Harrison’s victory in 1888.
Doomsday[]
Due to its political and economic importance, Ohio would burn in the nuclear strikes on Doomsday. Below is a list of targets:
- The state capital, Columbus, took a 1MT strike that detonated directly over Capitol Square. The blast decimated the city, and the dead zone extended out to the I-270 ring road that surrounded the city. Nearby Lockbourne AFB took a tactical 50kt strike, destroying the base.
- Cincinnati was taken out by a 1MT air burst that detonated over the Riverfront Stadium, destroying the city and nearby Covington, KY.
- Cleveland was also destroyed by a 1MT air burst over the Downtown, destroying much of the Cleveland metro area. Air Traffic Control attempted to get as many jets out of Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport, but shortly after the first explosion a 50kt groundburst destroyed the airport.
- Dayton was annihilated by a 1MT strike over the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Also destroyed was the Wright-Patterson AFB(100kt groundburst).
- Akron also took a 1MT warhead, over the Canal District. The resulting blast and fallout from Cleveland and the city would mean the irradiation of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
- Youngstown took a 100kt warhead over the Arlington suburb, which destroyed the city. Warren, OH was unaffected due to the wind blowing towards Pennsylvania. The town would play host to a provisional government set up by Ohio governor Jim Rhodes, who had escaped Columbus before the strikes, but by 1985 the town was in anarchy and the government fled to the safety of North Pennsylvania.
- Lima was partially destroyed by a 100kt strike on the tank factory. The rest of the city was abandoned shortly after.
- Surprisingly, Toledo, the fourth largest city in Ohio, was not nuked. Historians speculate that a 1MT missile was destined for the city, but exploded in its silo.
Current Situation[]
For years after the initial destruction, Ohio was thrust into chaos. Between the nuking, Canadians fleeing south over Lake Erie, and the millions of displaced suburban families most thought that the state would be nearly impossible to salvage. As a result, most communications with the state were cut off and civilians were left to assume that the Buckeye State was devoid of life. However, scouts from Kentucky, Superior and Virginia determined otherwise. Ohio’s status can be divided into three sections.
Northwestern Ohio[]
The northwestern sector of the state can safely be considered to be the most stable. Following Doomsday, a multitude of successor states were created in the area. Since then, these have either crumbled or been absorbed by a larger power. Currently, the only stable and recognized nation in the area is the Toledo Confederation. Stretching from Southern Michigan and the Indiana border to Port Clinton is a loose federation of survivor groups that have banded together in an attempt to re-introduce stability into the region. The nation has focused most of their efforts on restoring infrastrure damaged by the nuclear strikes.
Northeastern Ohio[]
Northeastern Ohio was one of the most heavily damaged sections of the state during Doomsday, and its position has not improved since then. Facing destroyed infrastructure and near constant raids, nearly all attempts to establish order in the area have failed. Very little information can be gathered from the area due to high scout casualties. However, Toledo, Virginia and North Pennsylvania have begun to resettle the area and drive out the raiders. As of 2022, Canton and Wooster have been resettled, with the Youngstown-Warren area being rebuilt by North Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Southern Ohio[]
The survivors of Portsmouth-Iornton are one of the three largest pockets of survivors in the former American state. After a short period of self-governance, the area re-established connections with Kentucky and Virginia. Immediately following this event, both nations competed to woo the survivor groups. In 2007 the survivors of Portsmouth area voted to join Kentucky while the confederation of city states to the east voted to join Virginia in 2008.
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