11 Photos From The Nuclear Testing That Shook Mississippi Decades Ago
By Daniella DiRienzo|Published March 22, 2019
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Daniella DiRienzo
Author
Though Daniella was born in New York and has lived in a couple of other states, Mississippi has been her home for more than 30 years. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, Daniella began to hone her writing skills through various internships. In the years since, she’s had the privilege of having her articles appear in several publications, such as the Mississippi-based Parents & Kids Magazine. She’s also had the honor of interviewing actress Sela Ward for The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience.
As part of a government project, Mississippi was the site of two nuclear tests in the 1960s. Pretty significant, they are the only nuclear detonations to ever occur in the eastern United States. Surprisingly, not many residents know about this part of the state’s past. Luckily, we came across some great photos of the testing. Take a look:
In an effort to determine if underground nuclear tests were detectable, the government came up with Project Dribble. The project consisted of two parts - Project Salmon and Project Sterling.
Finally on October 22nd, a 5-kiloton nuclear device was set off 28 miles from Hattiesburg in the Tatum Salt Dome. It was about 1/3 the power of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima!
And the explosion’s power was definitely felt. According to records, "The earth rose and roiled in waves, pecans fell from trees, dogs howled in fear, creeks ran black with disturbed sediment, and buildings 30 miles away swayed for minutes on end."
In fact, within a week of the explosion, hundreds of residents filed damage claims. Residents cited issues, such as "burst pipes, cracked masonry, and suddenly dry wells."
