PHYSICAL DESTRUCTION OF HIROSHIMA Hiroshima was bombed on August 6, 1945. The atomic bomb caused massive destruction to the city. The city of Hiroshima was basically flat. Because of this most everything within one mile of where the bomb was dropped was completely destroyed. Approximately 50 heavily reinforced concrete buildings that were designed to survive an earthquake withstood the blast. However, the insides of these buildings were gutted. All windows, doors, and frames were ripped out. Underground air raid shelters that were within ý mile of the blast had their roofs cave in. Multi-story concrete buildings that were less than a mile from the blast were completely destroyed. Buildings with steel frames were destroyed if they were less than 4,200 feet from the X(the blast center). All the electrical systems were destroyed up to one mile away from the X. Trolley cars within the mile were destroyed and damaged up to 2 miles away.
A-Bomb Dome in Hiroshima, Japan
Hiroshima in ruins, October 1945, two months after...
Hiroshima bombing 61st AnniversaryAll homes up to 6,500 feet were severely damaged. Roof damage could occur up to 3 miles from the blast. Over 67% of the city's structures were either destroyed or severely damaged by the bomb. The reservoir of the city was not damaged but there were many breaks in the pipes. Railroad service was only interrupted for one day and those parts of the electrical system that were not destroyed began working the next day. Telephone service was not restored until August 15. Fire after the bomb destroyed most of what had not already been ruined by the bomb in the center of the blast. The physical destruction in Hiroshima was massive and took years to rebuild.