How did the Hiroshima nuclear bomb detonation affect the people and the environment?
The end of WW2 came with a terrible cost: the use of 2 nuclear bombs in Japan that unleashed unimaginable destruction and suffering. In this narrative, we will explore what happened right after the bombs exploded over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. How did the survivors cope with the horror and the radiation? How did the world react to the unprecedented display of power and violence? How did the bombings shape the history and the future of humanity? Join us as we delve into the aftermath of the atomic bombings that changed everything 😭💥🏴☠️
Hiroshima: Hour by Hour Account of the First Atomic Bombing
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, killing over 100,000 people. This blog provides a chronological breakdown of the bombing and its aftermath, from the Enola Gay’s takeoff to Hiroshima’s long road to recovery.
The Flight of the Enola Gay
In the early morning of August 6, 1945, the B-29 bomber Enola Gay took off from Tinian Island in the Pacific. It carried a single atomic bomb codenamed “Little Boy” with a blast yield of 15 kilotons.
At 8:15 AM, bombardier Thomas Ferebee sighted the Aioi Bridge in Hiroshima and released Little Boy from an altitude of 31,000 feet. The Enola Gay rapidly turned away, escaping the impending blast.
On the ground below, Hiroshima residents heard rumbling engines but assumed it was a small reconnaissance flight. After an earlier false alarm, no air raid sirens sounded before the attack.
Little Boy Detonates Over Hiroshima
At 8:16 AM, Little Boy detonated 1,900 feet above Hiroshima with a blinding flash visible for miles. A searing fireball enveloped the city as temperatures briefly hit 7,000° C.
The explosion instantly killed 70,000 people and destroyed five square miles of buildings in a fraction of a second. Hiroshima’s population was 340,000 before the bombing.
The blast wave traveled for dozens of miles, blowing out windows and shaking buildings. Hiroshima was engulfed by raging fires as the city burned.
Aftermath of the Bombing
In the following hours, chaos gripped Hiroshima as dazed survivors attempted to flee the spreading fires and rubble. Makeshift hospitals overflowed with victims suffering horrific burns and radiation sickness.
Basic services like water, electricity, and transportation were knocked out. Of Hiroshima’s 45 hospitals, only 3 remained usable after the attack. Medical personnel were decimated, with only 150 doctors surviving out of more than 1,700 before the bombing.
For survivors, the scenes were nightmarish. Shadows were permanently burned into walls where victims were instantly vaporized. By nightfall, Hiroshima burned like a massive torch visible for miles.
Day 2: Failed Relief Efforts
On August 7, Japanese authorities struggled to mount rescue operations with shredded emergency services. Unable to contain the fires, officials focused on resuming industrial war production despite the carnage.
Thousands desperately searched the ruins for missing loved ones. The injured continued crowding makeshift aid stations and burning buildings released toxic smoke across the city. Food and clean water were scarce.
Some key infrastructure was restored, like train lines and electricity. But Hiroshima remained largely cut off from the outside world on the second day after the bombing.
Days 3–4: Nagasaki Bombed, Japan Surrenders
On August 9 at 11:02 AM, the US bombed Nagasaki, killing 40,000 instantly. Yet Japan’s government still did not surrender immediately.
In Hiroshima, the fires gradually subsided but radiation poisoning increased. On August 15, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender to Allied forces, finally allowing Hiroshima to focus on rebuilding.
But recovery efforts suffered a setback when Typhoon Makurazaki hit Hiroshima on September 17, causing flooding and scattering radioactive debris.
Early Recovery Efforts
In the months after the bombing, Hiroshima struggled to rebuild with inadequate aid. By November, the population fell to just 137,000 as residents died from radiation exposure.
In 1946, the Peace Memorial City Construction Law finally provided funding for reconstruction. But cancer cases climbed as the effects of radiation poisoning emerged over time.
By 1958, Hiroshima’s population recovered to 410,000 through a massive construction boom in the 1950s. Still, the shadow of nuclear catastrophe persisted.
Hiroshima Today
Now Hiroshima thrives as a modern city, home to over 1 million people. But it also stands as a symbol of nuclear horror and humanity’s plea for peace.
Atomic Bomb Dome and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum keep memories of the bombing alive. Survivors continue to tell their stories so the bombing is never repeated or forgotten.
While the city has recovered, the bombing’s indelible scars remain. Hiroshima’s resurrection carries a vital message: nuclear weapons must never be used again.
