Montana’s Hidden Danger: Is There Actually a Nuclear Threat Now?

BUTTE, MT - Many know about the dozens of nuclear missile silos here in Montana. But what threat do they pose to you and your family? Is there even a threat to this day?

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Montana is known for many things, though its sprawling, mountainous landscapes and rugged, untouched beauty are definitely highlights. However, Montana harbors an open secret that could—under the unlikely but unfortunate conditions—change the fate of the world in only a few minutes. Did you know that, littered among its serene vistas, are hundreds of nuclear missiles, ready and waiting to be unleashed? Probably. But what about the threat they pose?

Why, you may be asking? Well, the legacy of everyone's least favorite bomb being here in Montana dates back to the Cold War (surprise!), a time when the lingering phantom of nuclear warfare loomed large and heavy. Amidst the race for superiority of firepower, Montana's wide-open spaces and sparse population made it an ideal host for these deadly guardians. Which, evidently, doesn't bode well for us living here if the unthinkable were to ever happen.

What about us here in Butte? Is there something for us to worry about should a nuclear war were to occur? Here's where things get even more intriguing: Butte, a city familiar in mining history (which means it has hundreds of miles of tunnels right underneath the surface to hide in), lies just a stone's throw from these relics of a tense past and potentially tense future. Although Butte itself isn't home to missile silos itself, most of the state's landscape is dotted with these installations—some as close as Great Falls—making the nearby presence of such weaponry both awe-inspiring and legitimately terrifying.

With occasional yet ongoing debates about the future of these Cold War relics, Montana continues to play a critical—yet understated—role in national security. The question remains: are these silent observers keeping us safe, or are they a catastrophe waiting to happen?