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Posted in Mississippi History March 22, 2019 by Daniella DiRienzo

11 Photos From The Nuclear Testing That Shook Mississippi Decades Ago

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.

Scheduled for September 22, 1964, Project Salmon would include detonating a nuclear device 2,700' beneath the Earth's surface.

The project had to be rescheduled several times due to wind direction. The delay led to a lot of waiting around by media…

…and residents.

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."

As a precaution, 400 residents were evacuated from the area. Residents were paid for their inconvenience – adults received $10, children were paid $5.

The detonation definitely had some repercussions. Many residents, like Horace Burge (pictured), returned home to find a good bit of damage.

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."

Two years later, Project Sterling was executed. This time, a much smaller bomb was set off inside the cavity created by the original explosion.

Just as scientists suspected, the 2nd detonation was almost completely muffled by the cavity.

Learn more about Project Dribble in the video below.

So, did you know about Mississippi’s nuclear history? Did you live in the area at the time? Tell us in the comments section.

Can’t get enough vintage photos of the Magnolia State? Click here.

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Daniella DiRienzo

Though Daniella was born in New York and has lived in a couple of other states, Mississippi has been her home for the past 25 years. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, Daniella began to hone her writing skills through various internships, working for The Royal Obsession and Anatomie clothing. In the years since, she’s had the privilege of having her articles appear in several publications, such as Parents & Kids Magazine and Girl Meets Strong. She’s also had the honor of interviewing actress Sela Ward for The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience.