alternatehistory.com

Oct. 15, 1966
October 15, 1966

Riots quelled in Detroit


After three days of rioting marred the city in the wake of the nuclear disaster, Detroit is finally at peace. Police and the National Guard, along with federal troops, have taken control of the city. But the cost of the rioting is high: dozens are dead (most of whom were suspected looters), hundreds are injured, and thousands of buildings have been destroyed [1]. In some places, entire blocks have been leveled by flames.

Morton Sterling [2], chief of air pollution control for the Detroit/Wayne County Health Department, has determined that the threat of additional radioactive contamination from the Fermi plant is over. The evacuation order in Detroit has ended, and many people are beginning to return home from other cities. But residents returning home may find nothing more than a charred husk.


[1] As OTL, analogous to July 25: https://www.freep.com/pages/interactives/1967-detroit-riot/

[2] Detroit News, November 20, 1966, p. 20-A

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