The Empire State Building is arguably the most iconic building in Manhattan.
Standing tall since the 1930s, the building is an architectural and cultural marvel….
But what if it was at the centre of a plot?
What if the building was harmed, or worse, was obliterated.
Hello and welcome back to Life’s Biggest Questions, I am Rebecca Felgate and today
we’re continuing our simulated scenario serious as we ask…
What if the Empire State Building was Attacked?
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The Empire State Building has become synonymous with the image of New York.
It is one of the busiest tourist’s attractions in the world as well as being home to a number
of businesses, including Linked Inn, which occupies 5 of the 102 floors.
Approximately 15 thousand people work in the Empire State Building and a further 10 thousand
visit each day to enjoy the observation deck and other leisure offerings.
Of course, not all 25 thousand people who frequent the building each day would all be
there at one time, but it is likely that many thousands of people would be inside if an
attack took place.
Of course, like with the horrifying events of 9/11, conducting an attack on a working
weekday would be likely to cause the most devastation.
speaking of 9/11, of course if the Empire State Building was attacked it would have
some worrying parallels to that fateful day in 2001.
Depending on the extent of the damage, it could be the worst attack the city, if not
America, has seen since.
Of course, we have to wonder how exactly someone could conduct an attack of any magnitude on
the Empire State Building, which is now one of the most heavily guarded and security tight
buildings in America.
While an aerial attack would be the most affective in inflicting damage, Since 9/11, aviation
law and security measures have been tightened, making a similar offence highly unlikely.
Of course an aerial bomb attack is just about as unlikely as they come too, considering
air space in Manhattan is tightly monitored, unless of course the fire comes from kind
of unintercepted North Korean Missile.
Of course, while these events are unlikely, they are not beyond the realms of possibility.
For example, in 1945, an American bomber plane accidentally flew into the building, causing
significant damage and killing 14 people.
Other ways in which the building has been attacked include two mass shootings, one in
1997 and one in 2012.
As security forces in the building are armed, this kind of attack would likely be contained
reasonably quickly.
The other possibility for a high damage attack could be an intelligent bomb plot.
This would take very careful planning and a huge amount of luck on the attackers end,
again because the building is so highly monitored.
If an attack did unfold, depending on its nature, the building and the surrounding areas
could be on lockdown, affecting a large part of central Manhattan.
Nearby Penn Station and Madison Square Gardens would likely be affected too.
Should the building be damaged beyond repair in an attack, it is possible the Zip Code
10118 would be retired, the exclusive postal code for the building.
It would also have a big effect on the cities radio and TV broadcasts as, after 9/11 nearly
all of the city's commercial television and FM radio broadcast stations started transmitting
again from the top of the Empire State Building.
Then, we get to the Pres.
Donald Trump is the most vocal president of all time and should an attack like this take
place during his presidency, he would bring the world down upon whomever was responsible.
The War on Terror took place as a result of 9/11, and I can only imagine the 45th President
would be keen to avenge any deaths that took place in a building which he once part owned.
If the Empire State Building did fall or a number of people were killed, it would be
a sad day for us all and depending on the nature of the attack, it could have far reaching
political consequences.
So, that is one question that will hopefully never find a real life answer.
What do you think would happen if the Empire State Building was attacked?
Let me know in the comments section below.
For now, I am your host Rebecca Felgate, I’ll catch you in the next video, but until then,
be sure to stay curious, stay alert and never ever stop questioning!
If you want to continue on your questioning binge, why not watch our biggest What If’s
Playlist and our Biggest History Questions.