Checked out an abandoned missile silo in Kansas last weekend and noticed the air vents were totally clogged

Went to look at an old Atlas F site near Wamego and every single blast valve was packed with dirt and bird nests. If someone tried to use that shelter in a real emergency they'd suffocate in a day. Has anyone else found their vents blocked up like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

susan_adams1d ago

Yeah I used to think those old silos were built like fortresses that would last forever, but after crawling through a few of them myself I totally changed my mind. The vents on the one near Topeka were so bad I could barely breathe just standing next to them, let alone imagine living inside. It's wild how fast nature just takes over once people stop maintaining stuff.

lily_torres311d ago

@susan_adams nailed it with the nature taking over part. Bring a respirator or at least a good N95 if you're poking around those places. I learned the hard way the one near Wichita had asbestos in the insulation that was just crumbling into the air. Always check the roof and foundation corners first too, that's where the structural rot shows up before it gets sketchy inside.

the_brian1d ago

Same thing on a site near Salina - mud daubers had those vents so plugged it took an hour with a screwdriver to clear just one. @lily_torres31 is right about the asbestos too, that Wichita spot had the orange stuff flaking off the pipes everywhere.