# How many people died in Raccoon City?

> Almost all of its roughly 100,000 residents. The T-virus outbreak and the government missile strike in October 1998 left only a handful of survivors.

Almost everyone. In the Resident Evil canon, Raccoon City had a population of roughly 100,000, and nearly all of them died in the T-virus outbreak of late September 1998 or in the U.S. government's missile strike that destroyed the city on October 1, 1998. The games never give an exact death toll, but only a small number of named characters escaped.

## How Raccoon City fell

1. **The Arklay Mountains incident (July 1998):** the T-virus leaks at Umbrella's Spencer Mansion lab — the events of the first game.
2. **The outbreak (September 1998):** the virus spreads into the city from Umbrella's underground lab after William Birkin is attacked, and infected rats and contaminated water carry it through the population.
3. **Collapse:** the police are overwhelmed; Umbrella sends its own forces, including Nemesis to hunt S.T.A.R.S. members.
4. **The missile strike (October 1, 1998):** the government sterilizes the city, wiping out the remaining infected and covering up the disaster.

## Who survived

- **Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield and Sherry Birkin** (Resident Evil 2)
- **Jill Valentine and Carlos Oliveira** (Resident Evil 3)
- **Ada Wong**, who escapes separately
- **HUNK**, the Umbrella operative known as "Mr. Death," who survives his squad's mission

## FAQ

**Was Raccoon City an accident?**
The leak was an accident caused by Umbrella's illegal research and the fight over Birkin's G-virus; the city's destruction was a deliberate government decision.

**Did HUNK survive Raccoon City?**
Yes. He is the sole survivor of his team and escapes by helicopter.

**Is Leon in Raccoon City?**
Yes. Resident Evil 2 starts on what should have been his first day as a Raccoon City police officer, after the outbreak has already begun.

**Is Nemesis in Raccoon City?**
Yes. Nemesis hunts Jill through Raccoon City in Resident Evil 3.

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