Haven’t read the book, but at first thought, it doesn’t make sense. Why would a b-52, flying over the eastern US, have two nukes in a state that could even remotely possibly make them go off. They can be completely “safed”..in that even a devastating impact..which breaks the bomb open...would cause local area contamination..but there is no chance of an explosion..
This was the era of the Cuban Missile Crisis. I wasn’t even born yet, but from what I’ve read it was a very tense time. Having bombers with armed nuclear bombs flying out of or over NC, with the large number of military bases there, is not at all surprising.