Scenario: Civil unrest following the collapse of the US economy

[RobertNashville]

I understand being prepared for bad situations. I applaud being prepared for bad situations. Being prepared turns an emergency into a minor inconvenience. What I can't for the life of me wrap my head around is where all of you think you are going to pack up and go when something bad happens. All my stuff is here. My friends and family are here. I am familiar with here. I stay put.

It of course depends on just what the emergency is...are we talking about wide-spread civil unrest...an almost complete breakdown in society...a natural disaster affecting a specific area, etc.

You also have to decide, ahead of time, how to decide whether you need to leave or stay in place and typically, you may have a very, very small window of time in which to decide; taking more than a few minutes could quite literally make the difference between getting out of an affected area in very little time or being caught up in total gridlock.

I have friends and family scattered all over the place and depending on what happened that made me decide I had to leave, going to one of those friends/family is where I'd go (just like if something happens to them, I'm where they are going to head for).

I also don't plan on steeling food from anyone or anyone's garden nor setting up camp on someone's farm...I plan to have enough water, fuel and food to bug out with that I can be self-sufficient; at least long enough to get away from a regional issue to an unaffected zone.

Edited August 12, 2011 by RobertNashville

[gregintenn]

Wouldn't the collapse of the U.S. economy be pretty much nation wide, and not isolated? I assume you are thinking that rioting and such will be more prevelant in heavier populated areas? If that were my line of thought, I believe I'd be making plans on getting out before something like that occurs. I guess there is a reason after all that I don't like crowds. I never put it together until now.

[Caster]

Well, you get into places such as appalachia and I can all but guarantee they won't know the difference when the economy collapses. Extremely rural areas won't be affected by riots or the economy right away. Eventually sure, but there's a lot old school people, that if need be, can cinch the belt down tight and go for a long time on their own. I'm willing to bet, some of your ranchers in Montana could run for a while if left unmolested by mutant zombie rioters.

[Raoul]

Well, you get into places such as appalachia and I can all but guarantee they won't know the difference when the economy collapses. Extremely rural areas won't be affected by riots or the economy right away. Eventually sure, but there's a lot old school people, that if need be, can cinch the belt down tight and go for a long time on their own. I'm willing to bet, some of your ranchers in Montana could run for a while if left unmolested by mutant zombie rioters.

O we'd know. These days things are so bad in Appalachia that the only growth industry is a meth lab in your backpack.

But seriously, the older folks here would probably fare adequately. Our youngsters are just like everybody else. Addicted to their i-phone i-pad fast food lifestyle. The lower population here would be our saving grace.

[gregintenn]

The Appalachain people aren't going to want us up there with them. That's what I mean. If a bunch from Nashville heads up that way, there will be one heck of a riot. The Nashville guy may well be better armed than the Appalachain, but my money's on the mountain boy with the single shot 22. He knows how to use his.

[Jasongar8]

My bugging out would consist of loading my preps and getting out of the neighborhood that I live in. It is a huge neighborhood, and I don't want to be around that many people in the event of a natural or economic disaster. I will be going to either my brother or my Dad's house. They both live farther out in the country than I do. And depending on how long/ how severe the situation we will probably all end up at one house. We have the ability to travel just about anywhere and will have enough ammo and fire power out gun most people.

The one thing that I am working on now is long term food rations. I already have 10+ cases of MRE's, plus a good selection of store bought and home canned goods. I am looking to get rice, beans, and other gains sotred for the long haul. Water is another thing I worry about, but I guess pond water ran through my purifier will work.

[Guest msparks]

I understand being prepared for bad situations. I applaud being prepared for bad situations. Being prepared turns an emergency into a minor inconvenience. What I can't for the life of me wrap my head around is where all of you think you are going to pack up and go when something bad happens. All my stuff is here. My friends and family are here. I am familiar with here. I stay put.

Easier said in Lafayette than one of the major Cities in TN. Even myself I'm within walking distance of several hundred thousand people. Once they figure out I have food, the word will get out.

Leaving might be 15-20 miles away but it would be where only a few hundred or so could walk to me. I've got several farmer friends that own the type of assets that would need to be protected (on the hoof) I've told them, you have to sleep sometime and I've got skills (thanks Uncle Sam) so we would have a mutual benefit.

I'm afraid cities will go down quickly. Maybe a couple weeks to a month. After 60 days there will be one heck of a stink in the air.

[Moped]

Cities will go down in days, not weeks or months. There isn't normally enough food in a city for the entire population to go more than 4 or 5 days. Once the food runs out, then the population is going to start moving out. If the civil authorities can't keep order, then that's when the true breakdown will begin.

But I don't think we will just see a sudden major breakdown nation wide. I think we have a long way to go before everything just falls apart. People will have lots of notice before it happens, if they (we) don't choose to ignore it. We may actually be seeing the beginning of those signs now. In my mind a Double Dip Recession would be a strong bellwether. That's something I think we are on the verge of now. Remember, the Great Depression was nothing more than a series of recessions in a row, where joblessness got worse and worse. Throw in a series of natural disasters and we start to see society meltdown.

I also think you will see the major cities go first, New York, Chicago, LA, San Fransisco, Memphis, etc, etc. Then it will be regional. The North East, in my mind, would be the first to slip into anarchy. I think once you see something like that, it's time to start packing up and moving to where ever it is your going to hunker down. That is if you plan on getting out ahead of the masses. Personally, I don't think the Southeast is much better off than the Northeast. It's true we have more farm land, but our population is growing larger and larger. I would imagine that if the civil authorities don't get a handle on it quickly, then it's going to may the dark ages look like a cake walk. A lot of people will die, from disease and violence. And probably rather quickly too.

The place to be in my mind would be in the Great Plains near a water source with a whole lot of seed and some stock on the hoof. The population density there is a lot less than anywhere else in the country. You would have a much better chance of getting through whatever happens, especially if you have a group your part of that is in that area, where you can band together from mutual protection.

If your around here, it's still best to band together in order to have a chance. A single individual family is going to have a hard time fighting off a horde of hungry people. That means you also have to have a stronghold with plenty of water, stored food and seed for later on. Livestock is going to harder than hell to protect. Game and livestock are going to be the first to go, because they are immediate food sources. If it gets that bad, you'll probably see people turn to cannibalism.

I think this is all a worst case scenario though. Throughout history, during hard times, people have always tended to come together and work through whatever was happening, like during the Great Depression. I think that would be the case again for the most part. But one thing humans have never had to contend with before, is a huge population. That could be the one thing that tips the balance against the survival of civilization.

[bigwakes]

The only personal frame of reference I have is Haiti. I have gone down twice since the quake. People there tended to travel into the cities because that's where the resources are. Food, medical, water, etc are all provided by non profits and foreign governments.

[Guest Bronker]

The only personal frame of reference I have is Haiti. I have gone down twice since the quake. People there tended to travel into the cities because that's where the resources are. Food, medical, water, etc are all provided by non profits and foreign governments.

Great point. The only problem with this is that the relief efforts in these cases is overwhelmingly U.S.-provision. We are always the leader in aid efforts.

I doubt very seriously that there will even be anyone capable, let alone willing, to rush to our humanitarian aid in the event of a catastrophe on U.S. soil.

[Guest wmann]

funny- Moped said Memphis is a major city....look at Katrina to see what happens when the SHTF. Good folks survived by banding together- bad folks got shot at!