Here are the most common threats you will encounter after an SHTF event
As preppers, we all make plans and preparations for a certain type of disaster scenario.
While there are certain similarities between our prepping plans, there are, for certain, some common threats that will follow any type of disaster.
In general, the aftermath of a disaster is very specific to the location, type of event, and level of preparedness of individuals, but even so, there are a few general situations we must consider…
A smart prepper must acknowledge that no matter how
well-prepared he or she may be, the chances are that you will encounter one of
the situations described in this article. How these situations will affect them
depends solely on the precautions they took, their survival knowledge and
skills, but also past experiences.
Before we go further, I must clarify that when I’m saying
past experiences, I’m not talking about having to survive through various
disasters and becoming better prepared (although such experiences will become
an “added bonus,” if you will, to your survival knowledge).
I’m talking here about real-life practices you’ve
experienced in various situations. Maybe you have some survival training, and
maybe you like to go camping, maybe you have first-aid training, etc.
Situations where the stress factor may or may not have been present, and
overall, you manage to get something out of such experiences.
Regardless of what you are prepping for, the general
repercussions we will cover in this article will be present once the event is
over. I have to stress this once more; the level of impact of any disaster is
directly dependent on factors such as:
I also believe that it’s a good exercise to compare and analyze the impact of these threats by looking at past disasters in your area, but also by looking at current situations developing around the world (like the coronavirus pandemic in China).
The severity of the disaster will certainly create economic
problems for the affected area, may it be regional or national. You can take a
major economic hit if the situation escalates, and there’s no telling how it
will affect your budget.
In certain cases, you will not be able to access your bank
account or use your credit cards. You may lose your income due to illness or
your workplace might be closed for a long time due to the event.
Even more, the supply and demand will dictate how the
economy will evolve in certain areas, and it may take a long time for local
businesses to recover. You can expect certain survival products and even
products we take for granted to be in low supply or not available at all. How
you deal with this situation depends on how well you prepared for the economic
aftermath of the disaster.
Having enough cash and supplies on hand will help you
survive longer than others, but you also have to figure out ways to supplement
your budget if the event extends longer than expected.
Do you have a backup plan if you were suddenly laid off?
Do you have enough to last you in case you are not able to
buy more?
And last, but definitely not least, consider your barter
options and the items you have that could be useful for bartering.
If we look at the current situation in China, we can see
that not only the Hubei province has taken a major economic hit, but the entire
country. A lot of people will end up bankrupt after all this blows off and the
major problem is that China is the biggest supplier of materials and finite
products for most businesses around the world.
3 Second SEAL Test Will Tell You If You’ll Survive A SHTF Situation
This means that if you depend on them to provide the
required resources to operate your business, you will have to find other
suppliers, increase prices and cost operations, and so on. And let’s face it. Nowadays,
everything is “Made in China.”
Any type of local or regional disaster will cause
disruptions in essential services. For example, let’s look at how hurricanes
affect certain areas and how procuring clean water becomes a problem in the
aftermath of such a natural disaster. Services shutdown is one of the most
common threats you will have to face and you need to be prepared to deal with
the disruptions in essential services.
A serious prepper should acknowledge that a grid shutdown, water shortages, and shutdowns, and problems in telecommunication occur even during a small-scale disaster. During a prolonged event, you will have problems with heating or cooling your home, providing light for your family or keeping food fresh without refrigeration and freezing.
A few suggestions to prepare for such aftermath would be to:
After doing a little research online, I found out there are
only a few areas that have a problem with water distribution and there’s
nothing major about it. However, power outages and gas shutdowns are known to
take place (some buildings are being cut off from gas lines since locked up
residents threatened to blow up their apartments).
Cash seems to be disappearing since they are destroying the
bills that they don’t manage to disinfect, and it’s becoming more and more
difficult to pay for supplies.
Sanitation may become a problem as many pets are locked in
homes without food and water, and the outcome may lead to health risks. Also,
cleaning services are not working full service since there’s a fear of
contamination.
This is perhaps the hardest situation the “unprepared” will
encounter after a disaster hits their area. If you lack the essential supplies
your family needs for survival, it will become impossible to obtain such
supplies following a disaster. If a disaster causes road closures and
breakdowns in fuel distribution, people will be forced to rely on the supplies
they stored.
This is one of the most common threats of any disaster, and
people seem to ignore it completely. They don’t realize how real this is and
how fast it can affect them until it’s too late and the shelves are empty.
Panic buying is the result of people being unprepared and
uninformed, and we’ve seen it in the United States on various occasions. If you
think you are covered and you have everything you need to survive it’s still
better to cover the following:
The breakdown of the distribution chain may have a different
impact on people, and while some will need fuel, others will need medicine.
You’ve probably seen online how panic buying is affecting
all China, and how they are fighting over toilet paper and other items that, as
said before, we take for granted. While the Hubei province is the most affected
region and fresh produce is a rarity, the panic buying situation has spread
over the border, including in the United States. I think there’s no point in
mentioning anymore how face masks and sanitizers are hard to find these days.
While city entrances and exits are being blocked is
interesting to follow how the Chinese army will manage to supply the residents
of Wuhan with even the basic supplies. Not only will we learn how the
government can take care of the people, but also how the people will start
acting when they no longer get what they need.
If a disaster hits an area, certain elements of our society
will see it as a good opportunity to renew their stuff (electronics, clothes,
etc.) or to restock their liquor cabinets. Any aftermath of a major natural
disaster will bring violence, looting and increased criminality in the affected
area. Some people will become desperate to obtain food and water, while others
will figure out ways to increase their wealth.
Since most Americans don’t have a mindset for long-term
survival, and they are expecting the government to take care of their needs,
you can imagine what will happen if the government doesn’t deliver.
Unfortunately, until things go back to normal, there will
always be people who love to take advantage of these sorts of situations for
their own personal gain. If it comes to that, you should be prepared to defend
yourself and what’s yours. This is one of the common threats we need to pay
attention to because looters can shoot back and a proper force response is
required.
Except for Hong Kong, where people are still protesting even
tough restrictions have been imposed. The situation In the Hubei is calm and
desperate at the same time. In large cities, people can’t protest because those
that do not follow the party’s “recommendations” are locked inside their homes.
This may very well lead to them dying locked in like animals in cages because
there will be no one to check on them.
On the other hand, in smaller towns, people are fighting with their neighbors for resources and there’s a lockdown imposed where outsiders are removed by force and those willing to visit relatives or friends are being denied entrance.
The lack of adequate sanitation and proper medical care are common threats you will encounter after an SHTF event. This becomes a problem for regions that lack the supplies and medical personnel that can provide proper assistance. Not to mention that children and the elderly may be the first affected if health issues occur.
Think about the sewage system not working and the garbage
trucks stopping, and you will understand while sanitation could become a
life-threatening problem.
Also, in case fuel is in short supplies or roads are damaged,
you may not reach a hospital in time. What would you do in such a case? How
well-prepared are you to deal with such a scenario? Do you have any medical
training?
Even basic first-aid training may save your life or the
lives of your loved ones, and having a medical kit or a medical training
survival book is priceless when a medical problem arises.
As the pandemic is causing health problem due to is nature,
one of the main thing people fail to realize is that people that might suffer
from other illnesses or are suspected of coronavirus infection will eventually
get in contact with already infected patients. This is due to the fact that
hospitals are full, medical personnel is not enough to handle a large number of
patients (they are literally dying of exhaustion), and overall, there’s a
general panic and people don’t follow protocols.
You may have a medical issue that is not life-threatening,
and by searching for medical aid, you will end up with something worse. Also,
the lack of proper quarantine measures will just lead to the virus spreading
more and more. The Diamond Princess cruise ship is a perfect example of that.
Before you start criticizing my decision to bring the
coronavirus situation into this article and play the old record of the “The flu
has killed more people,” stop, take a break, and think why I did so. My
intention was not to scare anyone, but instead, to show readers that these
common threats are real and are happening right now as you finish riding this
article.
Rather than concentrating your time and effort on arguing with people on the internet, concentrate your energy on figuring out how well-prepared you are for such threats and what you can do to improve your situation—just my two cents.
Bob Rodgers is an experienced prepper and he strives to teach people about emergency preparedness. He quit the corporate world and the rat race 6 years ago and now he dedicates all his time and effort to provide a self-sufficient life for his family. He loves the great outdoors and never misses a chance to go camping. For more preparedness related articles, you can visit him at Prepper’s Will
You make some very good points, Bob. Thank you for that. Never in a million years did I think that the developing crisis would take the form of a fairly innocuous virus that the Chinese have genetically modified and apparently it “escaped” by accident. If this was deliberate then someone has surely dropped the ball. Did the Chinese want to see what would happen knowing full well that it more than likely would end killing many of their own people? What has the world come to? I’m slowly starting to come around and, yes, maybe these are the end times.
Everyone laughed at the “preppers”. They were called fanatics, gullible suckers, wacko extremists, dangerous (because of their guns and ammo). They were roundly mocked and ridiculed for their SHTF preparations. Well kiddies. THE SH*T HAS HIT THE FAN ! Who’s laughing now? I’m in the twilight of my life so this doesn’t scare me like it does for someone who has the majority of their life ahead of them. What is being done now is basically rearranging the deck chairs after the Titanic has struck the iceberg. We are heading into uncharted territory as a nation. A dystopian future (like “The Road” ) is a real probability for this country. To those of you who are young. May God give you strength and courage. You’er gonna need it.
My take: there are two levels to this situation. One is as a species, society and civilization. Mankind has dealt with, fought and conquered viruses much worse, wars much worse and crisis much worse. Yes the night is darkest just before dawn and the price paid to cross turbulence and deep changes such as this is usually huge, I’m talking about destruction of wealth and lives. But eventually it’ll pass and there will be a virtuous cycle until next crisis and so on.
The second aspect is the individual level. Every loss is hard, sickness, death, loss of wealth, of comfort, of friends and family and houses of health, it’s hard to witness all the suffering around but it’s part of life. Many will march on, and for me having a sense of both being able to be and do my best at all times, and having a sense of belonging to this broader tribe of humans and life on planet earth, just a speck in this enormous chain… that’s what keeps me going and a bit more positive in these times.
Have strength, think positive, do your best, be brave and we’ll survive and thrive. Good luck to y’all!
Here are the most common threats you will encounter after an SHTF event
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