The 8 Worst Places to Be When Disaster Strikes

For
many
preppers,
a
societal
collapse
is
probably
the
scariest
event
imaginable
that
is
also
the
most
plausible.

Far
removed
from
an
alien
invasion,
zombie
uprising,
gamma
ray
burst,
or
some
other
fantastical
doomsday
scenario,
this
is
one
that
can
actually
happen,
and
has
happened
countless
times
throughout
history.

Though
Americans
might
be
exceptional,
they
are
not

exempt
from
the
forces
that
affect
humanity,
and
right
now
the
stitches
are
starting
to
fray.

A
near
total
loss
of
faith
in
the
legitimacy
of
government,
an
ever
widening
cultural
gulf
between
various
sectors
of
society,
and
rampant
economic
woes
means
that
the
stresses
are
growing
ever
more
intense,
and
soon
cracks
will
begin
to
form.

When
those
cracks
lead
to
the
shattering
of
society’s
foundations,
chaos
and
bedlam
will
become
the
norm.
this
will
be
a
terrible
trial
no
matter
where
you
are,
but

some
places
are
going
to
fare
far,


far

worse
than
others,
and
avoiding
them
should
be
priority
number
one
as
a
part
of
any
readiness
plan.

We
will
talk
about
these
dangerous
areas
so
that
you
can
assess
your
own
security
situation
and
act
accordingly
if
society
implodes.

Sure,
you
can
make
a
list
of
places
you

should
go
when
times
are
looking
grim,
but
that
does
little
to
underscore
the
dangers
that
await
you
in
certain
parts
of
the
country
should
society
collapse.

Instead,
I
believe
the
reductive
method
is
more
informative
in
this
regard.
By
looking
at
where
you
don’t
want
to
be
when
society
collapses
it
is
far
easier
to
make
an
informed
decision
about
where
you
live
currently.

Note
that
due
to
the
sheer
amount
of
variability
attendant
in
all
the
potential
survival
scenarios
that
could
occur
during
an

SHTF
situation,
I
cannot
say
with
100%
certainty
that
if
you
live
in
or
near
any
of
the
following
types
of
areas
you’ll
be
doomed
should
the
worst
occur.

In
fact,
the
opposite
might
be
true,
you
could

conceivably
be
just
fine
in
spite
of
everything
that
happens,
and
maybe
even
your
area
will
remain
safe
and
comparatively
prosperous.

That
might
happen.
But
the
long
rosters
of
history
have
informed
my
opinion,
and
they
should
inform
yours.
Certain
areas
just
do
poorly
in
times
of
calamitous
trouble.
It
virtually
never
fails.

Political
Capitals,
or
other
Government
HQ’s

The
government
might
be
in
disarray,
fracturing
or
completely
dissolved
when
society
truly
begins
to
collapse,
but
that
does
not
mean
that
they
will
be
powerless
to
protect
their
own
installations,
locations
of
authority,
and
capitals.

Under
the
circumstances,
they’ll
probably
be
beating,
shooting
and
imprisoning
people
left
and
right
for
fear
of
losing
their
shabby
rule
over
all
of
us
peasants,
so
it
is
definitely
in
your
best
interest
to
stay
well
clear
of
such
places.

Additionally,
there
will
be
a
large
swath
of
humanity
that
will
instinctively
head
towards
these
locations
from
which
governance
flows
In
order
to
receive
assistance,
supplies
and
whatever
other
aid
they
might.

This
means
if
you
linger
in
such
an
area
you’ll
be
subjected
to
a
ceaseless
tide
of
unknown
contacts
that
could
be
dangerous
in
and
of
themselves,
and
might
prove
to
be
a
secondary
danger
because
you
could
get
swept
up
in
a
government
crackdown
right
alongside
them.

Don’t
delay
in
getting
away
from
such
places
at
the
first
opportunity.

Towns
Between
Two
Major
Cities

People
will
still
move
around
in
the
aftermath
of
a
proper
societal
collapse.
Criminal
elements
will
seek
out
new
hunting
grounds,
or
establish
new
corridors
to
conduct
business
while
other
survivors
and
refugees
could
relocate
in
order
to
improve
their
own
chances.

To
do
this,
it
is
highly
likely
that
people
will
use
the
same,
predictable
routes
that
they
always
have
when
going
from
place
to
place.

Trails,
roads,
highways
and
interstates,
assuming
they
remain
possible
at
all,
will
usually
prove
to
be
the
most
direct,
simplest
and
accordingly
the
most
appealing
route,
especially

when
going
from
one
major
settlement
to
another.

If
you
happen
to
live
anywhere
along
these
routes
in-between
two
major
cities,
you
will
see
a
disproportionate
amount
of
traffic
stopping
over
to
see
what
is
available
for
the
taking
or
just
to
set
up
shop
in
your
area.

Once
again,
this
will
mean
a
never-ending
stream
of
unknown
contacts
and
constantly
increasing
pressure
on
what
resources
are
available
to
you
and
yours.

This
is
a
common
mistake
when
people
flee
from
a
major
urban
area
only
to
settle
in
a
so-called
bedroom
community
30
to
45
minutes
away.

Other
people
will
do
the
same
thing,
and
that
means
you
should
relocate
to
a
place
that
is
legitimately
out
of
the
way
from
an
urban
area
and
not
directly
along
a
route

Major
Metropolitan
Areas

The
largest
cities
and
the
surrounding
burbs
that
make
up
major
metropolitan
areas
are
the
most
densely
populated
in
the
country.
In
times
of
great
strife,
more
people
means
more
problems,
almost
invariably.

The
obvious
issues
of
resource
consumption,
traffic
and
competition
for
limited
access
to
relief
aid,
law
enforcement
and
professional
medical
intervention
means
that
your
chances
of
obtaining
any
of
them
when
you
need
them
get
geometrically
smaller.

And
then
there’s
the
more
harrowing
possibility
bordering
on
a
certainty
of
increased
violence.
Desperate,
scared,
hurting
people
act
irrationally
and
often
violently.

Also,
not
for
nothing,
the
criminal
element
is
disproportionately
present
with
greater
numbers,
organization
and
usually
ferocity
in
urban
areas
than
elsewhere,
at
least
throughout
America.
Both
of
these
factors
combined
will
pose
a
significant
threat
to
life
and
limb.

Although
you
generally
don’t
want
to
be
out
in
the
middle
of
nowhere
during
the
collapse
of
society
it
is
in
your
best
interest
to
get
well
clear
of
these
largest
and
most
heavily
built
up
areas.

Smaller,
rural
communities
where
it
is
easier
to
know
people
and
be
known
are
far
more
likely
to
remain
habitable
and
comparatively
prosperous
under
the
same
circumstances.

Near
Strategic
Targets

It
rarely
fails
that
countries
undergoing
serious
civil
unrest
will
attract
opportunistic
military
action
from
enemies,
with
old
grudges
or
strategic
interests
being
struck
while
the
iron
is
hot,
or
in
response
to
the
misguided
adventurism
of
the
ailing
government
that
is
trying
to
distract
the
population
from
real
problems.

This
means
that,
in
the
gravest
extreme,
military
action
from
an
opposing
power
could
be
conducted
against
strategic
targets
in
our
country.

Though,
hopefully,
highly
unlikely
this
could
potentially
result
in
nuclear
strikes,
or
significant
conventional
bombing
strikes
against
strategic
targets.

In
open,
No-holds-barred
warfare
this
will
be
large
population
centers
themselves
but
also
things
like
industrial,
transportation,
commercial
and
financial
hubs.

Military
bases
and
installations
will
as
always
be
prime
targets
as
well.
It
goes
without
saying
that
you
don’t
want
to
be
near
any
of
them
when
the
balloon
goes
up
and
hostilities
commence.

Even
if
open
war
is
not
declared,
the
government
will
likely
have
a
reasonable
suspicion
that
such
targets
must
be
protected
from
threats
both
foreign
and
domestic
and
will
move
to
secure
them
accordingly
with
their
own
military
forces.

This
will
never
be
a
good
thing
for
you
if
you
are
forced
to
live
and
survive
near
such
places.
Get
away
from
them
while
you
still
can!

Areas
Which
Produce
Little
or
No
Food

Let’s
face
it:
much
of
America
only
has
a
reliable
amount
of
food
to
eat
because
of
trade,
and
specifically
trade
that
is
facilitated
by
the
incredibly
intricate
and
incredibly
fragile
gears
of
modern
commerce.

When
one
or
two
sprockets
come
off,
the
deliveries
stop
arriving
and
that
means
the
food
stops
coming.
If
you
live
in
such
a
place,
you’ll
only
be
a
few
days
or
weeks
away
from
bedlam.

It
pays
to
live
in
a
place
where
food
actually
comes
from.
The
raising
of
livestock,
the
growing
of
crops,
even
places
with
abundant
wild
sources
of
food
are
all
worth
considering.

Whatever
you
do,
make
sure
you
don’t
consider
it
in
a
vacuum:
some
folks
make
the
mistake
of
thinking
that
they
will
be
the
only
person
who
knows
where
to
find
unconventional
or
hidden
food
sources
in
a
given
place
and
justify
remaining
there
because
of
this
so-called
secret
knowledge.
Trust
me,
you
won’t
be.

As
competition
for
food
and
other
resources
heats
up,
clashes
and
violence
will
become
more
and
more
frequent.
You
or
someone
you
love
could
very
well
be
killed
for
a
case
of
water
or
a
couple
of
cans
of
vegetables
if
things
get
bad
enough.

Areas
with
Little
or
No
Fresh
Water

Just
like
food,
fresh,
drinkable
water
will
be
an
incredibly
precious
commodity
during
a
societal
collapse.

Sure,
maybe
all
of
the
interconnected
systems
and
personnel
that
keep
public
water
supplies
flowing
and
safe
will
keep
on
working
and
manning
their
posts,
but
then
again
maybe
they
won’t.

As
with
everything
else,
it
will
be
up
to
you
to
both
source
and
provide
that
water
for
yourself
and
the
people
you
care
about.

Instead
of
trying
to
squeeze
fresh
water
from
a
stone,
you
can
make
things
a
whole
lot
easier
by
living
in
an
area
with
easy
access
to
plentiful,
natural
freshwater
sources.

Lakes,
rivers
and
streams
are
all
reliable
standbys,
as
are
areas
that
get
copious
rainfall.

This
is
not
to
say
that
you
won’t
have
to
treat
this
water
to
make
it
safe
for
human
consumption,
especially
over
the
long
term,
but
you’ve
got
to
have
the
water
before
you
even
have
to
worry
about
treatment.

Deserts,
obviously,
are
the
hands
down
worst
area
when
it
comes
to
water
sustainability,
but
you
should
also
be
wary
of
more
temperate
areas
that
don’t
have
many
large
freshwater
sources
nearby.

Places
with
Extreme
Climates

Like
many
other
public
utilities,
the
resources
that
we
rely
on
to
make
habitation
and
modern
homes
possible
despite
outside
weather
conditions,
namely
electricity
and
natural
gas
or
propane,
are
going
to
become
more
and
more
scarce
during
a
societal
collapse
if
they
remain
available
at
all.

Both
are
industrially
complicated
to
produce
and
deliver,
and
you
cannot
count
on
access
to
either.

Exposure
to
the
elements,
heat
and
cold
alike
although
cold
is
the
major
killer,
will
greatly
amplify
all
of
the
attendant
survival
challenges
post
collapse.
Although
human
life
is
far
from
impossible
in
these
places,
it
will
be
far
more
difficult
and
more
grueling.

Even
if
you
rely
on
a
more
primitive
form
of
heating,
such
as
a
wood
burning
stove
or
fireplace,
this
will
dramatically
increase
your
dependence
on
keeping
your
logistical
chain
in
good
shape
to
maintain
your
fuel
supply.

Living
in
a
mild
or
temperate
climate
region
will
not
completely
eliminate
challenges
posed
by
extreme
weather
conditions,
but
it
will
ease
them
significantly.
Also,
think
long
and
hard
before
you
decide
to
stay
in
a
place
that
is
prone
to
any
type
of
major
natural
disaster.

Coastal
areas
are
always
appealing,
but
a
hurricane
on
top
of
a
societal
collapse
will
be
a
veritable
death
knell.
The
same
can
be
said
for
tornado-
and
blizzard-prone
areas.
You
might
yet
decide
to
make
a
go
of
it
in
these
places,
but
you
better
think
carefully
about
the
trade-offs.

Politically
Contested
Areas

Let’s
get
real,
folks:
The
cultural
divide
between
Americans
is
turning
into
a
chasm,
and
getting
wider
and
arguably
unbridgeable
every
single
day.

People
are
already
all
over
each-other
over
political
differences
that
just
two
or
three
decades
ago
wouldn’t
even
have
been
worth
bringing
up
at
the
Thanksgiving
dinner
table.

Arguably,
our
country
needs
a
divorce,
but
chances
are
it
is
not
going
to
happen
in
a
peaceful
and
amicable
way,
and
old
grudges
won’t
just
disappear
in
the
aftermath
of
a
society
toppling
event.

In
fact,
such
a
division
is
likely
to
erupt
into
full-blown
internecine
conflict
for
the
duration.
Now,
wherever
you
have
people
you
have
trouble,
but
this
trouble
will
emerge
the
quickest
and
turn
the
nastiest
wherever
you
have
simmering
political
conflict
to
begin
with.

It
follows
then
that
you
want
to
get
as
far
away
from
these
places
as
you
can
when
you
can.
Live
in
a
place
that
is
as
culturally
and
politically
homogeneous
as
possible,
and
you’ll
stand
a
better
chance
of
getting
through
the
proceedings
peacefully.

Now,
this
is
something
you’ll
need
to
invest
in
early,
as
carpetbaggers
who
arrive
in
town
only
when
things
have
gotten
too
bad
elsewhere
are
usually
viewed
with
suspicion
or
outright
derision
in
such
places.

Get
there
now,
settle
down,
assimilate
to
the
local
culture
and
traditions,
and
start
making
friends.

Conclusion

When
modern
society
collapses
it
will
unleash
shockwaves
of
suffering
across
the
land.
Certain
areas
will
be
uniquely
prone
to
falling
apart
under
the
stresses,
like
an
epicenter
in
an
earthquake.

You
will
give
yourself
and
the
people
you
love
the
best
chance
for
success
by
steering
well
clear
of
and
living
elsewhere
from
these
places.