(Researchers say major
cities will be overrun during a major crisis like a virus outbreak)
Should the world as we know it ever fall apart as a
result of an economic collapse, a massive natural disaster, cyber attack or widespread pandemic there will be millions of people looking for food, clean water
and other essential resources.
The cities will be plagued with violence and supply
shortages. Government officials will, as Homeland Security has previously
admitted, not be able to provide any meaningful support. The masses will be
left to fend for themselves.
But just because the whole system around us falls apart
doesn’t mean there won’t be any safe havens.
According to researchers at Cornell University who
recently published a study analyzing the spread of a deadly virus and how it would affect
the population, if you want to improve your chances of survival you should
head for the hills.
But the researchers warn that even this may not be
enough, noting that we are likely “doomed” either way.
Researchers from Cornell University have now discovered
that the correct thing to do should the dead start to walk the earth is to
literally head for the hills.
…
They found that cities would fall quickly, but it would
take weeks for zombies to penetrate into less densely populated areas, and
months to reach northern parts of the mountain-time zone.
Their advice is to head for the Rockies.
The research involved results from simulations the researchers
wrote themselves, similar to modelling chemical reactions.
…
The Cornell team are less optimistic about our prospects.
The abstract for their research ends with the line: ‘We
build up to a full scale simulation of an outbreak in the United States, and
discover that for “realistic” parameters, we are largely doomed.’
Daily Mail
…
After a zombie outbreak, you might want to run for the
Rocky Mountains, at least according to researchers at Cornell University.
The research team used statistical mechanics to figure
out that this is the safest place to live during a zombie apocalypse.
However, the research wasn’t completely fictional. The
models they used could also be applied to real-world disease outbreaks.
Tech Times
The study specifically models a viral outbreak, in this
case, a zombie viral outbreak. But realistically speaking the statistical
mechanics analysis suggest what many in the preparedness community
already know: cities will be death zones and your best chance at survival
will be sparsely populated areas.
James Rawles, founder of Survival
Blog, has discussed the concept of the Golden Horde extensively in his
writings. The Horde is best described as the masses of people who will be
migrating from mega cities in search of food and other resources in the
aftermath of a major collapse that results in supply breakdowns. And though a
zombie virus may be fictional, the golden horde and a zombie horde would
behave in much the same way, razing everything in their path.
As hordes spread out from major cities there will be a
widespread die-off for a variety of reasons, namely the lack of sustenance.
And, given that there will likely be no functioning gas pumps because of a
lack of electricity there is a strong possibility that most people will never
make it out of about a 300 mile radius of a major city simply because they
will only be able to go as far as a single tank of gas will take them.
This means that those living in rural areas, especially
mountainous rural areas, will have the best chance at surviving a zombie or
any apocalypse. We recently published a map of the areas you want to avoid during an emergency. The map is based on population density,
something that survival expert Joel
Skousen says is the single biggest threat you’ll
face in a collapse scenario:
The number one threat that I concentrate on. It’s not
terrorism, it’s not natural disaster, it’s not even government or war.
The major threat is population density.
Because every crisis that threatens, even a local crisis,
can turn exponential because of close proximity to people who cannot help
themselves. Even good people panic in a crisis…
But the gut wrenching reality is that if something goes down and you find yourself in the middle
of a major city and you have failed to plan ahead you’re going to have a serious problem.
Todd Savage of Strategic
Relocation explains:
If we took a survey, probably more than 95% are not fully
prepared. This is not good. Is it the end of the world if your family doesn’t
own a retreat? Of course not, the reality is that most Preppers can’t afford
a separate fully operational retreat, and that’s ok.
However, not having a pre-arranged destination of
some kind, with pre-positioned supplies is absolutely not acceptable.
This could be located at a fiends or relatives home in the country, or a
group purchase of a retreat, even a small parcel with a stream and cached
supplies is better than nothing.
Excerpt via: The Gut Wrenching Reality: One of the Best
Bug-Out Strategy Guides You’ll Ever Read
Once a breakdown starts it will be unstoppable and it will completely overwhelm a city within just a few days, according to The Prepper’s
Blueprint author Tess Pennington.
That means your best chance at surviving will be for you
to have a preparedness plan in place before it happens.
- Have a secondary location
outside of major cities. Whether you
buy, rent or share a piece of land or a cabin out in the middle of
nowhere, one of your first priorities should be a strategic relocation plan that
puts you out of reach of densely populated areas. Consider the gas tank
rule: Because most will people will not be able to tank up their
vehicles, the farthest they can go will be about 300 miles. If you are
this far outside of a major city you’ve just upped your chances. The
other option, if you have no choice but to retreat to a location within
the 300 mile radius, would be to find a location that is difficult for
someone to reach by foot. A mountain range or wilderness might be your
best bet.
- Food and Water. This is a no brainer of course, but keep in mind that you
need to consider caloric intake and duration when planning
your reserves. This can be done affordably
with 11 foods that last a lifetime and the 25 survival foods to put in your pantry. Your emergency supplies should also include portable, high
calorie foods like Meals-Ready-To-Eat and survival bars just in case
you need to evacuate your secondary location.
- Guns and Self Defense. If the hordes are coming they won’t be asking for help
nicely. You should prepare perimeter defense strategies like those
recommended by special forces veteran Max Velocity in his book A
Tactical Manual For Post Collapse Survival. This includes having the right armaments on hand to quell any threats that may present themselves.
- Medicine, Communications,
Hardware Tools, Sustainability. All of
these will be critical to survival and are often overlooked by those who
stock preparedness supplies. For some ideas on how to position yourself
properly consider reviewing the free online web series 52 Weeks to Preparedness.
The idea of a zombie apocalypse is far-fetched and in the
minds of many marginalizes the real threats posed to our civilization. Any
number of events could lead to an apocalypse-level crisis that leaves millions dead. Even our government has warned about the possibility of
long-term disasters. And the fact is that FEMA and the Department of Homeland
Security have spent billions of dollars on the aforementioned supplies in anticipation of such an event.
But all of those supplies they are stockpiling will
likely never find their way to the general public, as they are reserved for
government officials and their families who will be transported to secure
underground facilities in the mountains.
You on the other hand, will be left on your own.
That means whatever preparedness plan you make today will
be all that’s available to you should the zombies start roaming the
land.
Related Reading:
Prepare
for Any Disaster
When Real Disaster Strikes: These Are The
People Who Will Loot, Pillage and Kill You For Your Food
Strategic Relocation Briefings By Joel Skousen and Todd Savage
Map: Where You Don’t Want To Be When It Hits
The Fan
How horrific will it be for those who
fail to prepare?
