The Only Disaster You Need to Prepare For

 by Nicholas Oetken

If there is only one disaster that you believe you prepare yourself and your family for, what should it be?

Economic collapse? Supply chain shortages? Natural disaster? A power grid failure from an EMP attack or solar flare? Another pandemic?

I believe there is one disaster, however, that you should prepare yourself for above all else for one very simple reason: it will be a natural consequence of each of the above kinds of disasters and others.

This disaster is civil unrest.

What Would Happen During Civil Unrest?

Civil unrest is a common occurrence around the world, to some degrees. In the United States, the last example of large-scale unrest we saw was in 2020 due to the politically-inspired riots that happened across many major American cities. These riots resulted in widespread property and forced law enforcement to intervene on a large scale.

In the event of a major disaster, such as a complete power grid failure or economic collapse, it’s very possible that riots could explode across the country (or the world) again on an even larger and more destructive scale, and that law enforcement would be unable to contain it on their own.

This is for one very simple reason: desperate people do desperate things. If the power grid went off, for instance, it would result in people being unable to access their financial accounts, to contact their loved ones via cell service or the interne. If you want to make sure that, in the event of a blackout or grid failure you will still be able to keep in touch with you family, learn here the only way to communicate off grid in a crisis.

And that would just be the start.

Civil unrest resulting from a other major catastrophe would be likely to unfold in the following way:

Escalation to Violence

In some cases, even peaceful protests can escalate into violence due to factors such as police crackdowns, agitators inciting unrest, or clashes between different groups with opposing views.

This escalation can result in vandalism, looting, property damage, and physical altercations between people. We already saw this in many of the riots that occurred in the United States in 2020.

Law Enforcement Response

Law enforcement agencies will respond to civil unrest by deploying riot police, using crowd control tactics such as tear gas or rubber bullets, and making arrests to restore order and protect public safety. However, heavy-handed tactics can sometimes exacerbate tensions and escalate the situation further.

Declaration of Emergency

In the event law enforcement is unable to contain the unrest quickly, the local, state, or Federal government would likely declare a state of emergency.

In severe cases of civil unrest, the authorities could also go a step further and impose curfews to maintain law and order.

This can involve deploying military forces or National Guard troops to assist law enforcement in restoring order and protecting critical infrastructure.

This would then lead into…

Martial Law

Martial law refers to a state when the rule of law is suspended and the military takes control over an area or jurisdiction.

Most martial law scenarios would result in the military cutting off all routes leading out of the area in an effort to contain the population, followed by a crackdown on protestors and rioters, arrests without warrants, taking over local establishments, and instituting rationing for food, water, and other supplies.

⇒ The First States That Will Go Down During Martial Law. Do You Live in the Red Zone?

Disruption of Services

Civil unrest can disrupt essential services such as transportation, communication, and utilities, leading to disruptions in daily life for residents.

This can include road blockades, internet shutdowns, power outages, and shortages of essential goods and services.

In the event of a power grid collapse, many of these service disruptions would already be happening.

Economic and Social Division

An extended period of civil unrest on a national or worldwide scale would result in long lasting economic and social divisions between people.

Civil unrest by itself can have significant economic consequences, including damage to businesses, loss of revenue, and investor uncertainty.

It can also deepen existing social divisions and polarize communities, leading to increased tensions between different demographic groups. This would strain social cohesion and trust in institutions, making it challenging to address underlying issues and find peaceful resolutions.

⇒ The Only Thing You Should Do When the Biggest Civil Unrest of Our Time Hits Your Town

So, how can you prepare for this scenario? We’ll discuss this next.

How to Prepare for Civil Unrest

The best way to prepare for civil unrest is the same as you would prepare for any other disaster: stockpile lots of food, water, and other supplies, have replenishable food and water sources on hand, and beef up the defenses for your home with acrylic glass windows and metal doors with heavy duty locks and hinges at the bare minimum.

But there’s one more thing you’ll want to do above all else to help yourself stay safe in such a scenario: fly under the radar.

When urban centers descend into chaos during civil unrest, seeking refuge in the wilderness could be the only option. But surviving in the wild isn’t just about basic skills—it’s about knowing how to live off the land long-term.

That’s why I rely on this guide. This isn’t your typical survival manual; it’s a practical tool that teaches you the  forgotten wisdom of our ancestors who didn’t just survive in the wild – they thrived there. So, when you need to head for the hills, make sure this handbook is in your backpack; it could be your lifeline in uncertain times.

Don’t be one of the many thousands of people who will be frantically going to the grocery stores to get supplies, don’t get involved in the demonstrations and protests, don’t provoke anybody into a fight, and do not tell anyone (except those who you absolutely trust) that you are a prepper and have a stockpile of provisions.

That’s because after all of the stores have been looted, raiders and marauders will turn to the next big targets to get the supplies they need: homes. Burglaries are already unfortunately too common of an occurrence, and they will become even more so during a widespread societal unrest that law enforcement cannot contain.

Make your home more defensible, don’t tell anyone about your provisions, and do not get involved in the unrest itself. Collectively, this is the number one thing you can do to prepare yourself for any kind of widespread civil unrest, and this principle holds true regardless of whether you live in the city or in the countryside.