What will be the most pressing issue for people after the end of the world as we know it (TEOTWAWKI)? The search for food to ease the hunger pangs in your stomach? Finding shelter for warmth and dryness during a bitterly cold night? The relentless pursuit of clean, potable water to rehydrate yourself?
For people living in densely populated areas of the country, such as the suburbs of Chicago, Dallas, Seattle, or most any of the cities in the NorthEastern U.S., the most immediate threat to their very existence will not come from lack of supplies. It will not come from diseases or waterborne illnesses like dysentery or cholera . It won’t even come from starvation.
The most frightening threat will come from other people.
Societal Breakdown
TEOTWAWKI will find many people taking extreme measures that they never thought themselves capable just to stay alive or put food in the mouths of their crying children. Some of these will be typical people like our neighbors who, when thrust unprepared into this new reality, turn to violence to satisfy their needs.
Others maybe criminals currently teetering on the edge of civility. They are opportunists who see societal breakdown as a chance to live without fear of retribution from the criminal justice system. With nothing to keep them in check, they’ll roam the countryside, taking what they wish while leaving a wide path of destruction in their wake.
Still others may be mentally ill. People who, until TEOTWAWKI, were successfully treating their illnesses with medication and therapy. The sudden lack of medicine combined with the harsh new world in which they find themselves may cause them to snap and behave irrationally violent.
The Zombie Apocalypse
In what is often referred to as the Zombie Apocalypse, violence and “survival of the fittest” will be taken to a new extreme. People will roam the nation’s cities, either alone or in gangs, committing acts of violence on a scale that is hard to comprehend.
The government will be quickly overwhelmed and powerless to protect its people. It will be soon be up to each individual, each family, each community to defend its own.
The term Zombies, Mutant Zombie Bikers, or the Living Dead, is frequently used to collectively refer to this group of people. They are, in essence, walking around already dead but just not aware of it yet. They have no hope. To them, it’s either take what they want and live an abundant if not horrific life, or die trying.
An Ounce Of Prevention
Armed with the knowledge that the most likely threat cannot be mitigated with more supplies or by better hunting and gathering, it’s not too late to prepare.
- Boost your own supplies. Make sure that you are preparing for an uncertain future by buying additional food, medicine, clothing, and hunting and fishing supplies. Don’t just concentrate on stockpiling supplies though; make sure you have a way to continually replenish those supplies. For example, don’t just buy bottled water; invest in ways to purify water.
- Recognize the threat. Knowing that a threat from a group of violent “zombies” exists in a post-TEOTWAWKI world helps to reduce the element of surprise and gives you a chance to prepare. Consider now what your options will be and take steps to get ready.
- Identify friends and like-minded people. Although the notion of getting back to nature and making a go of it alone sounds appealing, your chances of successfully defending your loved ones are greatly increased when you have a community of like-minded people with which to cooperate. Subtly seek out those people now.
- Learn to use a weapon. Whether hunting or defending yourself, familiarity with your weapon is crucial. In the excitement of the moment is no time to figure out how a weapon works. At best, you miss your shot. At worse, you injury yourself.
The Zombie Apocalypse is an ugly and unpleasant idea to ponder. But that doesn’t make it any less real or dramatic. In fact, just the opposite is true. Because the possibly is so alarming, we must think about it and do what we can to prevent being a victim if it does happen.
PreppingToSurvive.com 
April 30, 2011 at 7:02 am
After all of the tornado destruction of whole communitites in Alabama this past Wednesday, it is so sad but true when you read of stories where looters go into the destroyed areas to steal items. I read in one area (thankfully not my community which lost 4 people) where one of the things the looters were looking for was drug prescriptions (written) and medicine bottles where they could fill the prescriptions and sell the drugs.
Thankfully, I only lost power for 2 days so things I have learned to prepare ahead came in extremely handy. With the generator, I was able to keep the food in the refrigerators and freezer from ruining. I was thankful I had water. Those on well water were without due to the power outages. I used my solar powered lantern at night and had a battery operated radio. It wasn’t necessary to use the kerosene lanterns though they were available. One thing I HAD neglected to do (and it won’t happen again) was after the power went off and I was listening to the radio for warning info, I kept waiting for my weather radio to announce that my county was under a tornado warning (which was headed directly for my neighborhood. When I checked, my batteries were beginning to corrode. I was able to clean them and replace the batteries. Had a couple of more warning during the night after the tornado struck about 4 miles from my house. We are reminded to change our batteries in our smoke detectors – at that time it would be a good idea to change them in your weather radio. I’m emailing this to the local weather crews to they can remind folks.
Thanks for all of the wonderful suggestions to prepare for our future. Very practical info.
May 2, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Yes, unfortunately after a disaster like the tornados in Alabama, looters realize that much of emergency personnel is occupied with search and rescue operations rather than policing the area so they take advantage of the situation. This, of course, makes it an even worse loss for the victims of the disaster. It also makes it much more difficult for the officials working to help the victims.
This “take what I can because there’s no one around to stop me” mentality was really highlighted in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. It didn’t take long before the whole area descended into complete lawlessness.
This speaks volumes to the depravity of the human condition and just how perilously close our society is to the edge.
October 3, 2014 at 4:04 pm
The “Golden Horde” will become the “Golden Herd” and “Long Pig” will be “On The Menu”, as people resort to CANNIBALISM to survive, rather than pursuing Wild Game. It would be “Easier” and “Eliminates Competition” at the same time . . . Cold, hard, simple fact, when it comes down to living or dying !!!
March 24, 2015 at 12:36 am
A motivating discussion is definitely worth comment. I
do believe that you should write more on this subject, it may not be a taboo matter but generally people
do not talk about these topics. To the next! Cheers!!