Have you ever wondered where everyone (or at least most people) will flee to when a major SHTF disaster strikes that forces people to evacuate?
To be clear, not every kind of an SHTF situation is going to force people to bug out and run. There will be some disasters that may seem “manageable,” such as if there’s a temporary power outage, and others where the authorities may stop people from leaving the area, such as if martial law is declared.
But there will be other kinds of SHTF disasters that will be severe enough that they will displace most people living in your area and force everybody to go on the run.
Here’s the big question: if such an SHTF disaster strikes over your area, where will everybody go?
What Will Cause People to Evacuate?
Before we answer the above question, we first need to ask what will cause people to evacuate in the first place.
People will evacuate their homes and go on the run in an SHTF situation for one of two reasons: they will either be ordered to by the authorities, or they will determine for themselves that it’s too risky to the lives of themselves and their loved ones to stay where they are.
The decision to evacuate your home, fill up your car with supplies, and take to the streets in an attempt to get out of the danger zone is a decision that no one can take lightly.
So when people decide to evacuate from where they live, they’ll be dead serious about it.
Related: 12 Things You Need to Know Before Choosing Your Bug Out Location
The most likely incidents that would cause everyone in your hometown to flee are:
- People are ordered to evacuate by the local authorities
- A major natural disaster, such as a hurricane, essentially forces people to evacuate
- There’s risk of an incoming nuclear attack or enemy invasion
- Major political unrest leads to mass rioting and looting and even makes neighborhoods unsafe to stay in
- An EMP attack or solar flare leads to a complete breakdown in society and likewise makes neighborhoods unsafe to stay in
- There’s a major environmental disaster or nuclear meltdown in the general vicinity
- A major epidemic strikes and the authorities are prepared to put the area on lockdown
Let’s say that one of the above scenarios happens and thousands upon thousands of people start to flee from the area in which you live.
Where are all of these people going to go?
Where Will People Run To During an SHTF Situation?
Ask yourself the above question and think about what you believe the most likely answer is. The nearest safe zone as designated by the authorities? The nearest water source? The next closest town or city that they believe will be safe? Refugee camps (if any are set up)?
Well, to answer this question we need to look at prior disasters and see where people moved when they were forced to abandon their homes.
The unfortunate reality is that large movements of population in the world are not exactly uncommon, and they happen all over the world in cases where natural disasters are common, such as the hurricanes that batter Florida repeatedly or the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti.
In each disaster that occurs that results in a large population movement, there is always one consistency in regards to where people move: to their friends, family, and other people they may know.
Related: How To Deal With Neighbors And Friends That Come Begging For Food At Your Door In A Crisis
In other words, people won’t gravitate towards a specific geographical location or not even necessarily to the nearest safe town. Instead, they’ll move towards where they can find support from close family and friends who they know.
When natural disasters strike and people are forced to abandon their homes, they are usually forced to leave very quickly without much packing and therefore are tragically forced to leave most of their possessions behind.
With nowhere else to go, it’s only natural for people to want to move towards the closest friends and family (in a safe area, grants) where they can receive physical, financial, and emotional support as well as a temporary place to live.
For example, during the major Port-au-Prince, Haiti earthquake that occurred in 2010, researchers tracked over a million phone numbers of people who were displaced in conjunction with Haitian-based mobile phone operators.
The findings showed that most calls and texts people made went to their family members who were living outside of the earthquake zone, and that most people The researchers were able to track where people went based on their locations when making calls.
It was also a consistent finding that when people moved from their homes to a new location following a disaster, they stayed in that location until the disaster had subsided and things started to become safer again.
In other words, people try not to move from one location to another location to another location and to another location. Instead, people try to move from the danger zone to another location where they can find solace and support with family or other people they have strong bonds with, and then they’ll stay there for as long as they can rather than move onto another location.
When an SHTF disaster strikes and people are displaced from their homes, people will move to the closest places where they have strong social bonds.
In the event of such a disaster where you see long lines of cars inching along the highways trying to get away, most of those people are going to be going to the nearest family members or close friends they have so long as said family and close friends are living in an area that’s deemed to be safe.
It’s always important to have a strong bug out plan and to have someone close you know who you can turn to in the event that you’re ever forced to evacuate from your home.
If you have any friends or close family members who share the same survivalist mentality as you do, you’ll want to start coordinating with them in regards to how you can all support one another in the event of a cataclysmic disaster.
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Folks in Florida routinely evacuate here to Tennessee.
They say not so bad…. have hotel s** once and eat at Cracker Barrel five times…..we say they have the numbers reversed!
The freeway bypasses will become choke points for the gatekeepers, government agency troops, law enforcement, bands of thugs. Until the freeways become a massive parking lot. Homeless will pillage and sleep in the vehicles until the cold weather freezes them out.
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Can we save ourselves and the nation by pushing back the globalist Deep State that is being driven by China’s CCP?
Solution:
A great case for America to file for bankruptcy and put the USD American dollar back on the GOLD Standard and get rid of the useless Federal Reserve banking system run by foreign bankers, Amen!
Prayer given by Jesus in the Essene Gospel of Peace. “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
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Why did Dilbert get canceled?
Scott Adams: https://dilbert.com/faq
“If you believe the news, it was because I am a big ol’ racist.”
Context: No news about public figures is ever true and in context. Never.
“If you look into the context, the point that got me canceled is that CRT, DEI and ESG all have in common the framing that White Americans are historically the oppressors and Black Americans have been oppressed, and it continues to this day. I recommended staying away from any group of Americans that identifies your group as the bad guys, because that puts a target on your back.
I was speaking hyperbolically, of course, because we Americans don’t have an option of staying away from each other. But it did get a lot of attention, as I hoped. (More than I planned, actually.)”
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In 2020, we saw an influx of people come to my area. They didn’t stay with family and friends. They were afraid of covid, and they hopped in their cars to get to a more rural place.
We have a lot of summertime visitors and srasonal snowbirds. The people who were arriving weren’t the seasonal snowbirds.
Businesses here are accustomed to the uptick in summer and plan accordingly. Some shit for most of winter, others have reduced hours. All order less supplies because there is less demand with lower population.
Rather long-winded, but necessary to understand. The fleeing folk came in the off-season, and many packed nothing, fully expecting to get what they needed at the store.
Surprise! Some of the places were closed for winter. Or had reduced hours. Or reduced stock.
I was behind such a family in a checkout line. They complained about it loudly. They were coughing and snottering all over the place.
When it was my turn to check out, the cashier told me she’d had many people like those oit-of-staters. We weren’t happy they were bringing cooties with them, and then panic buying when they got here because they were too much in a hurry to leave to pack any necessities.
My lessons learned from that situation were to make sure if I had to leave in a hurry to provision as I was able before leaving. And to know enough about my landing spot to bring what I need.
People in general: “WE DON’T HAVE TIME TO PLAN.” (Spoken in the volume, manner and style of Jack Nicholson in “A Few Good Men”)
I have packed bags for such situations. Food bag with some way to prepare what’s there. Plenty for a few days for two people. Same with a medical bag. One each backpack with clothing and a single blanket per person. Then a general camping bag with simple trapping and fishing supplies, and seasonings and staples for cooking. I’ve added a crawdad trap clipped onto the pack. The pack has room to add a regional foraging book. I have desert, high country or low country books. I may see if all three can be worked in. If we can hook up to our micro mini camping trailer that sleeps three we could conceivably take a few egg laying hens, 2 rabbits, extra fuel, k9 pets, and crate/cages and extras to feed the critters we take. We have the trailer, two pickups, and two cars. Trucks seem the most likely but if need instead we could take the larger car. Great mileage and room for stuff and sleeping inside. Both trucks have second seats- extended cab, and a crew cab. Plenty of room to fill the backend plus the second seat area and the trailer. It depends on the circumstance and possible length of stay. We’re an hours drive from growing zone 7 weather. We live in a 5 or 6 zone high mountain desert area. Also we have a second home available just 25 miles away. If we felt compelled to head to the mountain above us it is over 11,000 ft elevation and has a deep snow cap already. Heat and food would be a prime consideration. It isn’t exactly foraging weather up there and wet or green wood doesn’t burn easily. Actually the second home would be the easiest. A bed, heater, some dry wood, food, clothing, and tools would make it the easiest destination.
We have two way and ham radios here and in two vehicles.
Still bugging in with lightproof drapes, solar power, and a well sure would be easier.
A trusted son and family 25 miles away and a single trusted friend that could go with us make for more options.
Most likely bugout from here would be caused by wild fire or government ordered. If there’s a FEMA camp involved I’m heading the other way or parking vehicles in connexes and hunkering down.
Everyone should pick up a copy of DeLorme’s Atlas and Gazetteer for their state and for wherever they plan to bug out to. This line of backcountry maps shows back roads, rec.sites, and GPS grids. Very detailed and updated. For example , my state is divided into 95 sections, a page for each, that match up to bordering states, same scale. Showing wetlands, streams, rivers, towns and cities. As well as highways, paved roads, gravel and dirt roads. Paper maps works when GPS won’t. Great for hunting too.
Yep totally agree with you, ive got map books for our state which are divided in 5 sections of the state, each are the size of A4 spiral bound showing the same as yours they are hardy and durable and a lot more reliable than gps in my opinion, the big plus is that it keeps the mind sharp as you have to remember stuff on them, I recon gps dumbs you down
This is a great resource, but I can only find these published in 2019. Do you have an updated version? If so, where did you get it?
Thank you in advance.
Nico
Bug out? It would have to be REALLY serious for us to leave everything we have. No way! We’re going to stay right here and stand our ground with our neighbors. We just recently moved from Florida to an undisclosed location in North Carolina. Small town, friendly people, tight knit. Away from big cities, but yet we have everything we need in our less than 2000 population here. We love the slower pace and nice people.
Okay, leave your home, get on the interstate and either run out of gas or be directed by the national guard to wherever FEMA wants you to camp as you slowly run out of food/water & hope. Better to defend the ground you know than trying to get to Cousin Willy’s farm. Follow your own gut and not an unknown writer or a phantom AI voice on a video. No one cares more about your survival than you do, and a disaster is no reason to lose your common sense. There is no safety on the open road when the highway becomes blocked or barricaded by the authorities who forced you out of your home and into the open. I could not disagree with this writer more. If you are told, ordered, to evacuate, go inside, lock your door and force others to sacrifice their lives trying to get you away from your home where you will be outnumbered. If you are not aware of all that happened with Katrina and New Orleans and the rogue police who stole the firearms of citizens and turned into looters within hours, you have some research to do. Just because someone knocks on your door does not mean you have to either open the door or talk to the voices on the other side. But you do have the right to protect your life and property when someone tries to force your door. Besides, when society collapses who is going to be the arbiter of right and wrong, looters and thieves, and weekend warriors. If you think I sound antisocial then wait until all of society, except for those neighbors you can trust, go antisocial with deadly seriousness.
Amen, Ken! I cannot take enough supplies for my wife, and our fur babies to survive more than a couple of days. It would take an 18 wheeler loaded way over gross for me to “bug out.” I plan on hunkering down, right here at home! If everybody else evacuated, then I would know anybody who comes knocking ain’t friendly!
I live in north Idaho. There is nowhere to go. Everyone says they are heading for the hills if it all goes bad. I wonder how long it will take for every deer, elk, bear, moose, and rabbit to be killed and eaten? The fish will all be caught and then the fighting in the cities will have come to the mountains, where the report of a rifle will bring looters to kill the hunter and steal his game. My plan is to bug in unless a natural disaster or a nuke dictate otherwise. My neighborhood is not tight knit but I trust the ones I know, even if we are not close friends. I think we have a chance to seal off the entrances/exits to the neighborhood, post guards and hunker down.
Well, there’s always Walmart…..
So is this good or bad?
Hosea, very obviously, this article was written by a very unintelligent AI, or somebody that knows nothing about survival. Katrina hit in August of 2005, but to see the madness of evacuation look at a month later. Sep. 2005, Rita is heading toward Houston and millions flee! I have family living at Lake Jackson who tried to come to our home in East Texas. Normally, with heavy traffic, about a 4 hour drive. It took them 22 hours! My wife was Director of Nursing at a nursing home and the company had a sister home down close to Houston. They decided to evacuate top east Texas. It took several rented tour busses, 5 school busses, and 20 hours to get those poor old folks to east Texas. One poor lady died on the way. Her seat mate, another sweet lady, sat and cradled her through the nightmare trip. I know, because my son, and myself were there to help unload them.
Frankly, I saw nothing on that list which would cause me to leave my suburb home. Out in the open I am more of a target than in my home. EMP … I’ve got some protection, and help … hurricanes not a big deal in Arizona … ordered to leave? By what authority … if it isn’t a legally passed law … screw you! Overall, I am safer and better prepared for anything at home, including rioting and looting, and nuclear attack at home, than out on the open road. Running away is in the most part, except for some natural disasters, in my opinion, basically just stupid. If you have prepped at all, you can’t take all of your preps with you if you bug out …. My home is secure, I’ve got preps to last quite a while … I would prefer an underground shelter, but other than that … I’m good … Hell, ya can’t live forever ….
orion,
“legally passed laws” are NOT always “CONSTITUTIONAL!” If it ain’t in the Constitution, phuck it! I give no man authority over me! They can try, but they will fail, or I will die. One or the other.
True dat, sir. Any “law” that contradicts the Constitution of the united States of America is NULL AND VOID on its face, and by law, one has the right to completely ignore it. On the other hand, we now live under a communist tyranny, so the jew world odor jackboots with badges that show up at your door barking out orders will probably not waste any time or breath arguing law with you. I expect them to just murder resisters on the spot. That’s how Bolsheviki do things.
Me? I’m already bugged out. So I guess I’m headed for my coffee pot to get me a refill.
We lived in Fla. for 20 years outside Datona. All the hurricanes went around us. We watched people getting on I 95 only to become 1 big parking lot. That scared me more than any thing. Staying put as long as w can.
City folk will bugout to the country area. We that live in the country don’t want city folk squatting in our woods….
There will be a problem….