Most likely threats in the US.

[nammac]

Lately I'm thinking economic collapse, perhaps started by one of those computer viruses that's currently running rampant in other parts of the world...hmmm...healthcare shutdown? WTF?

Economic collapse caused by a regular old biological virus, overwhelmed healthcare, people staying home so as not to catch said virus etc. etc.

Economic collapse following a tragic natural disaster. flood...earthquake...fire...who knows?

Economic collapse caused by poor economic policy over 4 decades...

Take that ransom ware a step further...

Impacting the processing/delivery of water to our homes... Or natural gas... Or electricity...

Imagine the disruption that could be wreaked if basic utilities were to all cease at the same time? I think it's a real threat, considering what has just recently happened...

Best to be prepared to go it alone for at least several days...

 

[sheepdogs]

Be rational. Start with the most probable scenarios. Opinions will vary on this.

My list (in descending order of most probable):

• Personal event. Job loss, medical, other. This usually means having spare $$$.
• Severe weather event or fire
• Local or regional financial difficulties, and resulting impacts such as homelessness, crime, and more
• Earthquake
• National financial difficulties
• War or EMP in the continental US
• Something crazy such as a large asteroid.

I've actually ran statistics on several scenarios in order to rank them. My results were surprising (to me):

 

[11Charlie]

Now that it has been mentioned the Cascadia Quake was what my mom always talked(warned) about most. I mentioned before that my parents were in the "prepping" business when I was a kid... They had a small kitchen appliance(food processors, toasters, food savers etc.) store and branched out into other things like this as the opertunity presented itself. One of those things you get into so you can maybe make a few bucks, but mostly to accumulate what you want at wholesale prices. My mom was also a garage sale junkie and brought home anything she thought might be useful in grid down situation. I even did my HS senior project on Emergency Prepping.
Thanks a lot MOM .

Well my friend I would be thanking my Mom. I wish my parents were more into guns and prepping. There are a lot of parents that don't pass that sort of thing on to there kids.

You may never need them but better to have and not need then need and never even know one dang thing about it.

 

[MrMillspecer]

One of the most likely threats will be other people after a disaster. They will think you owe them your previsions. And everything else. I have nothing to offer but lead.

 

[41mag]

Its quite informative to observe what a few trees down in certain areas can do for affecting traffic flow. High winds/water change the normal daily activities considerably.

Being aware that the priority of others may not necessarily be to keep you fed or housed or comfortable is one of the basics of reality.

 

[DuneHopper]

Ive always wondered about sleeper cells infiltrating over time, power-plants , water etc then a simultaneous atack. From what I recall when my dad was in the field of public services most everything we get in this form, water ,power, gas are all weak in security. Oftens times the onlyt security is barbedwired fence and no security.
Or like it was at many fuel depots in California two security guards for a 500 acre fuel and chemilcal plant just two.

 

[Martini_Up]

3 days with empty shelves would put a hurt on civilization. It wouldn't be long before some would look to take from others. Then the real fun begins. Not to mention the heavy hand of .gov trying to control it which ironically adds to the mayhem.

How does it come to 3 days empty shelves? Many ways. And yes, swimmin with bowlegged women could be one of them.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Apathi.. appat.. probably not caring.

 

[Brutus57]

Don't pee on a flat rock, or into the wind, or on an electric fence, or while swimming in a river that has those fish that swim up your dip stick hole.

The family of one of my brother's girlfriends when I was growing up...well, let's just say they put the Appalachia into rural W. WA..... Their son, a couple years older than me at the time so likely about 14......pizzed on the lawnmower when it caught fire...Well, he got a shock through his jock that put him on the ground! We laughed like hell. They were worried he couldn' reproduce when the time came.

We thought, well, he did PIZZ on a running lawnmower, well so, yeah.

Brutus Out

 

[DuneHopper]

The family of one of my brother's girlfriends when I was growing up...well, let's just say they put the Appalachia into rural W. WA..... Their son, a couple years older than me at the time so likely about 14......pizzed on the lawnmower when it caught fire...Well, he got a shock through his jock that put him on the ground! We laughed like hell. They were worried he couldn' reproduce when the time came.

We thought, well, he did PIZZ on a running lawnmower, well so, yeah.

Brutus Out

hahahahaha..............

 

[FortunateSon]

How did we devolve from "Most Likely Threats" to pissing on a running lawnmower?

 

[HB of CJ]

Have I already answered this? Dunno. Getting old here. As far as National Threats against the entire nation, I would say a breakdown in our communication, energy and transportation systems. A common denominator of the three might just be a large if not huge EMP attack.

A large orbiting EMP bomb detonated 1000 miles above the center of the nation would do the trick. If large enough and probably it would be, it would and could fry just about any and all unprotected micro chip circuits. Pretty much all modern stuff has them in their guts. POP!

An instant setting back the clock about 200 years or so. Nothing would work. Nothing would start. No power grids. No transportation grids. No communication grids. Nothing on a national scale. Very scary. Didn't they write a book about this? Was there a good movie also?

A huge catastrophic X1000 Carrington event CME solar flare remains unlikely.

Closer to home out here in SW OR USA, our annual threat is the wildfire. We have had already three close calls in the last 15 years. On one occasion we were on a fast 30 minute evac notice. The wind changed directions. We treat seasonal wildfires very seriously here.

The long overdue or not due yet Cascadian Earthquake potential takes second place. Anywhere to a one in 10 to a one in 30 chance of the "Big One" happening in my remaining lifetime. We have already taken about all the logical steps and preps we can regarding earthquakes.

 

[41mag]

re: "A common denominator of the three might just be a large if not huge EMP attack."
I was a major conspiracy buff from about 1968~mid 1990s. Finally took the cure, somehow....yet this EMP is probably more likely than all the previous catastrophic scenarios I had visited.

And there is no denying somewhere along the line our little Cascadia even will strike. The last 'little one' cracked the foundation in a couple of my homestead buildings.

On a personal note, I'm at the point that I have more family & old friends dead & gone than I can actually talk to in person now, so my angst is not so turgid as it once was when the future was all before me rather than mostly not so much.

One of the old survivalist newsletters from about 1985ish had incredible wealth of information & ideas that gave a lot to consider. One of his (forget the author, he was widely read in those pre-internet days) ongoing discussions was 'how much ammo do you really need' etc.

After musing over his essays of a couple years, one of the last issues I saw, was "about 2 cases" of 12 gauge, as any more was not convenient to manage, while being 'enough' for 'current activities'....however those might be defined.

I learned after a few months the author was in fact, wheelchair bound paraplegic, but had died of some kind of sudden health issue.

A recent quote from somewhere cheered me immensely: "We're all gonna die. But not today".

 

[Aero Denezol]

If it were one singular event, like many of you, I voted for the big Cascadia Slip.

Death by a thousand cuts: the feminization of men, open hostility towards maleness, and the gradual decay of our most cherished rites and institutions, until one day we are only a shadow of our former greatness.

One of the most likely threats will be other people after a disaster. They will think you owe them your previsions. And everything else. I have nothing to offer but lead.

Yep. They already think that, but they are too busy playing with watercolors and marijuana.

A large orbiting EMP bomb detonated 1000 miles above the center of the nation would do the trick. If large enough and probably it would be, it would and could fry just about any and all unprotected micro chip circuits. Pretty much all modern stuff has them in their guts. POP!

One (1) good thing, at least Facebook would be over with.

 

[41mag]

"Death by a thousand cuts: the feminization of men, open hostility towards maleness, and the gradual decay of our most cherished rites and institutions, until one day we are only a shadow of our former greatness."

Since this is already underway and observable as well speak, we may well not have to worry about the other 'natural geophysical events'.

I favor also the model of the dense rat/mouse population falling into the same social behavior decay as our species exhibits noted above. The solution there, is at some critical point production and nurturing of new generation becomes so compromised a crushing 'fall from Grace' occurs and population plummets by orders of magnitude.

Then follows 'the Dark Ages' where mere species survival is tenuous.
A slow lag phase and eventual favorable circumstances, whether bacteria/mouse/FreeRatStuffArmy and there it goes for another cycle.

 

[11Charlie]

How did we devolve from "Most Likely Threats" to pissing on a running lawnmower?

Its quite simple really! In every thread there is time for stories of stupid so that we can laugh

 

[sheepdogs]

Very good list... I would add Mt Rainier eruption as well. The Lahars alone would cripple the northern I-5 corridor infrastructure, clog up Puget Sound, and the Ash cloud could make air travel impossible.. making it difficult to supply the entire state. Some say it could happen anytime. View attachment 362570

Volcanoes typically provide some warning through seismic or deformation activity. Earthquakes are much harder to provide adequate warning to the public.

 

[41mag]

Does the Pending Giant Yellowstone Disaster count in this thread?

 

[Camelfilter]

Does the Pending Giant Yellowstone Disaster count in this thread?

Only when it happens...

 

[mrblond]

Hmmmm, mostly likely threats eh?

Stay off the road.
Stay away from people.
Stay away from electrical.
Stay away from adult beverages.
Stay away from excesses of any kind.
Stay away from watching politics on television.
Don't go swimmin with bowlegged women.
Don't kiss with your eyes closed.
Don't play golf in a storm.
Don't listen to doctors.
Don't remarry ur ex.

I leave anything out?

tugging on supermans cape? pulling on the mask of the old lone ranger ? maybe messing with Jim?