What to Expect in an Urban Survival Situation

If you are in an urban survival situation whether it be fallout, natural disaster, invasion of foreign countries or massive riots, there are a few things to expect in each and every single situation. People are going to be panicked stores are going to be wiped of their shelved goods, and people are going to be demanding to know what is happening and what is going to be done. You can expect crowds and mobs of people, at first, protesting most likely. Then things will get a little worse, and the government will begin having a very hard time controlling the people. At this time, they will most likely implement martial law.

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Martial law will give you a curfew, restrict you from going in and out of where you're freely and will put everyone under constant surveillance. When things start getting more serious though you'll be looking at break-ins to businesses, people stealing food from stores and hospital supplies being raided. You can also expect for many survivors to act very cautiously because they are trying to protect their family and resources. You can assume there'll be a lot of garbage on the streets because rioter's and protesters will cause regular services to shut down. It will ultimately turn into a free for all, and you will have to fend for yourself.

 

When there was a strong earthquake here in 1990, I was in the office when it occurred. Our office is located in the business district so you can imagine a setting like New York City. Maybe due to fear, all the people in the buildings are in the open, occupying vacant areas, sidewalks and even streets. There were very few vehicles and the roads seemed empty except the multitude of people. From what I remember, the people were walking to the direction of the highway. Some are hurrying but most are slowly walking as if trying to gauge if there is another earthquake. From the looks of those people, it wouldn't be far fetched for them to join looting the stores if the calamity has reached dangerous levels. Maybe that's the primary concern when something happens in an urban area, try to be calm and go away from the crowd. You will never know their reaction.

 

Cities are full of predators!
They will roam the countryside
They will have numbers
Nowhere will be safe!
But they will not go/be everywhere
The local postie, milkman, policeman, mayor etc know where most everyone is!
To protect ones family people will dobb on others!
If I lived in a village and my family were at risk I would dobb on a far out armed local family/hermit!
It will buy me time and there maybe a few loss's on there side reducing the odds! win win for me no matter how small!

It won't be me though as I am soon to be permanently mobile! No Fixed Address!

 

Everybody is only about 3 days away from disaster. That's because your average grocery store only carries about enough food for 3 days. If your local store ever has its resupply delivery of food interrupted, things could get nasty real fast. Once that happens, all bets are off and riots can break out really fast. Once the riots get started they can spread from one area to another like a wildfire in a matter of minutes. People can turn into savages so quick it can amaze you. When things start to unravel, the best thing to do is not be in the area and stay at home away from the possible attacks. Stand ready to defend your own property with whatever implements you have available or have planned in advance to use. But the key is to not travel through the danger zones if possible.

 

When Haiyan hit Tacloban City in the Philippines and practically flattened it, the first day, people were walking like zombies, uncertain what just happened. On the second day, the looting started. The malls and stores were broken into, and ransacked. Even Mcdonald's and KFC were not spared. A few days later, things got really bad. The desparate will come in the dark of the night(there was no electricity), breaking into houses. You can hear the sound of regular gunfire from either marauders or defenders. Arguably, the gunfire was from police and military personnel, who were desperate to feed their families.

This part of that tragedy was kept from the news.

 

Another story about Tacloban, whole apartment buildings were ransacked and raided...except notably one floor of a particular building...cuz the families on that floor were armed to the teeth!!!

 

Caos, a lot of people without any kind of preparations, idiots and violent people but at least you can find decent people too, depends a lot of where you live and the people around you, only evaluated your environment, is useful sometimes.

 

When (if) the "big show" begins...I will watch it from a LONG LONG LONG way off in my little oasis in the desert. I am sorry to say that if you live in the city and you don't unass the area as soon as, and I mean the moment, the situation is beginning to turn ugly...then you're going to die. You may last a little longer than the rest of the great unwashed...but you won't make it out of a city. The only ones who will probably make it are the people who are already homeless and used to living and traveling un-noticed on the street.

Those of you who are law abiding citizens in countries where you have no right to keep and bear arms...are truly screwed.