Is It SHTF Safe While Living Within 50 Miles Of 1-Million People?

Over the years I’ve often addressed the general topic of population density versus one’s security, well-being, and ability to survive following a long lasting SHTF event. Let’s have a new look at the issue, but this time from the standpoint of living in a seemingly safe geographical location – except that you’re still within 50 miles of a region with 1 million or more people…

The scenario is the following…





Let’s hypothetically say that you are living rural or in a region of suburbia with a relatively low population density. You feel pretty safe. You may even be living in a very small town or off the beaten path to the extent that it ‘feel’s like you’re far away from ‘the city’.

But here’s the flip side:

Within a 30 minute drive (or an hour) there is either a city or a population-dense region of 1 million or more people. You and your neighbors may even commute into this region for work…

The question:

Will you be safe during a long-lasting SHTF event?



To answer that question, you might consider the following in your decision matrix:

How severe is the SHTF event? Has it crippled essential services?

How long has the event been unfolding and how long until these people ‘truly’ become desperate and reach a point of serious ‘unrest’?

What will the 1 million people do? Will they sit and wait for help or for an ‘end’ to the event?

Or will some of them take to the road?

For those who take to the road while they search for essential services and supplies, will they potentially make it to your region 50 miles away?

How far might they get, and would they even become a potential threat to where you live?

Or would the chaos be mostly and only confined to the population-dense region (or city) itself?



The notion of the ‘zombie hordes’ comes into play. Will it actually happen?

If living within 50 miles, will you be in danger even while living relatively rural?

What’s the cutoff? 25 miles? 100 miles? more? less?



Lets hear your opinion about the hypothetical of living pretty close to population density, but seemingly far enough away so as not to be part of that region… Is it ‘safe enough’?

If not, then ‘why’? If yes, then ‘why’?

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