NSTREAM By Matthew Lysiak 57%
STOCKED UP Chris Todd has already gathered food supplies to feed him and his family for two years.
of Americans have taken three or more
steps to prepare for disaster
of for two years,” said Todd. The foundation for a deluxe surviv-
al shelter has already been set down on the property, which when finished promises to be large enough to com- fortably house his entire family. The shelter is equipped with a pro-
tective exterior that can withstand most apocalyptic scenarios, along with its own power supply, which in- cludes three 1,000-gallon propane tanks that are stored underground. The shelter is scheduled to be fin-
ished by November — which marks an important deadline as far as Todd is concerned. “I am just praying I can get the bun-
ker in before the election,” said Todd. “I’m worried about the day of the elec- tion. And I’m also worried about the days after.”
F
he will also be undertaking the instal- lation of two wells. He has already accumulated a
thousand pounds each of black beans and pinto beans, as well as 500 pounds each of sugar and salt. Livestock haven’t arrived yet, but
they are on the way. “Right now, I have enough food for myself and my family to live off
ueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as deepening political ten-
sions, anxiety over artificial intelli- gence, and the potential for World War III, a growing number of Americans across the nation have joined what has been called the “prepper” movement, in which citizens actively take precau- tions for the great disaster they believe to be right around the corner — thrust- ing what was once considered the ex- clusive domain of right-wing conspir- acy theorists into the mainstream. The dramatic rise in the number
of people taking active measures to survive the next Armageddon is itself awe-inspiring. In just the past seven years, the
number of citizens planning for an end-times scenario has exploded, dou- bling from 10 million in 2017 to nearly 20 million today, encompassing nearly 7% of all households that now identify as preppers, according to the results of last year’s National Household Survey on Disaster Preparedness. Further, 57% of Americans had tak-
en three or more steps to prepare for disaster, the Federal Emergency Man- agement Agency (FEMA) found. FEMA counts a household as self-
reliant or “prepped” if they can survive on their own for at least 31 days. Chris Ellis, a U.S. Army colonel who
works on disaster preparedness and recovery and is a leading researcher in the movement, says this recent spike reflects the growing concerns of mil- lions who no longer feel they can count on the government to provide basics like electricity, water, and food. Ellis — who avoids the word “prep-
households identify as preppers
7%
per” due to its negative connotations, preferring instead the term “resilient citizen” — says the determinant on whether someone falls into the move- ment is based on how they react to a single question: “Do I feel safe?” “People want to
of all
regain their sense of control and do something to match
OCTOBER 2024 | NEWSMAX 47
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