Has your state made our ranks yet? Stay tuned this week for the best and worst survival states plus the full ranking of all 50 states—because it’s not pretty out there.
Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that “A flagship Department of Homeland Security initiative produced shoddy intelligence reports that did little to protect the country and generated false leads that may have made it harder to catch terrorists, a congressional investigation found.” Survival isn’t getting easier.
You may be disappointed or surprised, depending on how your state ranks. Don’t be. Survival prep is a local thing, just like politics. Take my home in Newport, Rhode Island, for example. Regardless of how Rhode Island ranks, I happen to like the survivability of Newport.
For one, it’s on an island. It shares Aquidneck Island with Portsmouth and Middletown. When you live on an island accessed by bridges, you have control over who comes and goes. I’d imagine the gangs wouldn’t have much luck trying to get onto Aquidneck Island for a night of looting and mayhem after a disaster. On the flip side, if there’s a convoy of supply trucks needing passage, then by all means let them roll on in. If the roads are compromised, then supplies can be received by sea. And if you have no food, then put up the “gone fishin’” sign.
Newport is a busy place in the summer with the folk and jazz festivals and in the fall with visiting cruise ships—not to mention the summer vacationers, day-trippers, and increasing number of summer residents. The police force is staffed to handle the crowds. But since policing is a full-time job, the staffing levels don’t drop off a cliff in the off-season. That, plus the fact that the U.S. Naval War College and Newport Naval Station are in town, provides some peace of mind. I can’t imagine both the police and Navy allowing civilians to get too out of hand.
Take some inventory of where you live and how your town stacks up. You might be pleasantly surprised that you’re in better shape than you hoped. And if not, then push through the inertia ogre and do something. Believe me, having a tight network of friends who are in the know about survival prep can do wonders for your own. Oftentimes the best ideas come from talking out your plans.
