Please help me sort this out. We live in a smallish town (10,000) We have been planning on renting a rural property and we have a few decent choices. Now when it comes time to actually do it, I am confused. (as usual) I am wondering if it really would be safer to stay with the unprepared population rather than be prepared and isolated out in the country. I just can't figure this question out at all. I mean for a long time I have been planning on doing the rural property thing but now I am second quessing this plan. Would it be safer to just stay in town and stay with the group, even in a shelter. I feel like I am going crazy for a change.

-- a mom (safety@numbers.com), September 17, 1999

Answers

I would go almost any place before I would go to a shelter -- but then that's me.

I think, if things go over a 5, we will be happy to have people around to share with, the protective watches, the work, and a social life. If you have no friends in the town, do you think you could make them in the country in the time you have left? Will you be taking family? How many? Do you see yourself shooting or hiding when the looters come?

Since you want to go to the country anyway, just keep working on it but don't bolt until you look around where you are.

I didn't make it to my "ideal place" in time for the rollover; I am just hoping for a 1-3 so I can get there after the New Year.

-- Gypsy (GypsiGold@aol.com), September 17, 1999.

Hi mom,

I am a mom too, also a lurker here since last Dec.

I thought I would just throw in a couple thoughts.

You don't say where you live, but if it is Utah and your 10,000 neighbors have lots of food stored, then you might consider staying. If they wont have stored food, like most people, then there are some general categories to plan for.

If the grid goes out and water and sewage are out totally for over 2 weeks, then it is likely to become a death trap from fires, disease, and people looking for water. This worst case scenario would seem to favor the rural place to escape the disease and the crowds of desperate people and to protect your own supplies. It would seem that no amount of preparation by even a small town of 10,000 would create a viable neighborhood under those conditions. All the advantages that might come with strength in numbers gets turned against you. The more people nearby with no sewage or water, the worse your situation would be.

On the other hand, if the water and sewage are working, then the main problem becomes food. In a week or so when food begins to become scarce, are there local farms that everyone could turn to? Is it possible to grow food in your area or is it snow until April? Are there enough local resources of food and water like a lake and open land to garden that a plan might be devised to get through it together? If so, then you may decide to stay, hoping that the water and power are there even if the supply chains break down and you must find your own sources of food. Would there be seeds enough to plant?

The best scenario for staying is if the grid is up, the supply chains adequate if very unstable, and you simply must weather the chaos of economic depression and shortages of just about everything until the business community rebuilds and once again restores supplies. This could take years, but with a working grid, would be possible. In this case, it would be an advantage to work as a community.

Even if you move on your own to a rural place, you will be waiting for the worst to be over, waiting for the time when the death and disease has subsided and those who make it begin to gather around the resources that are left. You will want the advantages of community back again as soon as possible. But how long this takes and how the survivors find each other and reorganize, who knows how this will go?

Until then, you will be vulnerable to people who are looking for food and water, and if they are violent, you may have to defend yourself. This is something that scares me too about moving out on to a small farm, even now, without y2k. This is something you would have to consider and weigh in. It really depends on how bad you think it will be and how cautious you want to be. The more independent you are and the farther away from non-farming people who will not be able to feed themselves, the safer you are in a level 8 -10.

I would like to buy a small farm, but I must stay in the suburbs with my children. No one else in my family will leave, so that is what I am doing for now. But I have a dream of going back to the land anyway, so I may do that one of these days.

Good luck in making your choices. I know this is nothing new but sometimes it just requires going over what you know methodically and writing down all your different choices so you can think clearly.

And do not worry, you are not going crazy. It just feels like that to just about all of us here. The craziness is in the fact that this is really happening at all. It does seem like the Twilight Zone to me quite often. Hang in there and just make the best choice you can with what little you can know about the future.

Lora

-- Lora (artemis45@hotmail.com), September 17, 1999.

This is getting late to make a move to an unprepared location. The move will require a lot of effort/energy. As mentioned above, a lot depends on your current neighbors. What about other preparations? Do you have enough land for a decent garden where you are now? Do you have a wood stove? What about the community water and sewage utilities? How prepared is your community government?

Having some neighbors that you can share with is really important... or a really large family. If TEITRAH, you may need to post watchpersons and you will need to share gardening tasks. Do you have some good neighbors that you can trust? And just as importantly, if you move, how do you plan to get to REALLY know your new neighbors?

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), September 17, 1999.

Utah Mormons are just as bad as the rest of the Polly's. Only about 5 to 10 percent understand that Y2k is a threat. The rest have some food storage, but not near enough for what will be needed if Y2K is what Gary North says it is going to be.

-- freddie (freddie@thefreeloader.com), September 17, 1999.

Thank you for all your thoughtful answers. I know it is late to go to an unprepared place but the places we have found are really quite prepared (septic, well, wood burning, propane) The small town I live in is not prepared to any decent degree, but there is much ingenuity and many farms in the area. I think what we will end up doing is renting a place and getting it all ready and using it only if we need to. It is expensive but I think it will be money well spent. If we can stay in our house, we will. I have had so many people say they will know where to come if things get bad. (very cute, and funny) I feel strongly that we need an alternative. I am so tired of all these considerations. Waa waa waa. So I keep on preparing and praying. Thank you again for your input, it is so hard to sort all this out.

-- a mom (safety@numbers.com), September 17, 1999.

"Mom", you may find this resource useful. I have a Y2K website with a relatively new article entitled "Serious Voluntary Relocation". Please read the whole piece, especially including the linked articles near the bottom. Hope things turn out well for you.

www.y2ksafeminnesot@hotmail.com

-- MinnesotaSmith (y2ksafeminnesota@hotmail.com), September 17, 1999.

You are safer in the country. Accidents and crimes happen more in cities. In the country, you are safe from most random and crowd violence problems. Unless someone deliberately sets out to attack you, in which case you and your neighbors would have banded together before that happens.

Your best security comes from location. Also, you could use male persons able to use weapons, binoculars, and radios. And a dog- not a big one to attack people, which is rare, but a feisty little one that is easy to feed, loyal, and able to patrol your property agressively and alert you to intruders. I call them 'doorbell dogs'.

If you live out in the country, get yourself a CB radio and a good antenna, and a pair or two of FRS radios for walkie talkie use. Your farming neighbors all have CB's, and anyone strange coming up the road will attract notice. (Don't forget the solar battery charger and NiCads!)

We have lived next to a dairy farmer for decades. As a child I would go up in the top of his silo (concrete) with my telescope and check out the moon and Saturn's rings. It even looks like an observatory, which made it even more cool.

If it is needed, I will be up there with night vision binoculars and a radio or two, and maybe a couple other advantages. I will have plenty of others to share the watch with. Moms with kids will sleep safely here.

-- Forrest Covington (theforrest@mindspring.com), September 17, 1999.

Mom,

I too am a mom with 2 daughters. I made the choice 4 years ago to move from New York to rural VA. It took me 1 minute to get used to it. My family is very happy here. The locals are nice people who have skills I only read about, such as canning food, shooting a deer for food, raising chickens, etc. I've noticed in times of emergency people tend to help one another out moreso than where I used to live. I feel so much safer here and the beauty of the country with the fresh air and nature is wonderous. I never lock my door at night. I am prepped for an 8 or so and I wouldn't trade this environment for anything. I feel this is so much better for my kids. I wish you clarity in your choice and a "knowing" so you will feel you made the right decision.

-- Debi (LongTimeLurker@shy.com), September 18, 1999.