Fifteen Years Afterward

Fifteen Years Afterward

Day One
The earth is pelted with a massive, once in a million years, solar magnetic storm which overloads and knocks out all electronic systems globally. All financial transactions and records disappear. Trains, cars, trucks and most ground transport comes to a permanent stop. While some planes manage to land safely, others hurdle to the ground. The power grid shuts down across all countries. Billions are plunged into darkness, trapped in elevators, underground in subways or at the tops of high rises.

Day Two
The governments of the world are powerless, blind and deaf. They cannot communicate or organize relief efforts. Some parts of the military are still functioning, but they have lost satellite and electronic communication and navigation. In short, they are flying and sailing blind. There is no coordination except at the lowest level and in the most limited geographic area. Stores are watching their stocks deplete as the enormity of the situation weighs on the population. Money is non-existent and rapidly losing its value.

Day Three
Many in hospitals and nursing homes, the most vulnerable, are dead or dying. Fires are starting to spread unchecked in some areas. No longer able to get water pumped to their homes, people begin the trek to find clean water for drinking, cleaning and cooking. More are made sick by poor water and sanitation.

Day Seven
The first victims due to lack of medication and prescriptions begin to succumb to their illnesses. Persons with depression, bi-polar or other mental conditions begin to lapse into their conditions. The migration from burning, crowded, dirty cities begins. Most people begin to run out of stored food at this point and join others looting stores, restaurants, warehouses and sometimes, other people's homes for anything to eat. Law and order meted out by police on foot, begin to retreat to their homes and enclaves.

Week Two
Many of the cities on earth have become home to rats, gangs and starvation. Those who were fortunate to leave now wander the highways, banding together in camps, eating anything they can find and avoiding road gangs who prey on the helpless. Hospitals, those still open, are wards to the dead and dying, understaffed and out of nearly any kind of useful drug. The government has ceased to function and only operates in limited areas with the aid of large groups of armed soldiers and police.

Month Two
The starvation around the world is underway. With half the world in winter, cold takes many. In the other parts of the world, the effort to grow and harvest as much food as possible and avoid theft is a race against time. Communes and fortified villages are the norm as groups try to hold together and survive.

Month Six
The cycle of starvation and death from the elements will be remembered by survivors as the Year of Death. Starvation, injuries, infection, murder and disease run rampant. In many places, pre-Storm supplies have dwindled to nothing including batteries, fuel, ammunition, canned and package food.  Only locations with large numbers of defenders and producers of food are sustaining themselves. But it comes at a price. The elderly, young, sickly and weak have no place among their numbers.

Year Two
The cycle of death has stabilized. Whole geographic areas world wide have been abandoned as they could not support any sort of population. Areas with good soil, abundant water, fuel and native foods are desired and fought over. No one is sure, but the majority (more than half) of the world's population has perished. Any remaining government bunkers, hideouts or retreats at this time have also been abandoned, overtaken, destroyed from within or are being used as bases of operations by the former residents or newcomers to assert control over the local area.

Year Five
The world has been completely depopulated. Groups live in fortified villages and towns surrounded by precious agricultural fields and livestock. The militias and guards that protect these towns are given preferential treatment for food and supplies. Everyone lives a subsistence lifestyle and contact with outsiders is rare. By this time, nearly all pre-Storm supplies have been exhausted. In many cases, even firearms are used sparingly and replaced with bows, spears and other primitive weapons. All medical treatment is done with herbal medicine and primitive surgery.

Year Ten
Contact between some areas springs up as the need for supplies and variety become paramount. Salt from the ocean is traded for rice in the coastal plains which is traded for wheat from the north or cloth made from animals or flax. Trade groups are large and well armed. The roads between civilized areas are dangerous and unknown. Warlords and strong men begin to assert dominion over groups of villages and populated areas.

Year Fifteen
Those who survive in the new world were post-puberty to the age of forty when the storm hit. They also have the highest life expectancy as they benefited from pre-Storm living and medical conditions. Those older are dead. The youngest, bereft of vaccines, simple medications and modern medicine  have the highest mortality rate until the age of five or older. The first mini-nations and states begin to slowly return during this time period.

Prepare: SHTF Fiction Update

I have been writing SHTF stories for some time and after publishing some of them here, finally started up a second site specifically for the genre.

SHTF Fiction has a number of my stories as they evolve in my head. I think there are four or so in progress and they are like my kids. I try to spend time with each and it is fun to watch them grow.

I really have to do some housekeeping on the site as it is a bit disorganized. Also, blogging platforms put the newest post first so first time readers will find the latest chapter when they land on the page rather than the first chapter. Hopefully this weekend I can reorganize things and make it more logical.

So what stories are going on at SHTF Fiction?

America 2.0 - The economic fall and rebirth of the United States as seen through the eyes of a suburban teenage girl.

Fragile - The prelude to Will which describes a virus which kills most of the world's population and leaves humanity in small enclaves.

Will - Follows the story of a young man from childhood to early adulthood as he, his family and friends deal with a world emptied of people and their struggle to survive.

Change of Major - Three college friends survive a nuclear war, but now have to deal with the outcome in their local area.

I try to take the survival genre and add situations and characters not generally found in other stories. If you have the chance, please visit and let me know if you like any of the stories.

Prepare: SHTF Fiction Update

SHTF Fiction Update

I have been writing SHTF stories for some time and after publishing some of them here, finally started up a second site specifically for the genre.

SHTF Fiction has a number of my stories as they evolve in my head. I think there are four or so in progress and they are like my kids. I try to spend time with each and it is fun to watch them grow.

I really have to do some housekeeping on the site as it is a bit disorganized. Also, blogging platforms put the newest post first so first time readers will find the latest chapter when they land on the page rather than the first chapter. Hopefully this weekend I can reorganize things and make it more logical.

So what stories are going on at SHTF Fiction?

America 2.0 - The economic fall and rebirth of the United States as seen through the eyes of a suburban teenage girl.

Fragile - The prelude to Will which describes a virus which kills most of the world's population and leaves humanity in small enclaves.

Will - Follows the story of a young man from childhood to early adulthood as he, his family and friends deal with a world emptied of people and their struggle to survive.

Change of Major - Three college friends survive a nuclear war, but now have to deal with the outcome in their local area.

I try to take the survival genre and add situations and characters not generally found in other stories. If you have the chance, please visit and let me know if you like any of the stories.

Prepare: Wyoming Apocalypse Bill

Wyoming Apocalypse Bill

A lawmaker in Wyoming introduced a bill this week which would have allocated $16,000.00 in state funds to study and plan for the collapse of the U.S. federal government and the dollar.

The plan would have funded studies for a state-run alternative currency, emergency food production and military preparations.

The bill was ridiculed (another lawmaker appended a requirement that the state get its own aircraft carrier) and failed when it came up for vote.

Unfortunately, the problem was not the messenger, but the message. The lawmaker was correct; Wyoming, and other states, need to make emergency plans in the event the federal government can no longer finance its activities and thus, can no longer continue operations. The fact of the matter is, the U.S. federal government borrows over forty cents for each dollar it spends - that's unsustanainable.

Critics of the bill argued that emergency planning was already funded by the state through existing agencies. Fair enough. But most state planning consists of dealing with weather emergenicies like snowstorms or natural disasters such as wild fires.

Once upon a time ago, progressive cities and towns used to make plans for a nuclear strike during the Cold War. It was not the Fed's role to ensure continuity of government, it was theirs or so the conventional wisdom of the day went.

Today however, If they were faced with multiple widespread terrorist attacks, a nuclear or biological weapon, or worse, an EMP event, most local planning involves calling FEMA for instructions. That's not a plan, that's a wish.

All states, and cities and counties for that matter, should consider the question, "What would we do if we were cut off from the outside world and had to go it alone for an extended period of time?". Afterall, this happened in New Orleans after Katrina when it took over a week for help to arrive in large enough force to actually make a difference.

Which would then lead to:

How long would the food in the grocery stores last?
Where could we get more food locally?
What about fuel supplies? How long would they last?
Do we have the authority to commandeer supplies owned by local businesses and individuals?
Should we be stockpiling supplies normally used by local government so we can continue to function?
Will our law enforcement resources be enough? What about other emergency services such as medical facilities?


Governments of all sizes are doing a disservice to their citizens when they don't make plans for things so terrible, the average person does not want to think about them. While it may not be prudent to spend $16,000.00 to study scenarios, it does make sense to figure out how your people will be fed and stay warm in an extended emergency.

Prepare: Storm drains, sewers, underground tunnels

When I was a kid, a new shopping mall was built near my home and like any one my age, I found the construction site fascinating. I was particularly drawn to the massive drain system they put in place underground before they built the actual mall. The tunnels were big enough to traverse from one side of the site to the other and spread out to other drains in the area. I crawled around in those tunnels for a few weeks before the site was fenced off and my access ended. 

Our urban and suburban landscape is littered with manhole covers and storm drain openings on every street. I read once in an online forum where a poster questioned whether or not these underground chambers should be considered for ad hoc shelters in an emergency like a nuclear event. First, we all need to identify the difference in underground infrastructure and then discuss why employing them in an emergency is not a good idea. 

Storm and sanitary drains have been under humanity's feet for thousands of years. The underground drains and sewers of Rome and Paris are legendary for instance and most were built upon older structures dating back hundreds or even thousands of years ago. However, these drains and sewers served a very specific purpose: to transport excess water and waste AWAY from people and urban centers. They were not designed to be shelters of refuge although they have been used as such by different individuals and groups. 

Storm drains - storm drains are designed by city engineers to carry large amounts of water underneath a city during rainy periods. While they are mostly dry and empty during dry times, they quickly fill with water to the point they are able to carry a fully grown person away through their twisting labyrinths. Storm drains comprise of street side openings as well as manhole access points on the streets. They then open underground into larger and larger drains which eventually empty into natural rivers or manmade ones like the urban canyons made famous in Los Angeles. 

Sanitary sewers - these openings are seen on most streets and are the foulest of all. Sanitary sewers carry human waste from our toilets to waste centers where the waste is separated and the water cleaned for reuse in the water system. If you have ever seen one of these things backup, you know what comes out of them and its pretty gross. I would never go near one of these places. 

Utility tunnels - these vary in size. Where I live, the phone company has several large openings to the underground where phone lines are run between buildings. While the manhole covers are large, what is below is cramped (room for one technician to work at a time) and not very safe as they run both electrical and phone lines through the same tunnels. There are often batteries and leaking chemicals in utility tunnels which make them more dangerous. 

There are other utility tunnels in some older parts of the country which were used for transporting coal or fuel oil beneath the cities. And finally, there are utility tunnels which were used to connect subway tunnels for workers; these are completely different and might be useful. 

The problem with storm drains and sewers is while they may protect people for a short amount of time, eventually, they will become inhabitable because of their intended purpose. Water and human waste will back up and flood these chambers driving residents out into the open. Even the famous storm drains beneath arid Las Vegas are emptied a few times a year because of rain and the homeless population below is sent packing to high ground. 

If there is a nuclear event, like a dirty bomb, it is better to head for a real basement or parking garage for cover. The water and utility tunnels underground are not intended for shelter and could end up being a tomb rather than a haven. 

Time To Start Spring Planting

The weather across the United States during the 2011-12 winter has been much warmer than the previous year. This has also been a wetter winter for much of the country as well. I checked the online almanacs and it appears, (cross your fingers) that we may have much of the worse behind us. 

That means... drum roll please.. It's time to get ready for spring and with that, spring planting. 

With gasoline prices expected to soar both in the U.S. and E.U. this spring and summer, now is the time to get a green thumb and start growing some of what you eat. Gas prices mean the cost of food will go up (delivery trucks, farm equipment and farm laborers driving to work all run on gas and diesel) and the best way to offset that expense is producing your own food. 

I know some who grow big crops (wheat, corn) and small crops (garden vegetables) who produce most of what they eat. However, if you do not have a green thumb or have a history of killing grass, feel free to take small steps. But hurry up and learn to walk because your life and your families may depend upon what you pull out of the soil. 

To start, growing food requires soil, seeds, water and sunlight. By soil, we mean healthy soil. Most of the soil we see everyday is good for growing grass or weeds. To properly grow tomatoes or peppers, soil needs to be amended with living material, most notably, compost. However, good compost takes time to develop, so get a jump start and purchase some high quality soil from the garden store and amend it with some compost purchased at the same place. 

If money is an issue (when is it not?), search out a local source such as a friend who might have some good soil available for hauling. Local farms are good for obtaining manure and other natural soil foods and with some labor and gasoline, you can develop your own healthy soil for planting. In the meantime, start a compost heap - add old soil, some yard debris like grass clippings and leaves and plenty of kitchen waste i.e. vegetable and fruit peels, egg shells and coffee grounds. That way you will have your own healthy compost to feed your next garden. 

If you have the space, build a raised bed for optimum production. If that is not an option due to health, space or time, get some large planting pots or if push comes to shove, some empty five gallon buckets with a few holes drilled in the base for drainage. I grow plants in almost anything which can hold soil and which can be drained naturally of excess water. 

Seeds - Seeds cost one to two dollars a packet. Yes, this is for hybrid seeds and not heirloom. The difference? Hybrid seeds generally will not germinate after they are collected from the plant thus, they cannot be reused next year. Some hybrid seeds will regrow, but won't produce fruit, so they are worthless next year. This is a big deal, unless you have never successfully grown anything and my advice is get some hybrid seeds from your local mass merchandiser and try them. 

After your soil is ready and the seeds have been planted, water the plants regularly and make sure they get plenty of sunlight. That's it. Sure, there's more to it that what I have written here, but this is ninety percent of growing food. 

So what is easy to grow? Tomatoes, peppers, melons, almost all herbs and cucumbers. I have found grapes and berries, particularly raspberries, are easy to grow. What's neat is much of what you can grow is expensive in the stores. A pint of cherry tomatoes can be priced as much as $3.99 each; a cherry tomato plant can produce dozens of pints in a single season. This isn't hard, it's just basic math. 

What is hard to grow? Corn and potatoes. Both require lots of room. I have grown both and the potatoes were cheaper in the store when compared to the total amount of work and space I devoted to my potato crop. But there's a warning with this: Food prices are rising and if you have the space, it might be wise to try your hand at both. And there is nothing better than an ear of sweet corn right off the stalk. Yummo. 

In some parts of the country, there are still sub-freezing temperatures at night. No worries, just start your seed trays in March so you will be ready for warmer weather in April. You can also cover your tender young plants with plastic sheeting during the night to lock in warmer air. 

OK, so I did not cover simple greenhouses or what to do with too much home grown produce, but you get the idea. It's time to plan and start that spring garden before gas prices hit five dollars and the grocery stores are selling wax fruit. 

Happy gardening! 

Prepare: Long Lines

Every heard of Long Lines? This was an ATT/DoD project from the 1950's and 60's which built thousands of microwave communications facilities across the United States. Why? In the event of a nuclear war, the Pentagon wanted to ensure that dial tone phone service was still available.

Long Lines consisted of dozens of interconnected facilities with line of site microwave communications between each other. The first facilities were constructed in the high population areas of the Northeast in proximity to Washington DC, but eventually, they were found throughout the US.

Long lines facilities were and still are easy to spot. They have these trademark microwave antennas on top which were sometimes called "sugar scoop" antennas. You have probably seen one of these facilities when travelling or maybe one is near where you live.

What happened to Long Lines service? First, it was limited to government use only. In fact, may service members used Long Lines to make calls home from remote locations. However, after the introduction of fiber optics and other high speed communications mediums, Long Lines was eventually decommissioned.

Most of the facilities were sold in the early 1990's to American Tower, a cell phone tower company who in turn, sold many of the facilities to the general public.

Why does this matter?

Long Lines facilities were hardened facilities built to withstand a nuclear war. While most are above ground., many featured large underground areas with sleeping quarters and bathroom facilities for crews who were expected to continue working on site after "The Big One" dropped.

While some Long Lines facilities are still in use, many still come up for sale at times and while they may need work, most are found in remote or rural areas which makes them an interesting possibility for a bug out location.

Don't pull out the checkbook yet. Early on, some of these locations were priced as low as $25,000.00, the larger sites with underground facilities were much more expensive and many have already been reclaimed as data centers and records storage sites.

I checked out a couple of sites including the great Long Lines site which features the whole interesting history of the project and the great people who worked there and found they have many of the locations identified as well. It's worth research and learning more about our Cold War past and what we were willing to do to keep the phone lines open during a crisis.

Stockpiling and Coupons

There has been a lot of buzz on cable television about coupons and the extremes people go to using and redeeming them. Putting the hype aside, coupons are a great way to build up your stocks of  supplies in the event of a long or short term emergency. 

I have clipped coupons on and off again for a few years. The problem was the cost of obtaining coupons was never greater than the savings. That was because I was not using them correctly i later found out. So after reading and researching (there are plenty of good websites out there with coupon information), I jumped back in with both feet and have seen some real coupon success. As of right now, because of judicious coupon usage, I have managed to stockpile a year or better of toothpaste, clothes detergent, deodorant, dish soap, and other household items. 

Here's how I did it. 

First, watch the sales at your local market. I generally shop at Kroger as it is close enough to walk to (you have to take into account distance, time and gasoline for total savings) and has good prices compared to the Albertsons in my neighborhood. The sale flyer comes out at the beginning of the week and outlines what products are one sale and specials being run. Reading the flyer only helps if you understand the pricing before hand. For instance, in this week's flyer, Kroger claimed that Chef-Boy-R-Dee canned goods were on sale at $1 each. I know from experience, that is the same price they sell it for most weeks so there was no real savings. 

Hamburger Helper (good grocery item to stockpile) was on sale for $1 though. Now with that information, I check my coupons and found that I had a coupon for .40 off each box of HH if I purchased four or more. My Kroger also doubles coupons up to .50, so my total spend on a box, which normally retails for $1.59 per box was .20 per box. Not bad. So I was able to buy ten boxes and store them away in the pantry. 

Next up, deodorant. Normally 2.99 each, marked down during a Proctor and Gamble promotion to .99 if you bought four. I had a coupon for $1 off if purchasing two which the store doubled an additional .50 so the 2.99 product which ended up only costing me a little more than .60 each. 

Toothpaste is one of the most coupon friendly purchases available. Watch the toothpaste aisle for special price reductions (the store does this frequently) and save your toothpaste coupons. I normally never pay more than .39 - .59 for a large container of toothpaste and sometimes get name brands, like Colgate and Crest, free or nearly so.

Kroger, and other stores, also do a thing called "e-coupons" which can be downloaded to your frequent shopper card and can add up to savings as well. Normally, the coupons are only .40 or .50 each and by policy, cannot be doubled. But do add up quickly for products sale priced at $1 or less. 

Some people sign up for manufacturers coupons online, but I find that most of these are duplicates of my store's specials or already found in the news paper. Between my own copy of the paper and two of my neighbors (who don't do coupons), I have plenty for each shopping trip I make. 

Frequent shopper cards are a must for using coupons as they allow shoppers to get extra savings not normally available. The complaint from some people is that these cards track your purchases thereby allowing some insidious future force the ability to know what you bought, how much and when. The secret to dealing with this is to simply not put your accurate home address on your frequent shopper card. They don't check and the only problem is you may miss out on some mail outs with special deals. 

My only complaint about couponing is I have not figured out a way to save on things like fresh produce or meat as my store never has coupons for these things. If anyone has the secret there, I love to hear it.  

I spend no more than one hour a week going through coupons, visiting the store website, and making my grocery list for the week. This is a small time commitment for the amount of money I save grocery shopping. I am going to shop, so I might as well save some money doing it and build up my supplies at the same time.