Are you prepared for the end times? You know, bottled water, solar panels, leeches and medicinal marijuana? You don’t have a grow house ready, chock full of choice bud? No? You are so not ready! At least, that’s what we learn from the latest episode of “Doomsday Preppers” (Tues. at 9:00 p.m. ET on Nat Geo) and this exclusive clip. One doctor decides that, in addition to keeping leeches on hand, he’s also growing pot to use as a drug. Right. No, really, he’s just using it if society collapses. That’s all.
But wait! There’s more! According to a new survey released today by National Geographic Channel and Kelton Research, a majority of Americans believe the world will experience a major catastrophe, but more than half admit they”re not prepared. So, we’re worried, but not worried enough to do something about it. Yay!
Overall, the survey results show that nearly 9 in 10 (88%) Americans think it”s likely that the world will experience a major catastrophe, with close to one-third (32%) of these folks believing it will occur less than a year from now. More than half (52%) admit they are not as prepared as they need to be for a potential catastrophe. So, maybe your neighbors will be hitting you up for food and water. Time for deadbolts! Also, more than 8 in 10 (83%) of the nation thinks most Americans will be under-prepared in the event of a catastrophe, so, duh.
Who is Preparing
– Fewer than three in ten (29%) Americans know someone who is preparing for a possible catastrophe; more of them live in the South (33%) or West (31%) than in the Northeast (25%) or Midwest (21%).
How We Prepare
– If Americans did prepare, their top choice of canned or jarred food to have on hand is peanut butter (29%) with far fewer opting for fruit (10%) or vegetables (7%).
– Ten percent of Americans would choose a bottle or can opener to have on hand in a blackout instead of a flashlight (25%), radio (25%), fully charged cell phone (20%) or gun (20%).
– Electric heat or air conditioner (25%) and internet (24%) top the list of appliances or technology Americans would miss most during a catastrophe. Far fewer say this about a phone (13%) or TV (13%).
What We”re Preparing For
– Nearly one-third (32%) are more concerned than they were a year ago about a natural disaster hitting their town; that concern is greatest in the Northeast (42%) compared to the rest of the nation (30%).
– Terrorism still weighs heavily on American”s minds as more than half (62%) think a terrorist attack is likely to happen in the U.S. in the next 25 years.
Once Catastrophe Hits
– Most Americans (68%) would prefer to be home during a catastrophic event, rather than somewhere possibly safer like a bomb shelter (5%) or with more food, like a grocery store (4%).
– Far more Americans would most rely on their family, friends or neighbors (57%) over FEMA or a government agency (14%) for help in a catastrophe.
– Over half the nation believes the Republican Party (53%) would have more survivors than the Democratic Party (47%) if the country experienced a major catastrophe.
How would you answer the survey? And what are you doing to prepare for catastrophe?
