I moved to a much more temperate area (north some ways of where you are thinking) from new england. It makes everything significantly easier to manage imo.

I do think there is a limit though- if you go too warm you start to run into areas where water becomes a major concern. If you go too tropical you start to run into the risk of hurricanes and such. Additional considerations would include population density aswell.

Northern Florida looks like a good spot for alot of reasons to me- but the peninsula itself is wayy to crowded for me and a natural disaster risk.

.02

 

I moved to a much more temperate area (north some ways of where you are thinking) from new england. It makes everything significantly easier to manage imo.

I do think there is a limit though- if you go too warm you start to run into areas where water becomes a major concern. If you go too tropical you start to run into the risk of hurricanes and such. Additional considerations would include population density aswell.

Northern Florida looks like a good spot for alot of reasons to me- but the peninsula itself is wayy to crowded for me and a natural disaster risk.

.02

Yes I really love my house but the weather is intolerable here - even when I have the heat on I feel cold. If there is any major event - which I fully suspect there will be, survival here would be hard: too many unprepared people, and horrible weather.

I was looking in North Florida where farms are. I almost bought a place but it was very close to a cell tower and I don't want the EMF's from that beaming at me 24/7. We're close to it now and I think it's why our memories have degraded. We just hard-wired our computers and I keep my phone far from me.

I see what you're saying about hurricanes but I'd rather have a hurricane than a snowstorm - although I've never lived through a hurricane.

These are hard decisions. Add to the fact that you have unprepared ninnies in your family who refuse to leave and it makes a difficult decision even harder.

 

I believe there won't be any place totally safe if or when the crap kicks off, we had a "civil war" once. Very few places weren't affected by it. Now a days the country is flooded with those that want us gone and will do anything to accomplish this.

 

Do you foresee another civil war? Who do mean by the country flooded with those that want us gone - the masses that are coming through the border?

 

There is no one place or area that is "the best", everyone has different needs, skills and wants. Make a list of what you want, our list included things like 1 story home, min 10 acres, stream, 4 real seasons, ability to garden, etc. After you have that list search for areas that meet you requirements. Once you find a rough geographical area then search for properties.

 

My sister-in-law warned us about getting a one-story home so we did and it worked out great. I love the house itself but the weather is awful and I know that if something happens this area is going to fall apart fast. I was going to try to stay here but keep rethinking my decision. You have good, solid suggestions. I wonder how others handle moving when they have family nearby. That's such a dilemma that I haven't been able to resolve and no attempts to convince them to move have been successful. It tears at you.

 

Rosette,

There were recent times when the Gaza Strip, eastern Med, was highly desirable for living and thriving. Matters change.

Our country's original Arizona was the Gadsden Strip ("acquired" for Southern Pacific RR). Now, the enlarged Arizona has areas difficult for the middle class to thrive. Matters change.

Is Florida different in re change ? It's going on now. The residency permits ... using different name tags, of course, are "pricing out" the Middle Class. It does have to be checked into - beside the natural features. Matters change.

IMO, regardless of one's family structure, wealth and sought comforts, one must be prepared to evacuate / relocate. The examples are present. Einstein and Freud illustrate this. So, too, some quality examples from eastern hemisphere.

 

It's really hard to decide. I know that housing prices in Florida are off the charts. Everyone wants a Blackrock deal. I had put in an offer for a place I really wanted but the people refused to come down on the price. The house needed a lot of work too. Someone in my family is having the same issue bidding on houses where the owner wants far too much.

What are residency permits and name tags?

 

I also read through Strategic Relocation, and decided not to move. There are two big issues in my area, one being that the soil as is does not allow you to grow much of anything as far as crops go, and the other one being a lack of water. But the book showed major issues in other areas, too. Some were near lots of military bases and therefore are at risk, some get hurricanes, other places get lots of snow. If there is a place in the US without negatives, I couldn't find it.

 

This. It comes down to accepting the threats you feel are least likely, or easiest to deal with.

 

If there were such a place with the perfect climate, wonderful soil, abundant water, etc., etc., everybody would move there, and there would be so many people it would turn into a concrete jungle.

 

True but some areas are better than others. If CA wasn't such a troubled state I'd move there for the climate. I loved visiting there but people are fleeing for a reason.

 

I say save your money for now. If the real estate market takes the hit that many say are coming, it could affect your relocation decision. I would think there are other places in the US one could consider. If you believe the Global Warming crowd, the Northern Tier would seem to be a likely place for relocation. If you expect wooly mammoths to once again roam wild in North Texas, perhaps the Gulf Coast would be more interesting. I do not buy into a lot of the overhype about any area. I will say, the Anasazi left the desert southwest because of a long drought. At least you will have a car but you will be able to buy entire blocks in the southwest for the price of a modest home today.

 

That's a good piece of knowledge. I haven't been on top of the real estate market and it would be great to see prices come down.

I liked it out west but worried about the lack of water - that's a good clue about the Anasazi. If there's a pole shift it would change everything but who knows?

 

I'm not going anywhere so I'll dig in and improve on what I have.

 

Climate is only one aspect of what makes a place a good area to survive in TEOTWAWKI. Distance from population centers is a much more important aspect IMO.

I wouldn't want to be in the far northern inland tundra of northern Alaska, the driest deserts of the southwest, or the hottest, wettest areas of the subtropical US. However, an argument could be made for nearly anywhere in between climate-wise.

I'm pretty happy with where I'm at in Pennsylvania. I live on 40 rural acres, with a mix of forest and tillable land, and very low population density. I'm 120ish miles from the big cities, which I'd like to be a bit further away, but its doable. I'm about 20 miles from the nearest towns, which is pretty ideal for me. It's close enough that it's easy to get supplies, but far enough away from the population centers.

There's a nuke plant kind of close, though we're upwind of it, so low chance of fallout if things went sideways, but definitely not ideal.

The love the northern mid-Atlantic weather. We have all four seasons, including the snow - which I love. I may love it less if it were TEOTWAWKI, but I've got enough forest on my land for firewood to last me indefinitely. Besides snow storms, we very rarely have any major natural disasters. We're not in a flood area.

 

Climate is only one aspect of what makes a place a good area to survive in TEOTWAWKI. Distance from population centers is a much more important aspect IMO.

I wouldn't want to be in the far northern inland tundra of northern Alaska, the driest deserts of the southwest, or the hottest, wettest areas of the subtropical US. However, an argument could be made for nearly anywhere in between climate-wise.

I'm pretty happy with where I'm at in Pennsylvania. I live on 40 rural acres, with a mix of forest and tillable land, and very low population density. I'm 120ish miles from the big cities, which I'd like to be a bit further away, but its doable. I'm about 20 miles from the nearest towns, which is pretty ideal for me. It's close enough that it's easy to get supplies, but far enough away from the population centers.

There's a nuke plant kind of close, though we're upwind of it, so low chance of fallout if things went sideways, but definitely not ideal.

The love the northern mid-Atlantic weather. We have all four seasons, including the snow - which I love. I may love it less if it were TEOTWAWKI, but I've got enough forest on my land for firewood to last me indefinitely. Besides snow storms, we very rarely have any major natural disasters. We're not in a flood area.

PA gets pretty cold. I'm older and the cold just really effects me now. If you're young enough to cut wood that's a different story. Hubby installed a boiler in our basement in our first house and cut wood for it. Wish we still had it.

What about cell towers? That's something I want to avoid.

 

Best area in America to survive TEOTWAWKI......????

If that is the true goal, the searcher should start with a short list of what is required to find that, or to narrow down the search. Stated differently, "what must one have". We all know the answer, we just don't like that truth.

 

If you are getting along ok where you are right now, just stay there.

Moving just for the sake of "strategic relocation, or "in case the S hits the fan in some [unspecified] time in the future" is a poor reason to pull up stakes.

Sure you can move to some desolate place in the mountains or the desert. But do you want to go to some place where there are no jobs, no services, and isolation---because you suppose it might give you "security"? You could very well find yourself in a far worse place than if you had just stayed put.

Once you move out of your home and your familiar environment, you are vulnerable.

You can scrutinize and research "the best weather" anywhere, and you will find that almost any location has both positives AND negatives.

 

There's merit to what you're saying. I am comfortable here, have good neighbors, and everything is close. I hate the weather though and have wanted to escape it for a long time. But I'm too old to live in an isolated area. However, if it comes to having to grow our own food I'm out of luck because the soil is sandy and nothing grows here. Also - right down the street outside of our development it's a bad area. It's a tough call and I keep wrestling with it.

 

The end of the world as we know it will be a real shocker..History proves that nations don't last forever and many times real mayhem and a lot of dieing take place. Since everything is ratcheting up this year, this spring, if you aren't already in your safe place you are not going to get there for this go round.

We moved to sparsly popuated montana 25 years ago and here is where we stay. Cold is good...... it keeps some of the riff raff out.

Everybody should just relax, eat off the good china, drink the special booze, kiss the ones you love and make peace with your belief or non belief in your everlasting soul.

 

The end of the world as we know it will be a real shocker..History proves that nations don't last forever and many times real mayhem and a lot of dieing take place. Since everything is ratcheting up this year, this spring, if you aren't already in your safe place you are not going to get there for this go round.

We moved to sparsly popuated montana 25 years ago and here is where we stay. Cold is good...... it keeps some of the riff raff out.

Everybody should just relax, eat off the good china, drink the special booze, kiss the ones you love and make peace with your belief or non belief in your everlasting soul.

That's wise.

 

Born and raised in East Texas and could not consider living anywhere else. It does get hot and humid here, but the week we have winter is nice. Right now living on a 7 acre property in the country, but we own 100 acres in a one horse town about an hr away. Now that we are retired I would love to build there, however my hubby has promised his parents we would move to their house after they are gone. The plus side of that is a 13 acre lake that is stocked and it is out in the country also. So not much of a winter, and we are far enough away from the coast that with hurricanes we only get rain, however we do have to watch out for tornadoes.

 

I think the majority of places in the USA are survivable for any general geographical area for a 1 year or less scenario. Some might be harder than others and of course being out of the city is a good idea.

Where location really matters is when you use up your stash of supplies and have to figure out how to resupply on your own with locally available goods. A lot of places are going to struggle with getting more water and food once the original supply is gone.

I don't think any place has a significantly better odds of survival than where I have already established my homestead and business that it is worth uprooting my families life. Got to balance possible future needs with today's current needs.

 

You have two major flaws in your thinking here:
1)There are plenty of areas in N AZ that have nearly endless supplies of water. I used to live in one.
2) No one is 'fleeing to CA. Approx 1000 people per DAY are fleeing the state.

 

Look for elevation if your concerned with global warming.

 

I'm not concerned about global warning - we're in the midst of a grand solar minimum - a mini ice age. I'm not as well-informed on it as I could be but the possibility of a pole shift may happen. Florida used to be cold and Indians froze to death.

 

Access to natural source of clean water and good wood for burning.
Good tillable soil.
Looonnngggg growing season.

Besides water and dirt, a long growing season means survival. I’d rather be growing food in March/October than dreading an unexpected early/late snowfall.

 

Access to natural source of clean water and good wood for burning.
Good tillable soil.
Looonnngggg growing season.

Besides water and dirt, a long growing season means survival. I’d rather be growing food in March/October than dreading an unexpected early/late snowfall.

That's what scares me where we're at - a brief growing season.

 

The best area is likely in a different country, but which country is anyones clue.

 

Why do you say this?

 

I live in Nebraska. And while we do have cold winters (in the negative temps on occasion), and I DEFINITELY wouldn't want to get further north than I already am---it does have some advantages.

It definitely keeps out the fire ants, the killer bees, the invasive pythons, and the alligators!

Unfortunately, it isn't keeping out the California liberals. However they tend to congregate in the only two big cities we have: Omaha and Lincoln. (I suppose so they can keep each other warm in the winter).

 

I live in Nebraska. And while we do have cold winters (in the negative temps on occasion), and I DEFINITELY wouldn't want to get further north than I already am---it does have some advantages.

It definitely keeps out the fire ants, the killer bees, the invasive pythons, and the alligators!

Unfortunately, it isn't keeping out the California liberals. However they tend to congregate in the only two big cities we have: Omaha and Lincoln. (I suppose so they can keep each other warm in the winter).

Having spent my adolescent years in Nebraska in the late 60 through the late 70s, there are some wonderful locations along the rivers that are heavily forested with bluffs and hills. I learned hunting and camping in the bluffs along the Missouri River north and south of Omaha and along the Platt river. Small and large game mammals, pheasants and fish filled lakes and streams. Back then as 14-15 years olds my friend and I would be gone for a week with about $20 between us, a shot gun, a 22 and couple fishing poles and backpacks and we would hitch hike our way around the state.

Just gotta get significant distance from the cities. I know the Omaha area has grown significantly from the time I was there, but the flyover area is probably still very sparsely populated. Probably still great areas in South and North Dakota too.

 

I've lived in Florida and no way am I going back. NorCal from a climate and agriculture perspective would probably be ideal for me, but I'm pretty content in the Carolinas.

 

I grew up on a farm. We ran cattle, we had a nut orchard, and we sharecropped other orchards. It is in a region known for severe droughts. The worry over drought has always on the top of all worries.

I served 20 years in the military. At every duty station, I toured the area and tried to examine how farming would be there.

Most regions in North America are drought-prone. When I retired we decided to settle in the one region that we had found that is free from droughts [ Maine ] .

After living here for 18 years, we have found that we live within a community of off-grid homesteaders who have been doing this gig for multiple generations. Modern commercial Ag does not even look twice at this region, too many rocks, and we have winters. The basic formula needed to make corporate profits is not found here. But if your goal is to live, pay low taxes and to be left alone, this region is ideal.

 

I was stationed in South GA back in 1987. Retired from the military in 2001 and been here ever since. I'm from Florida originally but would never move back there. Too expensive, too many out of state transplants. Summers can be miserable in the Southeast if you aren't used to humidity and heat. But water is plentiful, farms are all around us, and land is available. Homeowner insurance rates are also A LOT less expensive than in Florida.

Added: We're just minutes North of the FL/GA line so the gulf and Atlantic are not far of a drive.

 

"IF" location is not the foundation of a prepper's survival plan, what is a better foundation to build on....???

 

Yep, back a bit we were looking at SW Oregon. It was right when they started passing all sorts of loony laws and raising taxes. Just based on the politics back then we ruled it out. Seeing how that area has turned out we are glad we did!

You have two major flaws in your thinking here:
1)There are plenty of areas in N AZ that have nearly endless supplies of water. I used to live in one.
2) No one is 'fleeing to CA. Approx 1000 people per DAY are fleeing the state.

I meant that people are fleeing CA. I read about the Hoover Dam going down and also that those Saudi Arabian farms are draining the water table in south AZ. People had their wells go dry. Why did you leave AZ?

 

Has anyone else really considered a more temperate area or a major move?

Not me. I'm old and tired but I'm not going anywhere despite the snow in the winter and heat in the summer. Natural gas prices have doubled here since 2019 and they are supposed to increase even more but I'm still not moving even though I could. Moving is a huge hassle and what's to say where you think you want to go won't be worse than what you left?

couldn't see moving to an area just as cold as where I'm at and the folks in Idaho are selling their homes at inflated prices. Also, North AZ which I had considered, which is part of the Redoubt, is cold but could also lack water.

All home prices are inflated. Populations tend to concentrate where the climate is temperate, there is plenty of water and everything is good. The Redoubt is just the opposite. It's a redoubt because most people have decided they don't want to live there.

but I'd rather have a hurricane than a snowstorm - although I've never lived through a hurricane.

I've never experienced a hurricane, but I have experienced snow. I'll pick snow.

Now I gotta do research about EMFs.

EMF stands for Electromagnetic Field. This is radio frequency waves which all radio transmitters such as cell towers, cell phones, internet routers and your wifi computers emit. Due to the law of inverse square your exposure from cell towers unless you are very close is zilch.

I know that housing prices in Florida are off the charts.

Housing prices where I live are off the charts.

If CA wasn't such a troubled state I'd move there for the climate.

Much of California has a wonderful climate.

You can scrutinize and research "the best weather" anywhere, and you will find that almost any location has both positives AND negatives.

The best places to live with the best weather are already full of people.

It does NOT mean that the earth will wobble and fall over like a top that stops spinning.

It can't unless it gets hit with a world killing meteor or small moon.

Please just forget about a "pole shift".

"magnetic" pole shift is what they frighten people with having them believe the earth is going to go off axis and the poles will bake and the deserts will freeze. The magnetic poles like you say are always moving. That's why we have compass declination adjustments.

 

Not me. I'm old and tired but I'm not going anywhere despite the snow in the winter and heat in the summer. Natural gas prices have doubled here since 2019 and they are supposed to increase even more but I'm still not moving even though I could. Moving is a huge hassle and what's to say where you think you want to go won't be worse than what you left?

All home prices are inflated. Populations tend to concentrate where the climate is temperate, there is plenty of water and everything is good. The Redoubt is just the opposite. It's a redoubt because most people have decided they don't want to live there.

I've never experienced a hurricane, but I have experienced snow. I'll pick snow.

EMF stands for Electromagnetic Field. This is radio frequency waves which all radio transmitters such as cell towers, cell phones, internet routers and your wifi computers emit. Due to the law of inverse square your exposure from cell towers unless you are very close is zilch.

Housing prices where I live are off the charts.

Much of California has a wonderful climate.

The best places to live with the best weather are already full of people.

It can't unless it gets hit with a world killing meteor or small moon.

"magnetic" pole shift is what they frighten people with having them believe the earth is going to go off axis and the poles will bake and the deserts will freeze. The magnetic poles like you say are always moving. That's why we have compass declination adjustments.

Lagnar I am old and tired too.

My hubby used an expensive meter and tested our laptops and cellphones and the EMF meter shot way up beyond what's considered a safe level. So he hard wired our computers and I keep the cell phone away from me unless I need to use it.

Someone in my family is researching it and said that if you use your phone in your vehicle it becomes a reverse faraday cage. The EMF specialist they're conferring with is so careful about EMF's that he has an EMF shielded van and refuses to stay in any hotel. So I'm wondering what he knows that we don't.