Even the safest communities can experience massive unrest.

Your neighborhood may find itself in the middle of an activist protest that turns into a riot in a matter of minutes. 

Your normally safe apartment complex may be stuck in the middle of looting and violence following a major natural disaster.

No matter where you live, disaster can turn generally nice people into criminals breaking in for food and water. In survival mode, people will do whatever it takes to stay alive.

If crisis strikes and your neighborhood suddenly goes up in smoke with massive unrest, you have seconds to decide what to do.

Here are some tips to make the best decision in that moment:

Take Preventative Measures Today

The best and most effective way to find a safe haven during massive unrest is to prepare in advance for the possibility.

Whether you shelter in place or bug out in the wild, you’re going to need supplies to get you through. 

• Stock up on long-term emergency food.
• Have a water filtration device.
• Invest in solar-powered devices.
• Keep first aid supplies on hand.
• Practice home defense. 

Stay Aware

We get it, the news is overwhelming.

But it’s far better to have an idea of what’s coming than for it to surprise you. You need to stay aware.

Make sure you have a radio so you can continue to stay aware of what’s happening around you.

Have a paper map and mark locations that are deemed unsafe.

When it’s time to leave, you’ll need to have an idea of where to go and where not to go. 

Have an Escape Plan Ready

You may not be able to shelter in place if things get out of control.

Consider these firsthand accounts from people in communities where unrest happened quickly:

• Defund the police movement in Seattle. “Matthew Ploszaj, a Capitol Hill resident, is one of the complainants. He said his apartment building, blocks from Mr. Khan’s shop, was broken into four times during the occupation. […] When he and another resident called the police after one burglary, they told him to meet them outside the occupation zone, about eight blocks away. He and other residents spent nights at a friend’s house outside the area during the height of the protests.”
  
  
• Bolton Hill Baltimore neighborhood street gangs in 2015. “Some of our neighbors left, to stay in hotels or with friends elsewhere, but most stayed. There were reports of violence along Eutaw Street downtown, where windows were smashed and a deli looted, and we were more or less between the two sites of violence. We could hear sirens and explosions on North Avenue; there were helicopters constantly overhead.”
  
  
• George Floyd protests. “As the news about George Floyd was spreading, Target employees began getting texts telling them not to come in. One was the son of pastor John Erickson, who lives across the street from Piper. ‘I was like, what’s going on?’ Then I realized the looting had begun. The city became unhinged Tuesday into Wednesday. There was no police presence and no fire presence Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.’”

As these stories show, you may face a situation where the unrest is in your neighborhood.

Rather than making an impulsive decision, come up with an escape plan today.

The ideal scenario would be having a survival retreat that your family can escape to during this type of situation.

If you don’t have one, devise an escape plan. Identify where you can go safely and note evacuation routes.

In order to bug out effectively and efficiently, you must have a prepared go-bag stocked with all your essentials. 

[Related Read: 10 Items Even the Most Hardcore Preppers Are Missing in Their Bug-Out Bags]

Barricade Yourself from Threats

Whether you’re in your house as a safe haven or your survival retreat, you don’t want to get too comfortable.

It’s still necessary to barricade yourself from threats coming from the outside.

For example, if there is looting and rioting, you don’t want to sit casually in the living room. You want to barricade your windows and doors, as well as stay in the interior rooms.

Hide Signs of Life

The goal is to keep your safe haven… safe!

You do not want to let outsiders know it’s safe and cozy inside. Or that you have food and water.

Don’t give outsiders any reason to try to break into your safe haven.

Do your best to limit light and noise. You don’t want to advertise that you are home, fed, and safe.

Keep a Stocked Go-Bag 

Whether you decide to bug out as soon as disaster strikes or once you’re eventually forced to leave your safe haven, you need to have a stocked go-bag.

Make sure this go-bag only has the essentials so that you can easily grab it and run.

Here is a list of some essentials to keep in your go-bag:

• Important personal documents (driver’s license, birth certificate, etc.)
• Cash
• Emergency food
• Water
• Medications
• First aid supplies
• Hygiene supplies
• Extra power sources
• Additional chargers
• Multipurpose tool or pocket knife
• Tarp
• Duct tape

What Not to Do in Massive Unrest

You need a plan for what to do in emergencies, but you also need to know what not to do during a time of massive unrest:

• Get involved. You may be tempted to get involved or help. This is extremely dangerous. In survival situations, you want to act as a “gray man” and blend in—not be a hero.

• Dive into your emergency food. When you are in an emergency, you may feel the need to dive into your long-term emergency food. Don’t. If your safe haven is home, finish off the food in your refrigerator and pantry before you start eating from your long-term emergency food supplies.

• Draw attention to yourself. You do not want to give outsiders any reason to break into your home. Stay quiet, keep the lights off, and don’t cook outdoors.

• Leave without a plan. If you must leave your home, do not leave without a plan. Think ahead. Know where you can retreat to if needed.

• Advertise your supplies. Do not tell everyone what a great collection of emergency food and gear you have. Not in an emergency, and not beforehand. If the world goes crazy, people will seek out your food and supplies. (Yes, even people you know.) You don’t want your home to be the place they are looting!

• Let your guard down. Stay alert until you are sure the outside world is safe. Don’t open the door. Don’t take a trip to explore. Don’t head to the grocery store. Stay inside. Stay quiet. Stay safe. 

Plan for unrest in your neighborhood, friends. Always be prepared.

In liberty,

Elizabeth Anderson

Preparedness Advisor, My Patriot Supply