The Top 5 Most Likely Disasters to Happen in America

Surprisingly, there are a large number of Americans who prepare for disaster without actually knowing what they are preparing for – they just know that it’s a good idea to prep. While it’s certainly wise for them to do so, it would be even wiser to know exactly what to prepare for.

Even though you cannot prepare for every single possible disaster, you can prepare for at least two or three of them. Keep in mind that while some preparations will be relevant for multiple eventualities, some potential disasters require preparations that are very specific to them.

Here are the top five disasters that are the most likely to happen in America:

ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

Economic collapses have, in the past, had devastating effects on populations.

Even though the economy is great in the United States right now, having made a spectacular recovery since the 2008 – 2009 Great Recession, this doesn’t mean that things are going to stay this way forever. In fact, they almost certainly won’t.

This is because, even though the economy may seem strong now, beneath the surface the fundamentals reveal it to be extremely vulnerable. For example, the national debt is currently over $20 trillion. When President Bush took office in January of 2001, the national debt stood at around $5.7 trillion. It has expanded to $21 trillion today.

Needless to say: it’s a bubble, and it’s going to burst. Even if debt does not cause the next undoing of the American economy, something else can, such as an agricultural disaster.

When there is another economic collapse, it will likely be more comparable to the Great Depression rather than the Great Recession, if not worse. In other words, you better start practicing your self-sufficiency skills now.

EMP ATTACK

A 3D illustration of a nuclear explosion – Nuclear blasts create devastating Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) shockwaves.

The possibility of an EMP attack is definitely a hugely popular subject amongst the survivalist and prepping community, and it’s not a worry that goes unwarranted.

An EMP attack would, without question, be one of the most devastating things that could ever happen to the United States. It would knock out the entire power grid within a certain radius, which means that besides electricity you would also have to say goodbye to heating, running vehicles, running water, internet, and cell service.

A nuclear blast would have many devastating effects.

For this reason, an EMP attack is something that you would be very wise to prepare for. If America’s enemies wanted to deal a truly devastating blow to the country, an EMP attack would be one of the most effective ways to do it.

HURRICANES (AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS)

We needn’t look any further than the disaster ravaging Florida right now to see why hurricanes and other natural disasters are truly one of the most likely disasters to happen in America. After all, they’re literally happening right now.

Homes along a waterway destroyed by a possible tornado and Hurricane Irma which made landfall in the Florida Keys.

Many other infamous hurricanes have ravaged the coasts of the country over the years, including Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy.  If you don’t live in an area that is at risk of hurricanes or other sea-based disasters, you may need to focus on preparing for other disasters instead like tornadoes, blizzards, earthquakes, or flash floods.

SOLAR FLARES

Giant Solar Flares. The sun produces super-storms and massive radiation bursts.

A solar flare would have an incredibly similar impact to that of an EMP attack. It is simply an explosion on the surface of the sun and would release a cloud of ions, atoms, electrons, and other energetic particles into outer space, resulting in solar wind storms and radiation.

These could then trigger an EMP and wipe out sections of the power grid here on Earth. While you may think that Solar Flares are not a major threat, major ones have gone off multiple times in recorded history – from the 1800s to today.

The largest recorded solar flare occurred in 1859. If it happened today, it would have taken out the entire power grid across the world. This would cause trillions of dollars in damage and take at least a full decade to recover from.

VOLCANOES

A volcanic eruption from Yellowstone would have world-changing consequences.

Specifically, Yellowstone Volcano. This volcano deserves special attention because if it ever went off, it would change the life of every American – from the West Coast to the East.

While we can’t predict exactly when Yellowstone will erupt again (there have been three known eruptions throughout history), we can definitely predict that the next eruption would be truly devastating. As a supervolcano, the eruption would blanket most, if not all, of North America in ash. This would block out the sunlight and kill agriculture as we know it. This would not only be a significant natural disaster; it would also cause an economic collapse of magnificent proportions.