What's the most convenient time of year to end the world?












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This is a question I've been wondering about for a while. If I wanted to give my characters the best possible chance of surviving my story's Armageddon, what time of year should I schedule it for?



Let's keep the scenario as general as possible for maximum usefulness to people who aren't me, while still laying down some ground rules. Let's assume some sort of global EMP attack / solar flare that destroys the entire world's electronic infrastructure. No radiation, no explosions, no immediate deaths. But everyone's left without electricity, running water, sewage, and every other part of the vast network of societal services we perpetually take for granted that keep us from having to fight every day for the right to breathe. What's left of the government is rapidly breaking down, the stores aren't restocking, and people have to secure access to food, water and medicine, acquire the means to defend themselves from others, etc.



Let's further narrow it down to focus on the USA, since I know that the seasons are wildly different depending on where in the world you are, and lots of other factors could be in play to make the answer a great big "it depends".



What time of year should I have this event take place in to make sure that the greatest number of people has the greatest chance of living to see next year?










share|improve this question











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    When you say infrastructure what exactly are you referring to? This ranges from satellite networks and power grids, which I believe would be affected by an EMP. To roads, buildings and many more aspects of a country's infrastructure which wouldn't. This will have major impact on the scenario that follows the event
    $endgroup$
    – MB123
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @MB123 Mostly the power grid. Minimal physical destruction. Sorry I misjudged the term.
    $endgroup$
    – Jason Clyde
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    I don't have the answer to what would happen if the power grid was destroyed as it is a rather complex event. However, after a quick search there seems to be alot of answers and info out there about it, if you search up "power grid attack"
    $endgroup$
    – MB123
    2 hours ago






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    If you assume total collapse of government and general chaos the best time would probably be the end of winter/beginning of spring, as this would allow the most time to prepare for the next winter and best conditions for food production
    $endgroup$
    – MB123
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Some pertinent questions might be 1. what parts of the power grid get damaged by such an event 2. how do they get damaged 3. how quickly & easily can damaged components be replaced 4. & (perhaps the most important one) what is the expected effect on nuclear power plants ~ I'm suspecting myself that other than the meltdowns of the nuclear stations it's probably all fixable in reasonably short order?
    $endgroup$
    – Pelinore
    1 hour ago
















4












$begingroup$


This is a question I've been wondering about for a while. If I wanted to give my characters the best possible chance of surviving my story's Armageddon, what time of year should I schedule it for?



Let's keep the scenario as general as possible for maximum usefulness to people who aren't me, while still laying down some ground rules. Let's assume some sort of global EMP attack / solar flare that destroys the entire world's electronic infrastructure. No radiation, no explosions, no immediate deaths. But everyone's left without electricity, running water, sewage, and every other part of the vast network of societal services we perpetually take for granted that keep us from having to fight every day for the right to breathe. What's left of the government is rapidly breaking down, the stores aren't restocking, and people have to secure access to food, water and medicine, acquire the means to defend themselves from others, etc.



Let's further narrow it down to focus on the USA, since I know that the seasons are wildly different depending on where in the world you are, and lots of other factors could be in play to make the answer a great big "it depends".



What time of year should I have this event take place in to make sure that the greatest number of people has the greatest chance of living to see next year?










share|improve this question











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    When you say infrastructure what exactly are you referring to? This ranges from satellite networks and power grids, which I believe would be affected by an EMP. To roads, buildings and many more aspects of a country's infrastructure which wouldn't. This will have major impact on the scenario that follows the event
    $endgroup$
    – MB123
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @MB123 Mostly the power grid. Minimal physical destruction. Sorry I misjudged the term.
    $endgroup$
    – Jason Clyde
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    I don't have the answer to what would happen if the power grid was destroyed as it is a rather complex event. However, after a quick search there seems to be alot of answers and info out there about it, if you search up "power grid attack"
    $endgroup$
    – MB123
    2 hours ago






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    If you assume total collapse of government and general chaos the best time would probably be the end of winter/beginning of spring, as this would allow the most time to prepare for the next winter and best conditions for food production
    $endgroup$
    – MB123
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Some pertinent questions might be 1. what parts of the power grid get damaged by such an event 2. how do they get damaged 3. how quickly & easily can damaged components be replaced 4. & (perhaps the most important one) what is the expected effect on nuclear power plants ~ I'm suspecting myself that other than the meltdowns of the nuclear stations it's probably all fixable in reasonably short order?
    $endgroup$
    – Pelinore
    1 hour ago














4












4








4





$begingroup$


This is a question I've been wondering about for a while. If I wanted to give my characters the best possible chance of surviving my story's Armageddon, what time of year should I schedule it for?



Let's keep the scenario as general as possible for maximum usefulness to people who aren't me, while still laying down some ground rules. Let's assume some sort of global EMP attack / solar flare that destroys the entire world's electronic infrastructure. No radiation, no explosions, no immediate deaths. But everyone's left without electricity, running water, sewage, and every other part of the vast network of societal services we perpetually take for granted that keep us from having to fight every day for the right to breathe. What's left of the government is rapidly breaking down, the stores aren't restocking, and people have to secure access to food, water and medicine, acquire the means to defend themselves from others, etc.



Let's further narrow it down to focus on the USA, since I know that the seasons are wildly different depending on where in the world you are, and lots of other factors could be in play to make the answer a great big "it depends".



What time of year should I have this event take place in to make sure that the greatest number of people has the greatest chance of living to see next year?










share|improve this question











$endgroup$




This is a question I've been wondering about for a while. If I wanted to give my characters the best possible chance of surviving my story's Armageddon, what time of year should I schedule it for?



Let's keep the scenario as general as possible for maximum usefulness to people who aren't me, while still laying down some ground rules. Let's assume some sort of global EMP attack / solar flare that destroys the entire world's electronic infrastructure. No radiation, no explosions, no immediate deaths. But everyone's left without electricity, running water, sewage, and every other part of the vast network of societal services we perpetually take for granted that keep us from having to fight every day for the right to breathe. What's left of the government is rapidly breaking down, the stores aren't restocking, and people have to secure access to food, water and medicine, acquire the means to defend themselves from others, etc.



Let's further narrow it down to focus on the USA, since I know that the seasons are wildly different depending on where in the world you are, and lots of other factors could be in play to make the answer a great big "it depends".



What time of year should I have this event take place in to make sure that the greatest number of people has the greatest chance of living to see next year?







post-apocalypse time electricity infrastructure






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 2 hours ago









Cyn

9,55612246




9,55612246










asked 3 hours ago









Jason ClydeJason Clyde

1,4971128




1,4971128












  • $begingroup$
    When you say infrastructure what exactly are you referring to? This ranges from satellite networks and power grids, which I believe would be affected by an EMP. To roads, buildings and many more aspects of a country's infrastructure which wouldn't. This will have major impact on the scenario that follows the event
    $endgroup$
    – MB123
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @MB123 Mostly the power grid. Minimal physical destruction. Sorry I misjudged the term.
    $endgroup$
    – Jason Clyde
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    I don't have the answer to what would happen if the power grid was destroyed as it is a rather complex event. However, after a quick search there seems to be alot of answers and info out there about it, if you search up "power grid attack"
    $endgroup$
    – MB123
    2 hours ago






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    If you assume total collapse of government and general chaos the best time would probably be the end of winter/beginning of spring, as this would allow the most time to prepare for the next winter and best conditions for food production
    $endgroup$
    – MB123
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Some pertinent questions might be 1. what parts of the power grid get damaged by such an event 2. how do they get damaged 3. how quickly & easily can damaged components be replaced 4. & (perhaps the most important one) what is the expected effect on nuclear power plants ~ I'm suspecting myself that other than the meltdowns of the nuclear stations it's probably all fixable in reasonably short order?
    $endgroup$
    – Pelinore
    1 hour ago


















  • $begingroup$
    When you say infrastructure what exactly are you referring to? This ranges from satellite networks and power grids, which I believe would be affected by an EMP. To roads, buildings and many more aspects of a country's infrastructure which wouldn't. This will have major impact on the scenario that follows the event
    $endgroup$
    – MB123
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @MB123 Mostly the power grid. Minimal physical destruction. Sorry I misjudged the term.
    $endgroup$
    – Jason Clyde
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    I don't have the answer to what would happen if the power grid was destroyed as it is a rather complex event. However, after a quick search there seems to be alot of answers and info out there about it, if you search up "power grid attack"
    $endgroup$
    – MB123
    2 hours ago






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    If you assume total collapse of government and general chaos the best time would probably be the end of winter/beginning of spring, as this would allow the most time to prepare for the next winter and best conditions for food production
    $endgroup$
    – MB123
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Some pertinent questions might be 1. what parts of the power grid get damaged by such an event 2. how do they get damaged 3. how quickly & easily can damaged components be replaced 4. & (perhaps the most important one) what is the expected effect on nuclear power plants ~ I'm suspecting myself that other than the meltdowns of the nuclear stations it's probably all fixable in reasonably short order?
    $endgroup$
    – Pelinore
    1 hour ago
















$begingroup$
When you say infrastructure what exactly are you referring to? This ranges from satellite networks and power grids, which I believe would be affected by an EMP. To roads, buildings and many more aspects of a country's infrastructure which wouldn't. This will have major impact on the scenario that follows the event
$endgroup$
– MB123
2 hours ago




$begingroup$
When you say infrastructure what exactly are you referring to? This ranges from satellite networks and power grids, which I believe would be affected by an EMP. To roads, buildings and many more aspects of a country's infrastructure which wouldn't. This will have major impact on the scenario that follows the event
$endgroup$
– MB123
2 hours ago












$begingroup$
@MB123 Mostly the power grid. Minimal physical destruction. Sorry I misjudged the term.
$endgroup$
– Jason Clyde
2 hours ago




$begingroup$
@MB123 Mostly the power grid. Minimal physical destruction. Sorry I misjudged the term.
$endgroup$
– Jason Clyde
2 hours ago












$begingroup$
I don't have the answer to what would happen if the power grid was destroyed as it is a rather complex event. However, after a quick search there seems to be alot of answers and info out there about it, if you search up "power grid attack"
$endgroup$
– MB123
2 hours ago




$begingroup$
I don't have the answer to what would happen if the power grid was destroyed as it is a rather complex event. However, after a quick search there seems to be alot of answers and info out there about it, if you search up "power grid attack"
$endgroup$
– MB123
2 hours ago




2




2




$begingroup$
If you assume total collapse of government and general chaos the best time would probably be the end of winter/beginning of spring, as this would allow the most time to prepare for the next winter and best conditions for food production
$endgroup$
– MB123
2 hours ago




$begingroup$
If you assume total collapse of government and general chaos the best time would probably be the end of winter/beginning of spring, as this would allow the most time to prepare for the next winter and best conditions for food production
$endgroup$
– MB123
2 hours ago












$begingroup$
Some pertinent questions might be 1. what parts of the power grid get damaged by such an event 2. how do they get damaged 3. how quickly & easily can damaged components be replaced 4. & (perhaps the most important one) what is the expected effect on nuclear power plants ~ I'm suspecting myself that other than the meltdowns of the nuclear stations it's probably all fixable in reasonably short order?
$endgroup$
– Pelinore
1 hour ago




$begingroup$
Some pertinent questions might be 1. what parts of the power grid get damaged by such an event 2. how do they get damaged 3. how quickly & easily can damaged components be replaced 4. & (perhaps the most important one) what is the expected effect on nuclear power plants ~ I'm suspecting myself that other than the meltdowns of the nuclear stations it's probably all fixable in reasonably short order?
$endgroup$
– Pelinore
1 hour ago










3 Answers
3






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Mid Spring



Around late April the last freezes will have passed through the U.S.. It will be possible to remain outdoors with little protection for seven months from this time.



Farmers will have already prepared their fields (which would have required the heavy equipment) and planted the first crops of the year. Setting up manual irrigation will not be an unbearable challenge. Soy is ready for harvest in a month. There will be time for multiple plantings and harvestings of this staple calorie crop in rural areas, and also plenty of time for urban areas to establish farming in any areas suited for it.



There will be plenty of time to build new things. Most sewage systems are based on gravity allowing everything to flow down hill. With a little work, people may be able to get sewage and water working in places where there is easy access to springs, rivers, or mountain runoff.



There's also plenty of time to prepare for a winter without heating. Time to chop wood, knit blankets, buy extra clothes, can food, make candles for the long periods of darkness.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$









  • 1




    $begingroup$
    There's time to make greenhouses, too. If you don't have artificial heating, suddenly greenhouses become much more useful. Note that I'm not saying sun rooms, because a greenhouse is usually insulated against cold, but I've seen quite a few sun rooms that seem to be designed on the concept that it's going to be capturing enough heat to discount the fact it's not insulated well. Buying extra clothes only works if there's time to make them, but there is, in fact, time to make them, too. :)
    $endgroup$
    – Ed Grimm
    1 hour ago



















1












$begingroup$

Christmas (seriously)



If we narrow it down to North America in particular, there are several advantages to this being your chosen date.



1) Family

Christmas is often seen as a time of family, so small family gatherings are happening all over. This is actually a good thing, because less people are going to be out trying to find loved ones, and those you care about are already grouped together in a small 'clan' that is determined to look after each other.



2) Food

These aforementioned families have already stocked up for the Christmas period and therefore have an advantage in terms of managing food supplies going forward in the initial chaos while they work out what to do next to sustain themselves.



3) Cold

Sure, not nice to be out in, but if the power goes out, all that aforementioned food hoarded by the aforementioned families will go off at a slower rate. Still not good if you're in (say) California, but in Illinois or New York, you could almost freeze your food by leaving it outside.



4) Traffic

Because the families are already together, there's little need to travel meaning that the roads are freer for the emergency services, assuming of course they can get their cars and trucks working. That means that as issues arise, the emergency teams can respond more rapidly than they could if everyone was trying to get to family or just plain get out of dodge in a disorderly fashion.



The Caveats

This is still a catastrophic scenario by most standards. Large population centres (cities) consume a lot of food, and produce almost none. Many of the people in these population centres start dying after a few days no matter what you do and civil disturbance will be on an exponential curve when the food starts running out. Add to that the fact that the cold is a two edged sword insofar as our warm-blooded metabolisms mean that we need to eat more during the cold than otherwise, so that food that lasts longer before spoiling gets eaten faster to avoid starvation.



Also, EMPs and other technology neutralising phenomena will make it much harder to coordinate responses and the like, and most of the people who survive from the cities will do so by walking out of them immediately. Some of those families (for the reasons mentioned above) will be less likely to do that at Christmas.



The real winners out of a doomsday scenario at Christmas in North America are going to be the small communities across the food belt of the USA, where they have family around them, a supply of food and the capacity to grow more as they go, not to mention having herds of cows and sheep to survive off while crops regrow.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$





















    1












    $begingroup$

    September



    Summer is a busy time when people are unsettled and often off traveling. Kids may be separated from their parents. A lot of people move in the summer. But once school starts, people are pretty settled in for the year. Even people who aren't in school or parents of children in school (or working in schools) tend to move with that schedule.



    In cold weather areas, crops are mostly in by September. In warmer parts of the US, a lot of crops ripen year-round or specifically in the fall months, but food and survival temps aren't as critical in winter.



    Because of "back to school" and the end of the travel season, stores are well stocked with goods of all kinds.



    Summer heat is more or less over (sometimes you get a last hurrah) so super quick food spoilage, issues with sewage, trash, and corpses (the event may not have caused deaths but people die anyway), and the death of fragile people from not having air conditioning are not strong concerns.



    It may be cold at night, depending on the location, but it's a few months before the worst of winter and accumulation of snow. This gives people some time to prepare. September is a great time to can food (and there should be enough fuel left to do it) and semi-perishable foods can survive outdoors, at least overnight. It's a good time to cut wood and prep fireplaces (for those lucky enough to have them) for use. Some may be able to buy wood stoves (there are some designed to use existing chimneys) which are far more efficient than fireplaces and allow cooking too. Some families will move in with each other to conserve fuel and other resources.



    For local communities that choose to work together under effective leadership, everyone should survive the winter (aside from some with severe medical conditions). If people don't panic and if government stays intact, a lot of places will be able to function.



    Small rural towns are the best bet as they're likely to have horses or oxen available, may grow their own food already, have wood for heat, and don't have too many people to fight over resources like generators and fuel for cars and trucks and tractors.



    Cities will be in trouble because most food must be trucked in and cities have more complex infrastructure. And potable water...big problem. Their survival will depend on a lot of things but having the event occur at the very end of summer is their best chance.






    share|improve this answer









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      3 Answers
      3






      active

      oldest

      votes








      3 Answers
      3






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

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      4












      $begingroup$

      Mid Spring



      Around late April the last freezes will have passed through the U.S.. It will be possible to remain outdoors with little protection for seven months from this time.



      Farmers will have already prepared their fields (which would have required the heavy equipment) and planted the first crops of the year. Setting up manual irrigation will not be an unbearable challenge. Soy is ready for harvest in a month. There will be time for multiple plantings and harvestings of this staple calorie crop in rural areas, and also plenty of time for urban areas to establish farming in any areas suited for it.



      There will be plenty of time to build new things. Most sewage systems are based on gravity allowing everything to flow down hill. With a little work, people may be able to get sewage and water working in places where there is easy access to springs, rivers, or mountain runoff.



      There's also plenty of time to prepare for a winter without heating. Time to chop wood, knit blankets, buy extra clothes, can food, make candles for the long periods of darkness.






      share|improve this answer









      $endgroup$









      • 1




        $begingroup$
        There's time to make greenhouses, too. If you don't have artificial heating, suddenly greenhouses become much more useful. Note that I'm not saying sun rooms, because a greenhouse is usually insulated against cold, but I've seen quite a few sun rooms that seem to be designed on the concept that it's going to be capturing enough heat to discount the fact it's not insulated well. Buying extra clothes only works if there's time to make them, but there is, in fact, time to make them, too. :)
        $endgroup$
        – Ed Grimm
        1 hour ago
















      4












      $begingroup$

      Mid Spring



      Around late April the last freezes will have passed through the U.S.. It will be possible to remain outdoors with little protection for seven months from this time.



      Farmers will have already prepared their fields (which would have required the heavy equipment) and planted the first crops of the year. Setting up manual irrigation will not be an unbearable challenge. Soy is ready for harvest in a month. There will be time for multiple plantings and harvestings of this staple calorie crop in rural areas, and also plenty of time for urban areas to establish farming in any areas suited for it.



      There will be plenty of time to build new things. Most sewage systems are based on gravity allowing everything to flow down hill. With a little work, people may be able to get sewage and water working in places where there is easy access to springs, rivers, or mountain runoff.



      There's also plenty of time to prepare for a winter without heating. Time to chop wood, knit blankets, buy extra clothes, can food, make candles for the long periods of darkness.






      share|improve this answer









      $endgroup$









      • 1




        $begingroup$
        There's time to make greenhouses, too. If you don't have artificial heating, suddenly greenhouses become much more useful. Note that I'm not saying sun rooms, because a greenhouse is usually insulated against cold, but I've seen quite a few sun rooms that seem to be designed on the concept that it's going to be capturing enough heat to discount the fact it's not insulated well. Buying extra clothes only works if there's time to make them, but there is, in fact, time to make them, too. :)
        $endgroup$
        – Ed Grimm
        1 hour ago














      4












      4








      4





      $begingroup$

      Mid Spring



      Around late April the last freezes will have passed through the U.S.. It will be possible to remain outdoors with little protection for seven months from this time.



      Farmers will have already prepared their fields (which would have required the heavy equipment) and planted the first crops of the year. Setting up manual irrigation will not be an unbearable challenge. Soy is ready for harvest in a month. There will be time for multiple plantings and harvestings of this staple calorie crop in rural areas, and also plenty of time for urban areas to establish farming in any areas suited for it.



      There will be plenty of time to build new things. Most sewage systems are based on gravity allowing everything to flow down hill. With a little work, people may be able to get sewage and water working in places where there is easy access to springs, rivers, or mountain runoff.



      There's also plenty of time to prepare for a winter without heating. Time to chop wood, knit blankets, buy extra clothes, can food, make candles for the long periods of darkness.






      share|improve this answer









      $endgroup$



      Mid Spring



      Around late April the last freezes will have passed through the U.S.. It will be possible to remain outdoors with little protection for seven months from this time.



      Farmers will have already prepared their fields (which would have required the heavy equipment) and planted the first crops of the year. Setting up manual irrigation will not be an unbearable challenge. Soy is ready for harvest in a month. There will be time for multiple plantings and harvestings of this staple calorie crop in rural areas, and also plenty of time for urban areas to establish farming in any areas suited for it.



      There will be plenty of time to build new things. Most sewage systems are based on gravity allowing everything to flow down hill. With a little work, people may be able to get sewage and water working in places where there is easy access to springs, rivers, or mountain runoff.



      There's also plenty of time to prepare for a winter without heating. Time to chop wood, knit blankets, buy extra clothes, can food, make candles for the long periods of darkness.







      share|improve this answer












      share|improve this answer



      share|improve this answer










      answered 1 hour ago









      James McLellanJames McLellan

      6,1101734




      6,1101734








      • 1




        $begingroup$
        There's time to make greenhouses, too. If you don't have artificial heating, suddenly greenhouses become much more useful. Note that I'm not saying sun rooms, because a greenhouse is usually insulated against cold, but I've seen quite a few sun rooms that seem to be designed on the concept that it's going to be capturing enough heat to discount the fact it's not insulated well. Buying extra clothes only works if there's time to make them, but there is, in fact, time to make them, too. :)
        $endgroup$
        – Ed Grimm
        1 hour ago














      • 1




        $begingroup$
        There's time to make greenhouses, too. If you don't have artificial heating, suddenly greenhouses become much more useful. Note that I'm not saying sun rooms, because a greenhouse is usually insulated against cold, but I've seen quite a few sun rooms that seem to be designed on the concept that it's going to be capturing enough heat to discount the fact it's not insulated well. Buying extra clothes only works if there's time to make them, but there is, in fact, time to make them, too. :)
        $endgroup$
        – Ed Grimm
        1 hour ago








      1




      1




      $begingroup$
      There's time to make greenhouses, too. If you don't have artificial heating, suddenly greenhouses become much more useful. Note that I'm not saying sun rooms, because a greenhouse is usually insulated against cold, but I've seen quite a few sun rooms that seem to be designed on the concept that it's going to be capturing enough heat to discount the fact it's not insulated well. Buying extra clothes only works if there's time to make them, but there is, in fact, time to make them, too. :)
      $endgroup$
      – Ed Grimm
      1 hour ago




      $begingroup$
      There's time to make greenhouses, too. If you don't have artificial heating, suddenly greenhouses become much more useful. Note that I'm not saying sun rooms, because a greenhouse is usually insulated against cold, but I've seen quite a few sun rooms that seem to be designed on the concept that it's going to be capturing enough heat to discount the fact it's not insulated well. Buying extra clothes only works if there's time to make them, but there is, in fact, time to make them, too. :)
      $endgroup$
      – Ed Grimm
      1 hour ago











      1












      $begingroup$

      Christmas (seriously)



      If we narrow it down to North America in particular, there are several advantages to this being your chosen date.



      1) Family

      Christmas is often seen as a time of family, so small family gatherings are happening all over. This is actually a good thing, because less people are going to be out trying to find loved ones, and those you care about are already grouped together in a small 'clan' that is determined to look after each other.



      2) Food

      These aforementioned families have already stocked up for the Christmas period and therefore have an advantage in terms of managing food supplies going forward in the initial chaos while they work out what to do next to sustain themselves.



      3) Cold

      Sure, not nice to be out in, but if the power goes out, all that aforementioned food hoarded by the aforementioned families will go off at a slower rate. Still not good if you're in (say) California, but in Illinois or New York, you could almost freeze your food by leaving it outside.



      4) Traffic

      Because the families are already together, there's little need to travel meaning that the roads are freer for the emergency services, assuming of course they can get their cars and trucks working. That means that as issues arise, the emergency teams can respond more rapidly than they could if everyone was trying to get to family or just plain get out of dodge in a disorderly fashion.



      The Caveats

      This is still a catastrophic scenario by most standards. Large population centres (cities) consume a lot of food, and produce almost none. Many of the people in these population centres start dying after a few days no matter what you do and civil disturbance will be on an exponential curve when the food starts running out. Add to that the fact that the cold is a two edged sword insofar as our warm-blooded metabolisms mean that we need to eat more during the cold than otherwise, so that food that lasts longer before spoiling gets eaten faster to avoid starvation.



      Also, EMPs and other technology neutralising phenomena will make it much harder to coordinate responses and the like, and most of the people who survive from the cities will do so by walking out of them immediately. Some of those families (for the reasons mentioned above) will be less likely to do that at Christmas.



      The real winners out of a doomsday scenario at Christmas in North America are going to be the small communities across the food belt of the USA, where they have family around them, a supply of food and the capacity to grow more as they go, not to mention having herds of cows and sheep to survive off while crops regrow.






      share|improve this answer









      $endgroup$


















        1












        $begingroup$

        Christmas (seriously)



        If we narrow it down to North America in particular, there are several advantages to this being your chosen date.



        1) Family

        Christmas is often seen as a time of family, so small family gatherings are happening all over. This is actually a good thing, because less people are going to be out trying to find loved ones, and those you care about are already grouped together in a small 'clan' that is determined to look after each other.



        2) Food

        These aforementioned families have already stocked up for the Christmas period and therefore have an advantage in terms of managing food supplies going forward in the initial chaos while they work out what to do next to sustain themselves.



        3) Cold

        Sure, not nice to be out in, but if the power goes out, all that aforementioned food hoarded by the aforementioned families will go off at a slower rate. Still not good if you're in (say) California, but in Illinois or New York, you could almost freeze your food by leaving it outside.



        4) Traffic

        Because the families are already together, there's little need to travel meaning that the roads are freer for the emergency services, assuming of course they can get their cars and trucks working. That means that as issues arise, the emergency teams can respond more rapidly than they could if everyone was trying to get to family or just plain get out of dodge in a disorderly fashion.



        The Caveats

        This is still a catastrophic scenario by most standards. Large population centres (cities) consume a lot of food, and produce almost none. Many of the people in these population centres start dying after a few days no matter what you do and civil disturbance will be on an exponential curve when the food starts running out. Add to that the fact that the cold is a two edged sword insofar as our warm-blooded metabolisms mean that we need to eat more during the cold than otherwise, so that food that lasts longer before spoiling gets eaten faster to avoid starvation.



        Also, EMPs and other technology neutralising phenomena will make it much harder to coordinate responses and the like, and most of the people who survive from the cities will do so by walking out of them immediately. Some of those families (for the reasons mentioned above) will be less likely to do that at Christmas.



        The real winners out of a doomsday scenario at Christmas in North America are going to be the small communities across the food belt of the USA, where they have family around them, a supply of food and the capacity to grow more as they go, not to mention having herds of cows and sheep to survive off while crops regrow.






        share|improve this answer









        $endgroup$
















          1












          1








          1





          $begingroup$

          Christmas (seriously)



          If we narrow it down to North America in particular, there are several advantages to this being your chosen date.



          1) Family

          Christmas is often seen as a time of family, so small family gatherings are happening all over. This is actually a good thing, because less people are going to be out trying to find loved ones, and those you care about are already grouped together in a small 'clan' that is determined to look after each other.



          2) Food

          These aforementioned families have already stocked up for the Christmas period and therefore have an advantage in terms of managing food supplies going forward in the initial chaos while they work out what to do next to sustain themselves.



          3) Cold

          Sure, not nice to be out in, but if the power goes out, all that aforementioned food hoarded by the aforementioned families will go off at a slower rate. Still not good if you're in (say) California, but in Illinois or New York, you could almost freeze your food by leaving it outside.



          4) Traffic

          Because the families are already together, there's little need to travel meaning that the roads are freer for the emergency services, assuming of course they can get their cars and trucks working. That means that as issues arise, the emergency teams can respond more rapidly than they could if everyone was trying to get to family or just plain get out of dodge in a disorderly fashion.



          The Caveats

          This is still a catastrophic scenario by most standards. Large population centres (cities) consume a lot of food, and produce almost none. Many of the people in these population centres start dying after a few days no matter what you do and civil disturbance will be on an exponential curve when the food starts running out. Add to that the fact that the cold is a two edged sword insofar as our warm-blooded metabolisms mean that we need to eat more during the cold than otherwise, so that food that lasts longer before spoiling gets eaten faster to avoid starvation.



          Also, EMPs and other technology neutralising phenomena will make it much harder to coordinate responses and the like, and most of the people who survive from the cities will do so by walking out of them immediately. Some of those families (for the reasons mentioned above) will be less likely to do that at Christmas.



          The real winners out of a doomsday scenario at Christmas in North America are going to be the small communities across the food belt of the USA, where they have family around them, a supply of food and the capacity to grow more as they go, not to mention having herds of cows and sheep to survive off while crops regrow.






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$



          Christmas (seriously)



          If we narrow it down to North America in particular, there are several advantages to this being your chosen date.



          1) Family

          Christmas is often seen as a time of family, so small family gatherings are happening all over. This is actually a good thing, because less people are going to be out trying to find loved ones, and those you care about are already grouped together in a small 'clan' that is determined to look after each other.



          2) Food

          These aforementioned families have already stocked up for the Christmas period and therefore have an advantage in terms of managing food supplies going forward in the initial chaos while they work out what to do next to sustain themselves.



          3) Cold

          Sure, not nice to be out in, but if the power goes out, all that aforementioned food hoarded by the aforementioned families will go off at a slower rate. Still not good if you're in (say) California, but in Illinois or New York, you could almost freeze your food by leaving it outside.



          4) Traffic

          Because the families are already together, there's little need to travel meaning that the roads are freer for the emergency services, assuming of course they can get their cars and trucks working. That means that as issues arise, the emergency teams can respond more rapidly than they could if everyone was trying to get to family or just plain get out of dodge in a disorderly fashion.



          The Caveats

          This is still a catastrophic scenario by most standards. Large population centres (cities) consume a lot of food, and produce almost none. Many of the people in these population centres start dying after a few days no matter what you do and civil disturbance will be on an exponential curve when the food starts running out. Add to that the fact that the cold is a two edged sword insofar as our warm-blooded metabolisms mean that we need to eat more during the cold than otherwise, so that food that lasts longer before spoiling gets eaten faster to avoid starvation.



          Also, EMPs and other technology neutralising phenomena will make it much harder to coordinate responses and the like, and most of the people who survive from the cities will do so by walking out of them immediately. Some of those families (for the reasons mentioned above) will be less likely to do that at Christmas.



          The real winners out of a doomsday scenario at Christmas in North America are going to be the small communities across the food belt of the USA, where they have family around them, a supply of food and the capacity to grow more as they go, not to mention having herds of cows and sheep to survive off while crops regrow.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered 2 hours ago









          Tim B IITim B II

          30k664119




          30k664119























              1












              $begingroup$

              September



              Summer is a busy time when people are unsettled and often off traveling. Kids may be separated from their parents. A lot of people move in the summer. But once school starts, people are pretty settled in for the year. Even people who aren't in school or parents of children in school (or working in schools) tend to move with that schedule.



              In cold weather areas, crops are mostly in by September. In warmer parts of the US, a lot of crops ripen year-round or specifically in the fall months, but food and survival temps aren't as critical in winter.



              Because of "back to school" and the end of the travel season, stores are well stocked with goods of all kinds.



              Summer heat is more or less over (sometimes you get a last hurrah) so super quick food spoilage, issues with sewage, trash, and corpses (the event may not have caused deaths but people die anyway), and the death of fragile people from not having air conditioning are not strong concerns.



              It may be cold at night, depending on the location, but it's a few months before the worst of winter and accumulation of snow. This gives people some time to prepare. September is a great time to can food (and there should be enough fuel left to do it) and semi-perishable foods can survive outdoors, at least overnight. It's a good time to cut wood and prep fireplaces (for those lucky enough to have them) for use. Some may be able to buy wood stoves (there are some designed to use existing chimneys) which are far more efficient than fireplaces and allow cooking too. Some families will move in with each other to conserve fuel and other resources.



              For local communities that choose to work together under effective leadership, everyone should survive the winter (aside from some with severe medical conditions). If people don't panic and if government stays intact, a lot of places will be able to function.



              Small rural towns are the best bet as they're likely to have horses or oxen available, may grow their own food already, have wood for heat, and don't have too many people to fight over resources like generators and fuel for cars and trucks and tractors.



              Cities will be in trouble because most food must be trucked in and cities have more complex infrastructure. And potable water...big problem. Their survival will depend on a lot of things but having the event occur at the very end of summer is their best chance.






              share|improve this answer









              $endgroup$


















                1












                $begingroup$

                September



                Summer is a busy time when people are unsettled and often off traveling. Kids may be separated from their parents. A lot of people move in the summer. But once school starts, people are pretty settled in for the year. Even people who aren't in school or parents of children in school (or working in schools) tend to move with that schedule.



                In cold weather areas, crops are mostly in by September. In warmer parts of the US, a lot of crops ripen year-round or specifically in the fall months, but food and survival temps aren't as critical in winter.



                Because of "back to school" and the end of the travel season, stores are well stocked with goods of all kinds.



                Summer heat is more or less over (sometimes you get a last hurrah) so super quick food spoilage, issues with sewage, trash, and corpses (the event may not have caused deaths but people die anyway), and the death of fragile people from not having air conditioning are not strong concerns.



                It may be cold at night, depending on the location, but it's a few months before the worst of winter and accumulation of snow. This gives people some time to prepare. September is a great time to can food (and there should be enough fuel left to do it) and semi-perishable foods can survive outdoors, at least overnight. It's a good time to cut wood and prep fireplaces (for those lucky enough to have them) for use. Some may be able to buy wood stoves (there are some designed to use existing chimneys) which are far more efficient than fireplaces and allow cooking too. Some families will move in with each other to conserve fuel and other resources.



                For local communities that choose to work together under effective leadership, everyone should survive the winter (aside from some with severe medical conditions). If people don't panic and if government stays intact, a lot of places will be able to function.



                Small rural towns are the best bet as they're likely to have horses or oxen available, may grow their own food already, have wood for heat, and don't have too many people to fight over resources like generators and fuel for cars and trucks and tractors.



                Cities will be in trouble because most food must be trucked in and cities have more complex infrastructure. And potable water...big problem. Their survival will depend on a lot of things but having the event occur at the very end of summer is their best chance.






                share|improve this answer









                $endgroup$
















                  1












                  1








                  1





                  $begingroup$

                  September



                  Summer is a busy time when people are unsettled and often off traveling. Kids may be separated from their parents. A lot of people move in the summer. But once school starts, people are pretty settled in for the year. Even people who aren't in school or parents of children in school (or working in schools) tend to move with that schedule.



                  In cold weather areas, crops are mostly in by September. In warmer parts of the US, a lot of crops ripen year-round or specifically in the fall months, but food and survival temps aren't as critical in winter.



                  Because of "back to school" and the end of the travel season, stores are well stocked with goods of all kinds.



                  Summer heat is more or less over (sometimes you get a last hurrah) so super quick food spoilage, issues with sewage, trash, and corpses (the event may not have caused deaths but people die anyway), and the death of fragile people from not having air conditioning are not strong concerns.



                  It may be cold at night, depending on the location, but it's a few months before the worst of winter and accumulation of snow. This gives people some time to prepare. September is a great time to can food (and there should be enough fuel left to do it) and semi-perishable foods can survive outdoors, at least overnight. It's a good time to cut wood and prep fireplaces (for those lucky enough to have them) for use. Some may be able to buy wood stoves (there are some designed to use existing chimneys) which are far more efficient than fireplaces and allow cooking too. Some families will move in with each other to conserve fuel and other resources.



                  For local communities that choose to work together under effective leadership, everyone should survive the winter (aside from some with severe medical conditions). If people don't panic and if government stays intact, a lot of places will be able to function.



                  Small rural towns are the best bet as they're likely to have horses or oxen available, may grow their own food already, have wood for heat, and don't have too many people to fight over resources like generators and fuel for cars and trucks and tractors.



                  Cities will be in trouble because most food must be trucked in and cities have more complex infrastructure. And potable water...big problem. Their survival will depend on a lot of things but having the event occur at the very end of summer is their best chance.






                  share|improve this answer









                  $endgroup$



                  September



                  Summer is a busy time when people are unsettled and often off traveling. Kids may be separated from their parents. A lot of people move in the summer. But once school starts, people are pretty settled in for the year. Even people who aren't in school or parents of children in school (or working in schools) tend to move with that schedule.



                  In cold weather areas, crops are mostly in by September. In warmer parts of the US, a lot of crops ripen year-round or specifically in the fall months, but food and survival temps aren't as critical in winter.



                  Because of "back to school" and the end of the travel season, stores are well stocked with goods of all kinds.



                  Summer heat is more or less over (sometimes you get a last hurrah) so super quick food spoilage, issues with sewage, trash, and corpses (the event may not have caused deaths but people die anyway), and the death of fragile people from not having air conditioning are not strong concerns.



                  It may be cold at night, depending on the location, but it's a few months before the worst of winter and accumulation of snow. This gives people some time to prepare. September is a great time to can food (and there should be enough fuel left to do it) and semi-perishable foods can survive outdoors, at least overnight. It's a good time to cut wood and prep fireplaces (for those lucky enough to have them) for use. Some may be able to buy wood stoves (there are some designed to use existing chimneys) which are far more efficient than fireplaces and allow cooking too. Some families will move in with each other to conserve fuel and other resources.



                  For local communities that choose to work together under effective leadership, everyone should survive the winter (aside from some with severe medical conditions). If people don't panic and if government stays intact, a lot of places will be able to function.



                  Small rural towns are the best bet as they're likely to have horses or oxen available, may grow their own food already, have wood for heat, and don't have too many people to fight over resources like generators and fuel for cars and trucks and tractors.



                  Cities will be in trouble because most food must be trucked in and cities have more complex infrastructure. And potable water...big problem. Their survival will depend on a lot of things but having the event occur at the very end of summer is their best chance.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered 2 hours ago









                  CynCyn

                  9,55612246




                  9,55612246






























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