The emergency alarm blares in the distance. The power flickers out, light by light. Grocery store shelves are barren, the roads out of town are clogged, and herds of humans are packing up and panicking all around.
You've seen this scene time and time again in films like Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later, War of the Worlds, and I Am Legend. The world begins to end, flesh-eating zombies or alien lifeforms rise up, and the apocalypse sets in!
While the dead are unlikely to come back with a bite anytime soon, the chaos you see on the screen –– power outages, supply shortages, emergency evacuations, communication interruptions, and overburdened first responders –– is far from fictional.
Apocalyptic flicks might exaggerate what it takes to outlast a true survival situation, but beneath all the blood and brains lie a few surprising lessons on preparedness!
Board up the windows, slink down the basement steps, and scroll this article to discover what these post-world movies get right –– and wrong –– about surviving a disaster.
What They Get Right
Zombies, aliens, and a collapsing city are the stuff of entertainment, but the circumstances surrounding those events rarely come from imagination!
Systems Fail Fast
In apocalyptic flicks, everyday errands and conveniences quickly become inaccessible. Markets clear out and close, gas stations run dry, internet and communication networks crash, and first responders can't keep up with all the calls for help.
While real disasters unfurl with a little less drama, many of them can create the same kind of disruptions. Earthquakes, wildfires, pandemics, blackouts –– those really happen. The systems we rely on in normal conditions are never guaranteed in times of turbulence!
Preparedness Pays Off
In many of these movies, there's always a character or two who predicted and prepared for what was coming. They're the ones with the water, food, flashlights, first aid, and radios, putting them in a much better position than everyone else scavenging and scraping by.
Ain't that the truth! Folks who prepare now live to see tomorrow. Rounding up essential supplies ahead of an emergency keeps you safe from panicked shoppers at crowded stores, risky and restricted transportation, and desperate last-minute decisions.
Odds Are Better Together
What's a survival film without an unlikely assembly of survivors? One member might possess some medical knowledge, another may be a natural navigator, and the last could be the key to fixing broken necessities!
Stocking the right supplies is only one part of preparedness. Having strong relationships with others and clear communication skills can be just as crucial! In an emergency, the most helpful person is not necessarily the most foreboding fighter. Grouping up with the neighbor who can purify a canteen of water or the folks who can fend off local wildlife is the secret to survival!
What They Get Wrong
Despite their occasional, accidental wisdom, apocalyptic flicks still take a couple of dead-wrong turns!
A Lone Wolf Will Not Last
That brooding, hyperindependent hero who trusts no one may look like an inspiration on the screen, but during a real disaster, isolation limits your access to information, resources, and support. And frankly, it's not healthy! Humans need connection with other humans.
Self-reliance doesn't mean going at it alone. Your family, friends, neighbors, community members, and local officials and organizations can extend everything from emergency updates to backup supplies, transportation, a roof over your head, or simply an extra set of hands.
Scavenging is Not Sustainable
In the post-world movies, characters conveniently seem to stumble into an untouched and abandoned grocery store, pharmacy, or gas station –– and they always find exactly what they're looking for!
Genuine emergencies bring shortages, closures, long lines, and crowded roads. You can't count on locating the things you need in the middle of a crisis! You'll have a hard time tracking it all down –– and time is of the essence in an emergency.
Make sure you've got the gear you need before disaster strikes: food, water, heat, light, medication, and other essentials.
Crisis Is Rarely About Combat
The apocalypse on the screen is all action. A gun held in hand, an ammunition belt slung like a sash, a knife worn at the waist –– a weapon is always within reach. While it's important to protect yourself in an emergency, the real protection is preparedness!
Spoiled food, unsafe water, poor sanitation, untreated injuries, and extreme temperatures are the threats you're more likely to face in a crisis. A water filter, first aid kit, and backup power supply will be worth a lot more than anything you'd find in an apocalypse survivor's arsenal!
Prepare for the Plot Twists
Zombies may never roam the streets and aliens may never descend from the sky, but there are plenty of possibilities to prepare for in the meantime!
Power outages, emergency evacuations, supply shortages, severe weather, and other unexpected disasters, for example.
Thankfully, surviving emergencies of that nature is much easier than outrunning the undead or avoiding aliens. You may not know what plot twists await in the future, but preparing for 'em now will keep a crisis from becoming a blockbuster storyline!
Check in with The Essentials Blog each week for expert education, tips, and resources to make your shift to self-reliance as smooth as possible!