It’s hard to imagine the collapse of civilization but the end of the world as we know it, commonly known as TEOTWAKI among preppers, is something that should be on everyone’s mind. It could happen over time, with economic calamity leading to the collapse of world banks and stock markets before causing large-scale panic, or it could be something unexpected, like a nuclear attack or the outbreak of a disease.

No matter how it happens, you need to be prepared for whatever comes your way, and that means you need a plan.

At the top of the list is the place you will call home when TEOTWAWKI comes. For some people, this means hunkering down in homemade bunkers underneath their existing houses. For others, it means hitting the road to a place that’s better suited for survival.

As it happens, there are some states that are better for riding out TEOTWAKI than others, but before we get to the list, let’s first look at what traits make a state a desirable destination in the apocalypse and which traits should be avoided.

What You’re Looking For
Guy on his off grid land
The best states to survive in an apocalyptic scenario are ones where you can live off the grid comfortably year-round. There will be plenty of ways to obtain food and water (in case your own supplies run out), and the weather won’t force you to seek out another place to live. One of the biggest keys is that you don’t have to worry about having other people around who try to take your supplies, which is always a challenge.

Climate
Choosing the right climate is important. As mentioned, finding a place that is temperate all year is essential for a number of reasons. Given that you can’t assume roads will always be passable when society collapses, you have to plan to ride out the apocalypse in one spot.

You can’t fly South for the winter, unfortunately, so even though holing up in an abandoned ski lodge in Vermont might seem like a good idea during warmer months, you can’t guarantee that you’ll be able to get back after the snow melts. While it’s possible to survive in snowy conditions, it only makes things harder for you so unless you’re partial to living in cold climates, try to locate places that don’t end up with several feet of snow like the Northeast region of the country.

You should also avoid places that get hit with extreme weather regularly. Living in Tornado Alley, for example, really isn’t the best idea because you won’t have the luxury of advanced warning systems to tell you when to evacuate. The same can be said of living on the Gulf Coast and along the Atlantic Coast where hurricanes are known to come through each season.

Floodplains should be avoided, as should deserts and places like California where drought is constantly a problem.

Read the rest of the article BELOW: