>>Isn't storing a 6 months to 1 year supply of food considered hoarding and isn't it illegal in the US?<<

Good grief, whatever gave you that idea?

I was so surprised at this question that I actually suspected you might be a troll, but I checked your past messages, and they seem thoughtful enough, so I have to assume you're sincere.

DESPITE what you may hear in the media, "hoarding" is taking more than your share/more than you need WHEN THERE'S A SHORTAGE. It has absolutely nothing to do with storing for bad times when there's not a shortage and anyone can procure as much as they like.

Ask yourself this simple question- if you do NOT store food or water (because you think it might be "hoarding"), how can that act possibly help anyone else?

If you DO store food and/or water, the worst that can happen, from the perspective of others, is that you are one less drain on resources ("common", or theirs) if a scarcity does occur in the future. To some degree, that's certainly to the benefit of others.

My personal opinion is that some degree of preparedness should be viewed as a civic duty- possibly on a par with voting. No penalties if you don't, but not much sympathy either. After all, people who do NOT prepare are implicity depending on others to rescue/take care of/feed them if things go wrong. Where's the virtue in that?

The word "hoarding" may well be used in a shortage in an attempt to justify outright theft of the property of others, but, as far as I know, there are no laws in the US preventing one from storing any amount of food and water. If there were, several religious groups (Latter-Day Saints and Seventh-Day Adventists come to mind) would have a real problem with that.