In Houston, I think the biggest threat of SHTF is probably social unrest. Whether due to shortages of gasoline which could immobilize large portions of the population or due to a Rodney King style race riot, I think social unrest is the biggest threat. Dealing with hungry people with no transportation in a city designed specifically for cars would be catestrophic. But we live far enough from the city proper to be able to avoid dealing with localized civil unrest.

Secondary threats I would consider would be a pipeline explosion or a train carrying hazardous material derailing. These are threats I have no control over and short of keeping the car gassed up and my escape routes covered can't do much to prepare for.

I no longer count Hurricanes as an emergency anymore. They're similar to snow storms in Wyoming, they're going to happen and you prepare for them every year. Again the biggest threat from civil unreast in the aftermath.


Going to school in Wyoming, the biggest threat is from a train derailing in town. The major problem with that is it eliminates three of the four routes out of town. Everyone east of the railroad tracks (most people including me) would have to evacuate east on I-80 and the grid lock would be unimaginable. A potential solution would be owning a motorcycle since that could allow me to trickle through traffic I'd be unable to circumvent in a car.