SHTF Meaning and SHTF Examples

The SHTF meaning is well known in the prepper community. The acronym SHTF translates literally to “Shit Hits the Fan” or “Stuff Hits the Fan” and typically refers to a major disaster, catastrophic event, or something going very wrong. Some common examples of SHTF scenarios would be earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear war, world war, power grid failure or power outage, civil unrest, flash floods, cyber attacks, and many other kinds of major disaster.

Types of shit hits the fan scenarios

Here is a list of the most common natural disasters and SHTF events. Most shit hits the fan scenarios refers to something on this list.

• Major natural disasters

• Earth quakes

• Volcanic Eruptions

• Storms

• Nuclear war

• World war

• EMP

• Cyber attacks

• Food shortage

• Water shortage

• Pandemics

• Civil unrest

• Financial crisis

Major Natural Disasters

These are natural events such as earth quakes, volcanic eruptions, and storms which cause substantial damage to infrastructure and loss of life. The types of natural disasters you may experience will depend heavily on geography.

Hurricane Katrina is a good example of an extreme shtf scenario from recent memory. Many people were displaced due to flooding. The electrical grid was severely degraded due to fallen trees. Utilities such as drinking water and sewer were damaged or rendered completely useless. Cell phones were hardly functional at times.

Thousands of unprepared people were thrust into a survival situation overnight. For many, their contact with the outside world was severed.

Nuclear war and World war

We’ve been fortunate to not have a nuclear war or world war in nearly eighty years. But the threat of war constantly looms over the world since the dawn of civilization.

Most people might not think it can happen again but the war in Ukraine could easily spark the next world war. In the event of a major war resources may become scare due to the production needed to fight a world war.

For more information on how to survive a war check out our post.

Nuclear Meltdown

Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and the Fukushima nuclear disaster are all recent examples of nuclear disasters caused by the failure of nuclear power plants. All of these resulted in the release of harmful radiation and resulted in the ultimate consequences.

Nuclear meltdown preparation should be considered for anyone living near a nuclear power facility.

EMP

The acronym EMP stands for Electric Magnetic Pulse. These can be caused by the detonation of a nuclear weapon high in the earth’s atmosphere.

When the EMP is detonated the EMP pulse hits the earth’s surface and overloads the circuits of electronic devices causing them severe damage.

If an EMP were to be detonated above the United States it has the potential to completely destroy the electrical grid and damage most electronics including computers, cell phones, automobiles, and anything that contains electric circuits.

Cyber Attacks

Much of the infrastructure we rely upon for our modern life is connected to the internet and operates via software. This presents a potential for massive damage in the event of a cyber attack.

A shtf scenario could easily erupt should a utility company be attacked by hackers. Imagine the chaos if a natural gas or electric utility company was shut down by a cyber attack during the middle of winter.

People would be forced to be self reliant for heating their homes. Unprepared people will suffer most.

Food shortages

For many in the developed world, such a thing as a food shortage is hardly conceivable. Modern life has afforded us a seemingly endless bounty of food.

Despite this, even a minor disruption in supply chain or production can have a ripple effect and lead to shtf situations. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to prepare for a food shortage. Check out our post on long term rice storage here.

Water shortage

Be it a drought or a compromised water utility the potential causes for a potable water shortage are many. The water utility was damaged during hurricane Katrina resulting in no safe potable water.

The human body can only survive without water for two or three days depending on the climate. Storage and sanitization of emergency water supplies should be near your top priority when you prepare for shtf or other survival scenarios.

Pandemics

At this point we’ve all lived through a pandemic. In some ways it was a shft event at a global scale. There have been many throughout history and this won’t be the last. It’s only a matter of time before the next virus or bacteria mutates and triggers a shtf event.

Civil Unrest

These shtf events can range from riots, mass looting, gang violence, and other events involving mass groups of people committing violence. Civil unrest is a relatively common occurrence in parts of the world.

For those living in a rural area this is less of a concern than if you live in a big city.

A shtf situation such as this can cause massive damage to property or even loss of life. Law enforcement will generally struggle to contain these types of disasters. Self defense should be a priority if you prepare for major events.

Financial Collapse

For most people this is one of the most likely SHTF scenarios they could face. The 2008 housing collapse resulted in job loss and many people losing their homes.

Some people believe the massive money printing by the Federal Reserve bank of the US and many other countries central banks may trigger a financial collapse.

Should a financial collapse occur it will likely trigger other shtf events like civil unrest. A society is only three missed meals away from chaos. When people can’t buy food it’s only a matter of time until disaster strikes.

Considerations for a SHTF scenario

Things to consider when prepping for a SHTF situation.

Friends and Family

If shit hits the fan it’s going to be much more manageable if you’re not alone. When planning for shft events or natural disasters get friends and family involved. Not only will they probably enjoy helping with prepping but it will be comforting to know your own families will be prepared if stuff hits the fan.

Humans are social creatures. Trust me when I say you do not want to be a lone wolf in a shtf scenario. Having a group of trusted family and friends you can rely on when things are going to hell will be crucial.

Safety and Security

Depending on the shtf situation, your safety and security needs may vary. Regardless, if things are breaking down there will be people seeking to exploit the chaos. Even your average citizen will turn to looting or worse if they get desperate enough.

Law enforcement probably won’t be available to protect people. You must be self reliant when it comes to self defense. You need weapons and most importantly you need to be well trained in their use.

Shelter

Exposure to the elements is one of the quickest killers when in a shtf situation. You can die from hypothermia in a matter of hours. The same goes for heat stroke. Ensuring you have a form of shelter from the elements is critical to surviving SHTF scenarios. Your geography will dictate your needs but prioritizing shelter from excessive heat or cold, staying dry, and keeping out of the direct sun are critical.

If you have survival skills it can be incredibly useful in building improvised shelters should you need to.

Water

Second to dying from exposure, dehydration will kill you in two to three days if you don’t have adequate water to drink.

A natural disaster or shtf event can put a serious strain on water utilities. Previously clean water sources may get contaminated. To prepare for shtf one should focus on having long-term water storage as well as redundant means to filter and sanitize water.

Check out our post on how to store water long term for emergencies.

Food

Is shit hitting the fan? Then food may get scarce. Humans can survive about three to four weeks without food. If the worst case scenario is you don’t eat for a few days. No big deal.

That doesn’t mean you’re going to be effective very long without adequate calories. Storing food long-term and learning survival techniques to acquire more food will be incredibly useful if disaster hits.

Communication

Communicating with the outside world will be incredibly helpful if shit hit the fan. It is very likely that your cell phone won’t work due to cellular congestion or complete utility failure. You will need to have several redundant methods to communicate.

Radios will be one of the most reliable communication methods during a natural disaster or shft event. With a HAM radio one can communicate locally. With the proper setup a HAM radio can communicate over continents.

First Aid

Most shtf scenarios pose a risk to your health. At the very least you should have a basic first aid kit and the skills to use it. Taking things a step further and building out a trauma kit is probably a good idea too.

Most importantly, get proper first air training. It makes no sense buying all this expensive first aid gear without the knowledge on how to use it. Many state and local governments even offer free first aid training.It might save a life one day.

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