When Seconds Matter: Don’t Underestimate the Countdown


(SurvivalDaily.com) – The hard truth about emergencies is that more often than not, they come unexpectedly. Sometimes there is a bit of a warning; of course, any notice is good during extreme times. With, or without a sign, when disaster strikes it’s important to act fast — your life depends on it.


After SHTF, the first 30 minutes is potentially the most important half-hour of your life and the lives of those you love. 30 minutes is less time than you think, and this small window could determine whether you live or die. You’ll need to act fast, prioritize what needs to get done, understand what’s happening, make a decision to stay put or leave, and form a plan.

Don’t get the idea that when the time comes to act, you’re just going to go to Walmart and grab what you need; this is a terrible plan, and you’re going to be very disappointed when you realize everyone and their brother had the same idea. By then, however, it’ll be too late. So prepare now while you have the chance, don’t wait until what could potentially be the last 30 minutes of your life.


Everyone has different priorities; one that everyone should have first, however, is security. This should be the number one priority across the board, no matter who you are. Security is what keeps you, your family, and your assets safe. Can you defend yourself from a direct threat? What if someone gets hurt while defending your encampment? What will you do?

In the military, if someone is hurt during a battle or firefight, they need to tend to themselves until the rest of the team can neutralize the enemy. Hopefully, the wounded can hold out long enough for help to arrive. Of course, if you have enough people you could have a corpsman or medic assigned.

Finding safety and being able to stay safe is the number one priority here.

Understand the Situation

Once you’re safe, you need to analyze what’s going on. News and emergency broadcasts can help you understand exactly what’s happening. Although if you find yourself in a grid-down situation, such as after an EMP strike, this can prove difficult; not impossible though, as government agencies and even some preppers have the ability to keep communications through an electromagnetic pulse.

If the power is out, don’t immediately jump to the conclusion that it’s an EMP. Normal power outages occur frequently. If the power is out, check your cellphone or flashlights, if they work it’s just a power outage, if they don’t it’s likely an EMP. Faraday cages can be used to protect electronics from EMPs; HAM radios are a good thing to keep in a Faraday cage.

You’re going to need to use every ounce of situational awareness you possess to determine what’s going on, especially if you didn’t have any warning beforehand. Even if you are facing a hurricane or tornado, you still need to know what’s going on and how long you may be without power (and other important amenities).

Hunker Down or Fly the Coop

When the time comes, if you don’t already have an emergency plan in place — which you should, you need to decide if you’re bugging-in or bugging-out. Each scenario has its perks and disadvantages. You need to decide which one gives you the best chance of surviving. If you’re close to the area where the disaster struck, or is going to strike, you probably should think about bugging-out; this is assuming you were allotted some type of warning.

If your livelihood is in immediate danger or threatened to be, you should bug-out. If you live in a large city, bugging-out may be the best option as well. Things can get real crazy, real quick. On the other hand, if your home isn’t in direct danger and you feel safe, stay put; this is where all of your supplies are and you can hopefully defend it adequately.


Everyone’s situation is different, so everyone’s plan is going to be different. Sure they may be similar in nature, but each human is unique, which means each team or group will be unique. Some will be better, some will be worse, but no matter what they all have one thing in common — the need to plan. A team of ex-marines is likely going to be very different from that of a team of suburban people.

Don’t overestimate the power of your team, if you’re not ex-military, you’re likely not going to be able to execute the same plan. The same goes for underestimating your team, if you have the skills to execute a solid plan, don’t settle for “good enough.” Every person of every team needs to have a role they play, whether it be security, foraging, or medical.

So plan for whatever you think is necessary. A more in-depth plan is probably going to get you further than a vague plan; details mean everything. You need to think ahead about how you’re going to get water, food, and shelter. Also, you need to plan for being attacked, or attacking another group. Planning is the most important part of prepping, don’t skimp on it, your life depends on your discipline.

~Copyright 2021, SurvivalDaily.com