SHTF. It stands for something akin to “Stuff Hits the Fan.” It is a blanket term for a massive catastrophe with widespread consequences. It could be when the Cascadia subduction zone finally gives way and the earthquake/tsunami combination devastates the Northwestern U.S. It could be the Yellowstone supervolcano destroying much of the American West before blocking out the sun on a global scale. Covid-41 could have a forty percent death rate and be highly transmittable. The odds of any of these single things happening in your lifetime is fairly low, but the odds of one of them occurring is significantly more likely.
It’s a fact. Another SHTF moment will happen soon. They already have. Krakatoa. The Spanish Flu. The Indian Ocean Tsunami. Chernobyl. Hurricane Katrina. Acknowledging that they will continue shouldn’t cause the anxiety of helplessness. It should inspire preparation.
But even with preparation, a person living near the Atlantic might get wiped out by a tsunami caused by La Palma. Someone visiting a friend in Kauai could be blown to bits by a North Korean missile. God forbid, yet another
Earthquake could reduce Haiti to rubble.
In a SHTF scenario, people will die. Most of them will be good people. This will cause heartache. And it should.
Preparation will never eliminate death. The purpose is to increase one’s odds of survival and equip one with the ability to help loved ones and others worthy of aid. These are good and worthy goals worthy of effort.