There have been so many people predicting the end of the world. There are talks of a zombie apocalypse or a massive earthquake; whatever the case may be, are you prepared? Have you created a food storage or planned a place to stay if World War III breaks out? What is your plan of action? I have put together a list of the top 10 places you should plan on heading if a disaster were to take place.
1. Mount Weather – Also known as the “Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center” is described as a civilian command facility in the heart of Virginia. It is also used as the center of operations for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency).
2. Cheyenne Mountain – The famed Cheyenne Mountain Complex has been the subject of much controversy. It is located close to Colorado Springs, Colorado and is in 2,000 feet of granite. This facility was designed to withstand a 5 megaton nuclear explosion up to 1.7 miles away.
3. Raven Rock Mountain Complex – It is located along the Pennsylvania-Maryland border, the Raven Rock Mountain Complex is full of interesting and useful amenities. Some of the amazing places it includes are several underground reservoirs, a high-tech ventilation system, fire department, dental clinic, medical clinic, dining facility, post office, snack bar, dormitories, chapel, barber shop, fitness center and even, you guessed it, a Starbucks.
4. Moscow Metro – Underground City – Unknown to most traveling the subways of Moscow, there is something more down there than just a basic transit system. There is a large subterranean system of secret trains and bunkers beneath Moscow, most of which were built by Stalin during the Cold War. There is not a lot of information about this secretive place, but it would be an unbelievable hideout.
5. Iron Mountain – This facility is not necessarily a survivor place, but could easily be viewed as one. Taking up 10,000 square feet of space in a 1,000 acre limestone mine, the Iron Mountain storage facility is massive and rumored to be one of the most secure locations in the world. Today everything from social security records to Bill Gates private collection is stored here. The mine includes a 5 engine fire department, power generators, de-humidification, refrigeration and air filtration systems, an underground lake with water purification, as well as high-tech sprinklers, plumbing and wiring throughout. Talk about survival, right?
6. The Greenbrier Bunker – The Greenbrier Bunker demonstrates the fact that not all bunkers are located in conspicuous locations. Back in 1958, the United States Government agreed to build the luxury hotel a brand new addition. In exchange they were also allowed to build a 120,000 square foot bunker beneath it. It is a short 5-6 hour drive from Washington D.C., and was a popular vacation destination for Washington’s elite.
7. Burlington Bunker – About 100 feet beneath the Earth’s surface exists a 35 acre Cold War city known as the Burlington Bunker. The British government built this site in 1950 in case of nuclear strike and was intended to be the Emergency Government War Headquarters. The shelter was designed to accommodate 6,000 people for up to 3 months. Yes, I plan on going here.
8. The Shanghai Complex – Not a lot is known about this survival place, but what we do know is impressive. In 2006, The Shanghai Morning Post announced the completion of a million square foot bunker capable of housing up to 200,000 people. This is the largest capacity for a bunker we have ever heard. This shelter was designed to withstand blast, nuclear radiation, and poisonous gas emissions.
9. Denver International Airport – There has been no proven evidence of a bunker located at Denver International Airport, but there is a lot of speculation. Some interesting facts that might make you think twice about heading there during a national disaster.
– The budget far exceeded original projections (original budget was $1.7 billion and ended up costing $4.8 billion).
– The airport has extensive alternative energy systems, uncharacteristic of the modern airport.
– There are many very important military installations nearby including: Cheyenne Mountain, NORAD, Peterson AFB, United States Space Command, Air Defense Mission, United States Northern Command and dozens of major business headquarters.
– Some famous people who live or have purchased homes in Colorado are: Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes, Oprah Winfrey, Oliver Stone, Richard Holbrooke, Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., Prince Bandar (wealthy Saudi Prince), Michael Eisner, David & Victoria Beckham, Condoleeza Rice.
– Significant quantities of earth (110 million cubic yards) have been removed from the site, far more than is traditionally necessary.
– 5 buildings were built incorrectly and new buildings were placed on top of them.
– Granite was imported from all over the world for the airport.
– The fueling system can pump 1000 gallons of jet fuel per minute, which is far more than any commercial airport could need.
– There are around 5300 miles of fiber optics installed (the United States coast to coast is 3000 miles)
10. Svalbard Global Seed Vault – The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is located in the remote arctic of Norway, only 810 miles away from the North Pole. This facility stores seeds from as many varieties of plants as possible, in case they were all wiped out during a major catastrophe.
I am impressed there are so many great places we can go in case of a world-wide catastrophe. It is always best to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best.