[undetected]

Ok SoulSuspect, we seem to be on the same page here, although I'm not in the US so it's probably less dangerous here. I live in a small town and I don't plan on running anywhere unless it's really necessary. I'm staying here and dealing with whatever comes.

The stuff about food and water you'll read everywhere so instead I'll tell you something about the organizing of people. I have always been interested in these scenarios when things go "down" and people have to figure out things in new ways.

I'll throw in some advice from a perspective that few have. Call it "psychology of a post-apocalyptic society" or something like that. I'm not giving any scary ideas here, I'm actually enjoying this stuff. It's not general info, more like strategy tips for the socio-psychological aspect of things.

This may be a bit weird but I'll tell you, watch a few movies like Cube, Saw, Resident Evil and other zombie stuff, anything that deals with a bunch of people stuck somewhere with the common social structure collapsed. Even the TV show Lost. It will give you some ideas about how people behave in those situations. It can differ a lot from how they behave normally and shouldn't be underestimated. Of course if the movie is a horror it often deals with the worst but usually it's not as far-fetched as it may seem.

First rule - avoid panic and calm down any arising conflicts as soon as you can. When this stuff happens, people are nervous, worried, some even scared, and in such situations they do rash and silly things they would normally never do. They start arguing with others not because there's a problem, but because they get irritated with every little thing. And faced with hunger, insecurity, cold etc. they can do really bad things for really trivial reasons.

Someone strong has to act like everything is under control, even if it's not. If you can keep people calm, you can work on solutions for anything. If people feel like there's someone who knows what to do, it's easier for them to relax. Look at the people you work with, pick out those you deem most stable and talk to them, they can help you keep things under control.
The common first problem you see in these scenarios, is a physically strong guy with quick temper, low morals and selfish attitude. He doesn't care about anyone else, he only wants to satisfy his needs and he can kick your ass, so to speak. In a really critical situation, one such guy may be the sole cause of half of the group dying in no time. He will make others more stressed, angry, scared, paranoid about one another and you won't get anywhere like that.
So what you need here, is a physically strong guy with high morals and good attitude, preferably more of them, who can keep the troublemakers in check. People need to feel that someone strong is backing them up, not competing with them for survival. Keep everyone calm and act like there's no problem, even if you think things are ***ked.

Step two. Find out as much as you can about the people, not personal stuff but how each of them can be useful. And don't do it by going from one to another and asking questions. Won't work cause it'll make them uneasy and suspicious. You need to observe. It's really helpful if you have some knowledge of psychology. At this point you should already know who is resistant to stress. For those who aren't, look for what makes them feel comfortable. You need to have something to give them when they start freaking out suddenly.

Look for who's smart, they will help you solve technical problems.

Look who's an individual and who's cooperative. Some people feel good if they get a simple task that they're able to do. They know nothing about strategy but they'll do whatever you tell them if they feel like they're contributing. Others are uncooperative and have their own opinios. They need to see others are listening to their opinion and at least considering it. If they make any sense at all, try to let them do things their way and make them feel "important." Don't mix up these 2 kinds of people or you'll get in trouble. If you need people to work, give first tasks to those who are willing. If those unwilling are the last ones doing nothing, it's easier to convince them to contribute.

Listen to whatever everyone has to say, it may prove important. If people have something on their mind and others keep ignoring them, they get annoyed and close themselves. Keep people open and willing to trust each other. Once people start following their own goals behind your back instead of working together, things will get out of hand. Also, even if you have an idea what to do, think about other people's different suggestions cause sometimes they can actually come up with good ideas. And they may know things you don't know. If anyone shows any particular knowledge about anything in your area, learn more from them, it may come in handy later.

Another thing - look out for when someone starts blaming another member of the group of something. You'll see that it's usually totally irrelevant whose fault what was. Make people focus not on what caused a problem but how to solve it. If something was proveably someone's fault, try to achieve so that he apologizes, the other one forgives him and everyone moves on. Teach them to act like this so that they get their minds off the conflict as quickly as possible. Don't leave conflicts unresolved or they will bring them up later. And make sure if you screw up you apologize. Be the role model.

Speaking about that, if there's something unpleasant to be done and nobody wants to do it, if possible, say that you'll do it and do it. It will help you a lot. Not only some will be more inclined to volunteer next time, but also if you show that you're willing to do some hard dirty work for the sake of others, they'll be less likely to criticize you for anything and more likely to listen to you.

All this advice is pretty much for someone who can be a "sort of" leader. If you can do it, great, but don't push this "leader" thing too far. Get things done but don't go ordering people around and looking important. Don't create a gap between you and them, just be an ordinary guy, have a good relationship with everyone, praise them for their work etc. Let them feel like they're handling things on their own. If you don't have it in you to do this at all, just remember the information so you can give advice to whoever has the will and charisma to do the job.

I could probably write about this all day long so I'll stop now. To sum it up, make people as calm and comfortable as possible, keep them away from fear, anger and any trivial conflicts, observe them, listen to them, learn about them, make everyone feel as an important part of the group. If you can do this, the group will be able to solve any problem that comes from outside. If there are problems inside the group, everything will be a mess.

That's about it for now, if you have questions, ask.