We are the only full-time permanent residents living here, and own three lots in the sub with homes on two of them. Our 3rd lot is largely vacant except for a polebarn. Our two homes are almost 400 yards apart and not visible from each other through the forest. The one home is unoccupied most of the time except when family or friends visit (guest housing), and some have been told they're welcome and even encouraged to come here should the SHTF, but it'd be a 200 mile trip for the closest ones. We've made preparations for this should it occur and assuming they'd be able to make it here, and this is really our best-case scenario, at least 8 adults and hopefully a few more occupying 2 and hopefully all 3 of our properties.
The other property owners in the sub are all part-time vacationers, a few spending up to 3-4 weeks over the course of a year at their cottages and others that are only seen for maybe one weekend each year, if that. Even during deer season and on holiday weekends, which are the busiest times, it's not uncommon that only about 25% of the cottages are occupied. Sometimes the vacationers aren't even the owners themselves, but someone they've given permission and their keys to for the weekend. Neighbor relations in the sub as a whole range from acquaintances to good friends, no real troublemakers or lasting disputes. Crime isn't much of a problem, one break-in in the last 10 years and maybe 5 total in the last 30 years. There's little doubt in my mind that our permanent presence here helps keep criminals away somewhat, but in reality we can barely see our nearest neighbor's homes through the woods and I don't go investigate the neighborhood every time my dogs bark in the middle of the night. For a couple neighbors that I consider good friends I've made the offer that if they install wireless battery operated motion sensors inside their homes and garages (as we do) I'd monitor the frequencies and investigate if they go off. I've also suggested either CB or bubblepack FRS radios as an alternate means of staying in touch on a common channel/frequency as cell reception is unreliable here. The reasons I suggest for the radios being things like "Hey, anybody see my dog?" or "We're going to be target shooting out back shortly so let us know if you got people wandering around the woods, OK?". No takers on either offer yet.
So with that background, here's the problem: In a more severe SHTF situation (EMP/cyber attack that takes out the power grid, an epidemic, abrupt financial/dollar collapse, or similar) that lasts more than a few weeks and has no clear end in sight, my sub and others like it may be prime looting targets. No real way to estimate how many of the owners will arrive to ride out the storm at their 2nd homes, and most every home here has items like generators, chainsaws, boats, ORVs, woodstoves/heaters, firearms, ammo, food, hunting and fishing equipment, some have solar power systems, and fuels (gasoline, propane, fuel oil, kero, and woodpiles) that are left there year 'round as you might expect. No reliable estimates on how many of my invited guests will arrive either, just depends on the situation and what they decide is in their best interests. I'd be thankful for any owners that did show up, as even the ones I like the least are still good people generally. And while the sub is pretty secluded it's certainly not a secret, especially to the locals in the area. If nobody had already considered that the homes and sheds/garages in our sub would be good places to loot if the S really HTF, I'd be amazed. The first ones, and maybe the worst ones, might be the SHTF scavenger types, who may have already scouted us out and decided that my and my neighbors properties can be considered 'abandoned' on SHTF + 1 day, and are therefore OK to rob for items they might want but won't, or can't, buy for themselves now. But I digress...
[More written, and deleted]
Maybe I'll just leave it at that, and hope to hear the thoughts of others without any more input from me. I've thought about it, and the repercussions/consequences of different actions, from so many angles that I'm just going in circles anyway. We have a plan, practiced and tested, on how to respond to this sort of situation for protecting our properties - but any thoughts on the best way to dissuade or deal with thieves (if at all) that are robbing your neighbors presently unoccupied properties post-shtf? It might be anything from a dozen men with a flatbed truck loading up everything from your neighbors house and garage, to 1 guy with a crowbar or bolt cutters that walks in on the public road with an empty bag/backpack and is walking out 15 minutes later with all he can carry, or anything between. Suppose I should add that the scenario assumes that "call the police" is not an option either due to communication infrastructure failures, or that they can't or won't be able to respond in a timely manner.
WWYD scenario: Remote subdivision and criminals post-SHTF
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