Your Guess: How many are prepping?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

I'm wondering how many people in the U.S. are preparing for anything over a week. I say it's between 1% and 2% of the total population. My family says more like 0.5% nation-wide.

Does that sound right to you? Also, does it scare you to know that you & your preps might be surrounded by a whole lot of cold, hungry people in a few months? (It scares the crap out of me, hence my pre-occupation with this numbers thing.)

-- they're here (all@around.us), July 21, 1999

Answers

My Guess? 1 out of 10 prepping for 1-2 weeks. 1 out of 50 prepping for 1+ months.

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), July 21, 1999.


I'll go with the 1/2% or less.

No scare here. When the average temp that time of year is 19F for a high and -2F for a low, and we live 10 miles from the nearest town, on a gravel road, on top of a hill with access by vehicle from one direction only, with an excellent watch dog and lots of contingency plans, I think not. However, I am concerned for those who live in a city. If they don't have a place to go, they should get one now! Being a stranger approaching someone's home during times of turmoil is not a position I would admire.

Polly want a cracker may have a hole new meaning. Ever heard of sound of an assault rifle?

-- Daryl (rushmore@dailypost.com), July 21, 1999.


O.K., I'll bite.

"Few Americans gird for Y2K, poll shows

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nearly a fifth of U.S. households may stock up on food or water because of concerns about the year 2000 computer glitch, but the majority are planning no preparations, a poll released Sunday (July 18, 1999) showed.

The poll, conducted for the CBS News program ``Sunday Morning,'' found that 56 percent of respondents said no one in their home was ``thinking about doing anything'' to prepare for possible disruptions caused by the year 2000 computer bug. "

The question is, what is the number of households in America?

(Not the population in America, but the number of households?)

Anybody know? If so, we can then do the math. (We still won't know anything for sure, but we can guess!)

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), July 21, 1999.


Talking about prepping apart from when surved: 5%

Prepping for a "winter storm": 2%

Prepping like Y2K is more than a bump: .666 %

-- Jon Johnson (narnia4@usa.net), July 21, 1999.


90 to 100 million households?

-- nothere nothere (notherethere@hotmail.com), July 21, 1999.


FM, (Not the population in America, but the number of households?)

Anybody know? If so, we can then do the math. (We still won't know anything for sure, but we can guess!)

I think the numbers are 280 million Americans living in 100 million households.

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), July 21, 1999.


Low, Low, Low

less than 1%...

guaranteed panic at this figure, but who cares?

let's party dude...

eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die ... literally

-- PJC (paulchri@msn.com), July 21, 1999.


O.K.

So that means 36,626,066 people in this country may be planning to prepare.

(Somebody double check my math. Not one of my strengths.)

U.S. population (Census bureau) on July 19, 1999: 273,029,598

If living in 100,000,000 million households, that means 1.83 persons per household.

100,000,000 households, divided by 5 = 20,000,000 million households.

20,000,000 multiplied by 1.83 = 36,626,066 people.

Or--if 1/5 of all Americans were planning to prepare, the figure would be, as of July 19, 1999: 54,605,920

Maybe?

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), July 21, 1999.


One other item: Net population gain in this country is one person every 11 seconds. (According to the Census Bureau)

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), July 21, 1999.


My husband heard this morning on a local radio station that 18% of the U.S. is concerned about Y2K, everyone else feels it will be nothing. My husband happens to be of that 82%, I the 18%.

-- Cassandra Bello (american_storm@usa.net), July 21, 1999.


Cassandra,

That's a toughie. Lots of folks in the same boat.

However, does your husband view the American Red Cross as an alarmist organization? If not, print out the materials there for him to take a look at.

I used these materials during a presentation at our annual Neighborhood Watch picnic this summer, and it was most appreciated.

Good luck.

:)

P.S. Did anybody check my math?

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), July 21, 1999.


There is, in my opinion, a huge difference between concern and preparation. I know of several people who talk about and read about y2k. They are concerned. They are going to do something. Soon. Very soon. Before the panic sets in. If the polls that show 18%, 25%, 15%, etc. were accurate in regards to preparation, there would be bare shelves and panic. The truth is, most people don't act. And won't act. Until it is too late. Then, while standing in line or waiting to be put on a waiting list, they will tell everyone about how they knew this was going to happen.

Sheep do best in flocks. Most people are like sheep.

-- Daryl (rushmore@dailypost.com), July 21, 1999.


Taking an old radio station statistic, that approximately 1% of your audience will actually call in a request or to talk on air...based on the number of people who have access to the net and speak of their preps,..I'd say that number is only about 50,000...nationally.

My mother swore to me she was getting ready at my insistance, and went on to tell neighbors she was preparing, but it turns out she had ONE 3 gallon bottle of water and five cans of beans. I stood in her basement and laughed till I had tears in my eyes.

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), July 21, 1999.


Folks, I'd have to say between 100,000 and 250,000 are prepping for more than a month. There are a lot of people, especially older ones who have seen some of life's problems, who are prepping for a new depression.

Otherwise, not too many, no.

-- Jon Williamson (jwilliamson003@sprintmail.com), July 21, 1999.


I would submit that up to 50% of some groups (such as aware, local congregations) may be preparing...and up to 10-15% of other, larger groups (e.g., the LDS Church). Some isolated, areas, which are at risk to other dangers (hurricanes, etc.) may be prepping at the 25% or better rate...because it is a normal part of their lifestyle (Kaua'i, Guam).

Overall, I really hope that it is more than 2%...but that could be the sad reality.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), July 21, 1999.



How many now vs how many in Nov and Dec? Perpare now to avoid the rush is the big question. I see the 50# bags of rice at Sam's going daily. A new pallet is brought in weekly vs just last year when one pallet was good for months. There are many more people preparing than letting on and for good reasons. By the way, does doomer.suck remind amybody of Chicken little?

-- y2k dave (xsdaa111@hotmail.com), July 21, 1999.

Well, all of those polls and numbers are interesting. But...

While a lot of people may PLAN to prepare, most of them will procrastinate. It's a real shame that people are this way, and they will probably suffer for it in the long run.

So my guess is that only about .1% of the population is actually preparing.

-- DJ (reality@check.com), July 21, 1999.


I think a lot more people are prepping than want to admit. Last week, my well pump broke. When the guy came to fix it, I asked if it was possible to put a generator on the new one. He said that he'd been doing a lot of that lately. This contrasts to my impromptu survey of people in my area (rural midwest). Most of them have, allegedly, never heard of this problem. However, the stores are selling out of camping equipment. Go figure!

-- Marlos K. Albrecht (MarlosK@aol.com), July 21, 1999.

There is only ONE ANSWER to your question. NOT ENOUGH!

-- FLAME AWAY (BLehman202@aol.com), July 21, 1999.

How many are preping?

Don't know. But one thought gives me a bit of comfort, if so few households are making preps then all the pollys that think they will survive by begging and looting from us will be soooo suprised.

-- adam (goingto@ground.com), July 21, 1999.


I have no idea. But I do know that the grocery store sells an awful lot of bottled water and gallons of bleach these days, and they run specials on tunafish and toilet paper and small jars of mayonnaise. And specials on those religious seven day candles. And end cap displays of peanut butter and granola bars. What can they be thinking?

-- Mommacares (harringtondesignX@earthlink.net), July 21, 1999.

I will give you an example of the "average household" from a look into my family. I just came from a long week-end visit with my brothers and sisters and parents.

Daddy....nothing ( Is too old to tell, we will just bring him here to weather the "three day storm")

Oldest brother.... nothing ( He is the eternal optimist)

Oldest sister....big time preping ( going in 50/50 with us)

Next sister.....Plans on preping (nothing yet)

Another brother....Plans on preping (nothing yet)

Another sister.....Planed on preping (had done nothing until I took her grocery shopping and spent over $550. on food for next year. She thought that was alot. I tried to tell her....think about how many you will have to feed....she has three grown daughters and thier husbands, each has a child or two and she has a 2 year old son herself. $550. won't go that far but is better then nothing. I dought she will buy one more can of anything.)

Out of 7 households....2 no preps, 3 want too's, and 2 actually did anything. AND

-- bulldog (sniffin@around.com), July 21, 1999.


Enough people are doing something that NONE of the three large grocery chains here in Central East FL are putting canned goods on sale anymore. No more X for a dollar sales, with the exemption of tuna now and then. Folks are buying, slowly and quietly. But are there enough folks buying if things get really bad?

Time for another poll.

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), July 22, 1999.


Add to the mix those households that routinely can a years supply of veggies and fruits, etc. when the crops come in, they may or may not be GI but have enough common sense to 'fill the root cellar'.

-- Sammie (sammie0X@hotmail.com), July 22, 1999.

I think that as of July 1999, there's more talk about preparing going on than actual preparing itself. And, unfortunately, preparing for Y2K for many people means having some extra cash on hand at the end of the year. It hasn't dawned on them yet that having extra water and food on hand could be important.

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), July 22, 1999.

I think that the numbers are higher. The polls are really hard to take. Just how many of you would be willing to tell someone how much preparations you have put away? Or that you are putting them away? Mabey we could look at the ones who say they are planning to do something as a more realistic account as to what is actually going on.

-- Army Girl (aGirl@ag.com), July 22, 1999.

CBS did a poll. Came up with 10% fairly intense, 40% doing something.

-- Paul Davis (davsip1953@yahoo.com), July 23, 1999.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ