When people become frightened, agitated, frustrated, tired, hungry, or any combination of emotions that humans are capable of experiencing; unpredictable things frequently happen. One of the predictable things that happens all too often is that violence erupts. If the situation involves a gathering of people or a large number of people in close proximity, these violent eruptions can escalate into riots, random acts of violence, and general civil unrest.

Common sense and experience tells us that these scenarios happen all too frequently in normal small scale events like a city's team winning the championship for a particular sport or looting during a hurricane. What would happen if there were a regional disaster, natural or man made ?

If an event happened in a densely populated area and the highways were clogged with people fleeing the area, who knows what would happen.

It wouldn't necessarily take a disaster to cause civil unrest. An economic crisis, a fuel shortage, an interruption in the food supply; any of these could easily be a catalyst for civil unrest.

  Have a plan for you and your family to meet at a designated location. Cell phones are great, but don't count on them to be working during these times. Know where to go ahead of time, be prepared for the unexpected.

Have a travel plan. Have a travel survival pack for you and your family and make sure everyone knows the plan, and that their lives may depend on sticking to the plan.