ResearchPDF Available

The Noah Virus: Who is Infected with High Resiliency for Disaster? (Updated MAR 2021)

Authors:
  • NORTHCOM

Abstract

Several events over the past 20 years, and especially the COVID-19 pandemic, have brought the topic of prepping (stockpiling goods and/or skills for extreme hazards) back to the forefront of public awareness and scholarly inquiry. However, in the 40 years of study, two of the most fundamental issues in this research remain unresolved. First, how many preppers are there? And relatedly, what makes someone a prepper? I tackle both of these issues. Due to the lack of quantification, nearly all data is qualitative in nature and has acquired a polarizing tinge with the dominant description of this group closer to caricature than fact. Opposing perspectives to this portrayal, while well-grounded, still suffer from selection bias. This chapter contributes to the argument; it utilizes two new national large-N surveys of Americans from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. I reinterpret a term from the literature, resilient citizen, but for the first time make it a testable and calculable definition to offer for the genre. In doing so, I establish a baseline for the number of extremely prepared individuals in the United States at 11.4 million people. I provide descriptive statistics of this group to argue that resilient citizens are closer to average Americans in many respects and are more accurately portrayed by the challenger viewpoint.
The Noah Virus: Who is Infected with High
Resiliency for Disaster?
By Chris Ellis
Cornell University
15 MAR 21 (Final Draft)
Key Words: 

Abstract:
 !"#$%&
'()*)
(+,')((('-
./-0(-((
-
1-)1#)'(
)(.2.
.,-
((!
--$3('4
'5,--$6(
(#
(,'(2)
''23(##
''('(+
7%%0#(
,
'
-
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I. Introduction
 !"#$%&3-
+8
3'
9'+43(
-)-'(4(
3--)'(
-:)-
,(')'''
-;<(
4)=.)
->',>
-((
=
4'((
-)
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)()(('
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A. The politics of prepping
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(!J -
(!B(8)
'4'(-
'('-)(
($4(
)((('
(DE)'
'2C()
.((-+((
(
B !"#$%&((
(##+(
)-
DE(4(
Hypothesis' (!
$!
!!
#)-((
'')($'
'(-(
&
-#(.$!-
(
-14-
'(.-

J--')'
'(--'B
U (6-;) J6-)($
@D-8'
E;
B. Gaps, contribution, and overview
!!!!!"
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+
%!!
 
4(
DEDEB)%&5
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II. How many preppers are there and what are they like? Historical
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III. Quantitative data and analysis
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A. Methodology and research design
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'
B. How many preppers are there? Getting close to an answer by
counting Resilient Citizens.
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Y'8E#'#D($
)((,E
:G
4'(%AN,6+
AANC247'$9#
''+
I%G&(0&0-!(
%F-+9$
I
Figure 1: How many days total could respondents last at home
without power, water, or transportation? All Respondents.
4((
-@+,
&RNDE:8
#D,EDE(
--
0
Figure 2: How many days total could respondents last at home
without power, water, or transportation? Resilient Citizens only.
2(I%D+E
((
-(
,(#(
&1C%G%%
34IN #L%&N$GNRG
2&F(
(&F
%IAR&F4(
'(-U
0G%N #LGN$%0N
+42(
R
R7(
(J--
(1(
('--#'-
/9 ,/9 &(
7$/9 ,7/9 &FO
0
C. The Composition and Characteristics of Resilient Citizens
?@!""!!!*
("C

-D!!!1D34347
/-,#''
19-''-2-'
-R-'#
+/9 ,
7$/9 ,'
B(#(('
,(,I%O(
1. Gender, age, and family demographics
#)(-(-
.4''
-4'
A&N(,((
0C(,/$6$C#7$$
$-
R(-(7 B
@**---*.)(*(*'*7*#J%%G
A
RN+(
-0&NR%N7)-
'A#/9 A&N
(7/9 <FFN
,-(
3-2F/9 7/9 -
'2)-'(
(
Men Women Age
Children living in
home
Census 0&N R%N 0F 6*
Regulars 50%*** RN 49.0* AG
Resilient
Citizens 69%*** I%N 51.5* A%
HRC A&N I%N R0 AA
UHRC FFN IN RI RA
\[R\\[%\\\[
%
Table 1: Gender, Age, Children averages
9,(-'-
2=4
'(#
%G(%&(
A!2-$-'(+@4
J )4!J---$
F4(7@**---**'*$
***%$$4
''(%G#%G
-IF'(#
+($%F&')$($$
F
3((G4'%,

2. Race
9(+B '
-')('3
+5 
C+(C! 3

B7 +
'+7(
/.-
'8+4)
'?(/
((-
%N'(4('#
+(
'&#-
7 '9(%G-
I4'
G@**---**%GIARF*$,$($$($$$*
&4/+$#/
--./
.
G
Figure 3: 2018 Comparative racial composition of various groups
&
C
B
) 

#
)
6
6
/-
J2
#
/

7  A0 %I0 R& %I  %GI
 AA% %A 0 % % &0
9 AR& %I 0% % % &A
9
, FR% AR %0 %& %& RA
/9  G%G F & & F IA
7/9  F& 0 6* 6* AI 6*
Table 2: 2018 Tabulated statistics of various groups by percent
2'RN(
,-2'
-'AN4-+
G$-+$-,7
!"C-(
,3(&N'(
'(-C
/9 7/9 'GNB)
/,
#)6'#
,(B)/)
','=''
-1#
2(C((
C/(,--((
(($2
I
4,/9 
7/9 -'6/-J2
#6/*J#4'--+)'
(+!(%I,(
-6/*J#'((+(
&FJ(6/*J#2
<')(-1
.#(%F4(
%G&,%AN-6/*J#(
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C(%F(
(%G'('-4-
(W%$W0(W%
(
-/-6  (4+

#(6/*J#''
,'%F%G0I
4(
(%GI%,-
(%F%G
' C'
I#++
I%#%G-((-
-6!4I$)
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I%
+'(6/*J#
/#*)6
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(!2+
-(%F%G((
,
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%% F AR %% %0A AF
%F9 , %G9 , %G
(9
Figure 4: Days of Preparedness by Group, Race, and Year
(2(#)
'(-)
7GGN(9 ,
)%RN(
49 ,(FR(
9($)-(
I+(')-+(-
<'
I
J9#(#J9+
(7(RG$
,
3. Education
4$2'-'
(
Q%&&A:-%%%F#(-
 /--
'-
%A5!8  
4'
4'3(
,4%G GGN(
-I%RN'8
-('
(5R
'-83-%G(
&N00N
'4'(,-(
0N('4-2
3(4('
-'-RA
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P(9N(
Figure 5: Educational range of resilient citizens
II&FRN &00N A0AN &0R&N%%RA&NFF%%FN
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&00N
A0AN
&0R&N
%%RA&N
FF%%FN
P(9N(
Figure 6: Educational range of regulars
/9 7/9 =.&%N
(/9 &IN(7/9 2
I0
-IGN0N$$(
-'3-F
8(-DE
9 9 , /9 7/9
I
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I0
IA
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Figure 7: Educational mean of groups
6@IL4*"0LRL 

4. Disability, transportation, and inclusiveness
C''14(( 
(/KRN(R0
--('%4
7 (%G--GAN
AR(/-
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II2'@D'
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,%&0N'3-
2!/9 7/9 -
('G6
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9 9 , /9 7/9
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Figure 8: Percent of individuals living with a disability
9%I7 <6-;) 
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#D8.!""%I4
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D4 8(
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?(85YST-
IA
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(.-
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1EC0N(%0N(,
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'I0C)(1J
(-IR''
'((-
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'.)1EFN(
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Q(
%A(-
'3(!)
-(-)
I0,3-2[%
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IF
)'--(
Q-%()''
'(>&@%>'
(-$C%A-'()-(
''(
-.4)(-)'(
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))AG0NAARN'3-
2
5. Money Matters
6+#)2'(
,-)1C
.(.
J-
,('
3
#-8.)(
%$%$%
-.<'-IA9,
(FRF-XW0R
W0WR0W0G#
'+&'43-
IA4--@7WAWAW0&&WRW&&&W%
W%&&&WW&&&WIWI&&&W0W0&&&WRWF0&&WFR
W&&&&W%W%0&&&W%RW%&&&&W
IG
2'[%IF!(7 
%G-<
WA4(8('
,--
-
Figure 9: Income distribution and median
4'8)-(').
U0N(,(-

4-
+2''$
IF2-/9 7/9 
''((/9 7/9 '
/9 XWR,7/9 
XW%0A
I&
4+.(#
--(/-%I$
3'--AF&N,
G%RN--2[%IG
(,W%RFF&
-RNW&RR[R4
<(-/9 WIIA7/9 WFI4-
%
9 9 , /9 7/9
R
%
%R

R
&RR
%RFF&
IIA FI

Figure 10: Mean total of money set aside for emergencies
4('(4
()
,%R
2,-)-8
8GIINFAAN
2[R/9 -,
(GRN-7/9 (G&%N4)
IG/9 *7/9 -FA0NGGN
0
2(,
>)>)
C,)
'#(
'
6. An Urban-Rural divide?
4+#4
'(
.$-<(
+('--
4'
8%G6/,(#
)(-'9$
7'  97 (9
(7(I&97 (%$
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Figure 11: Mean RUCA and % living in Urban Area Cores vs. Small
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Figure 12: Days of Preparedness by RUCA (Regulars)
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Figure 13: Days of Preparedness by RUCA (Resilient Citizens)
7. Regression analysis
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0.003+
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$R
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-0.022+
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Asian
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Female
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9
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Figure 14: Regression Results (Resilient Citizen Dichotomous)
-2'
4'!-'-(
4('
(!4-0R
#-##
(--
3(
3,('-
'%R/#
'(0AC)8
4-'
9'(4
0R#+(9$2#-(
7'H9-#(%R

0A4!Q.
0A
'(+%G(
!"
C#'
'-)-)!'
-,9%5
4--
'(2'((('4
-(-(
#(-(
4-!"-0
<8(I$(
4(-'-(

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9
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0.454***
%F
0.463***
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-3.025**
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-3.512***
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7.312+
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Urban to rural
0.885***
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0.861***
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A0(L
%5%%
' O[%\[R\\[%\\\[%
Figure 15: Regression Results (Days Total Continuous; All
Respondents and Resilient Citizens)
6-)8+-.,
6'2'
4)(+6/-*J2#-
0$'I0
C)(14''
''5(('(
(,>/9
,7$/9 ,>
'('4-
2A&&F)(
8+.9
0G
-('
,-8)--(
((
IV. Conclusion
6<((
'(+
-'
(2'42'4(
(-$2
('4 -
)-('-+
/-'3(=-@
')+4'
-)(,.2-(2'
2 '1
U--1#-(
-'

#(
,.
(<'(-+
,7'-
('-
-3,'-
0&
(''
,-<)4
+.((
'-4<)
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'#(2(
'-'-
:
2))'
''
Appendix A
(I%F6/
-%G'
(-)4-,'6LR0
'-GN6L0IA
7J9:7"
R%
#:%F
(!(4'4'
I'--,%F#
-<-8-((
?
+%G-7/9 #
)6/;%F'(-
'$
C
B
) 

#
)6
6
/-
J2
# /
9
, G%R A& %% IF %A %
/9  F%I F 6* IR A A
7/9  F&F R% 6* R% R IG
Table 3: 2017 Tabulated statistics of various groups by percent
References
%R9)!"!
S97$:$6-)T
@***%FG*4I%"R:6F
B&$:E:
#!F&E""*
$:)C@**---)-**-$
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$$'$'$$'$$$I$
R
B)K%&/-((@J
(.
!<*@***%%%%%*%IA
BU&'F9(J@86-
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J@J 9Q ,
G"*G"$+H%"%AR>GA
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4#B!#
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
B) #('B'&G
RGG6;%I7 (
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