What good is a ceasefire extension if nobody is upholding the terms of the current ceasefire? Honestly, can someone please explain that to me? There have been military clashes between the United States and Iran three times already this week. Meanwhile, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah is even more intense than it was before the original ceasefire agreement with Iran was signed. So if the current ceasefire agreement has been unable to stop the fighting, why should we believe that a 60 day extension of that ceasefire agreement will get the job done?

We are being told that the 60 day ceasefire extension will require Iran to allow free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

That would be wonderful.

But we were also told the exact same thing about the original ceasefire agreement.

At the time, President Trump boldly proclaimed that Iran had agreed to allow commercial vessels to freely travel through the Strait of Hormuz.

Of course that never happened.

But we are supposed to believe that Iran really means it this time?

Give me a break.

The Iranians know that it will probably take them more than 60 days to remove all of the mines that they have laid in the Strait of Hormuz.

So there is no way that commercial traffic through the Strait will return to normal within 60 days.

But at least the fighting between the U.S. and Iran will stop, right?

I wouldn’t count on it, because both sides just can’t stop breaking the current ceasefire.

On Wednesday, the Iranians fired a ballistic missile at Kuwait after U.S. aircraft bombed a ground control station in Bandar Abbas that the Iranians were using to launch drones…

US Central Command said on Thursday that Iran fired a ballistic missile toward Kuwait in an “egregious ceasefire violation.”

CENTCOM said Kuwaiti forces intercepted the missile, which it said was launched at 10:17 p.m. ET on May 27.

It said the missile launch came hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a threat in and near the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM said US forces intercepted all five drones and prevented a sixth launch from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas.

Then on Thursday, the Iranians fired at four vessels that were attempting to travel through the Strait of Hormuz without Iranian permission…

Iranian forces fired at four ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, state broadcaster IRIB reports hours after Washington carried out fresh strikes on southern Iran.

“Four vessels attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz and enter the Persian Gulf without coordination with the security forces,” IRIB posts on Telegram, saying the incident took place at around 12:35 am local time (2105 GMT Wednesday) but without providing details on the ships.

“They were warned, but after they ignored the warning, warning shots were fired at them, forcing them to return,” it adds.

In addition, the Iranians claim that they just destroyed a U.S. military aircraft that was operating near Bushehr…

Iran’s state television, citing a local official, reported on Thursday a US aircraft was destroyed near Bushehr in southern Iran, though there was no immediate confirmation from the United States. The report said the incident occurred near the coastal province, but provided no details on the type of aircraft or circumstances.

During this current ceasefire, there has been fighting over and over again.

In fact, we have already seen fighting on three separate days this week.

Will a 60 day extension of the current ceasefire magically fix this?

Of course not.

The current ceasefire was also supposed to stop the fighting in Lebanon.

Needless to say, that never happened either.

Hezbollah has been constantly launching drones into Israel, and in response the IDF is conducting airstrikes on Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon…

At least 19 people have been killed and 58 wounded in Israeli attacks in Lebanon, according to Lebanese health authorities, as Israel intensifies its assault in the south and issues mass displacement orders across the region.

Lebanon’s health ministry said on Thursday that an Israeli air strike south of Beirut killed a woman and two children, after Israel’s army said it “precisely struck” the city without identifying the target. This was the first strike on the Lebanese capital in three weeks.

Meanwhile, Israeli troops continue to advance even deeper into Lebanese territory…

Lebanese group Hezbollah says its fighters battled Israeli forces in a town north of the Litani River, a day after Israel’s military said it’s expanding ground incursions into the south.

In a statement, the armed group said fighters “clashed with the enemy forces at point-blank range” in the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah.

If the current ceasefire could not stop the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, why is there any reason to believe that a ceasefire extension would accomplish that goal?

Those that are breathlessly anticipating some sort of a “breakthrough” that will end the war in the Middle East are going to be deeply disappointed.

Just look at what is happening in Gaza.

A peace deal had been “finalized” and that conflict was supposed to be completely over.

But now Israel and Hamas are going at it again, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pledging that the IDF will take even more of the Gaza Strip…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he has directed Israel’s military to take over 70% of Gaza’s territory.

During an interview at a conference in the occupied West Bank, Netanyahu said that Israel is “tightening” its grip on Hamas. “We are now in 60% of the territory of the Gaza Strip. We were at 50%. We moved to 60%,” he said. “My directive is to move to — take it step by step — first of all 70. Let’s start with that.” As Netanyahu spoke, the audience called for him to take over all of Gaza’s territory.

There isn’t going to be peace in the Middle East.

I don’t know why this is so hard for some people to understand.

The best that we will be able to get are some pauses in the action, but they will only be temporary.

You would think that the crisis in the Middle East would be more than enough for us to handle, but it appears that the Trump administration is also gearing up for military action against Cuba…

Senior Trump administration officials have reportedly gamed out plans for military action against Cuba as the White House ramps up pressure on Havana and braces for the possibility of political unrest on the island.

The discussions, reported exclusively by Axios on Thursday, which included a recent “tabletop” exercise led by U.S. Southern Command, come as the administration intensifies sanctions aimed at destabilizing Cuba’s communist government using strict sanctions.

“Everything is on the table, but no invasion is planned or imminent,” one senior administration official told the outlet. “When POTUS says go, we’re ready for anything.”

Just like Iran, it would take a ground invasion to achieve regime change in Cuba.

And the Cubans possess a vast reserve and paramilitary network that could potentially mobilize more than a million men for territorial defense.

Of course we are also involved in a seemingly endless proxy war in Ukraine which is poised to escalate to a very dangerous level.

We are stretched way too thin, and so I can’t understand why anyone would be talking about attacking Cuba at this stage.

But this is the time we are living in.

World War III is here, but most people are not calling it that yet.

The mainstream media is constantly crying out for peace, but the truth is that a tremendous amount of death and destruction is ahead of us.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post An Extension Of A Ceasefire That Is Failing Over And Over Again Would Hardly Qualify As A “Breakthrough” appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

Prepping is expensive, but there are ways to do it more affordably. You don’t always need the fanciest, newest product to become better prepared, but it can be a challenge…

The post %Prepping on a Budget – Low-cost Items% appeared first on %Prepper Press%.

How many times have we heard that a peace deal with Iran “is almost finalized” or “could be signed today”? And how many times has it not happened? Sometimes I feel like I am watching a really twisted version of “Groundhog Day” where people wake up each day and decide to believe the same lies over and over again. Iran is never, ever, ever going to sign anything unless it includes an end to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. But Israel just launched a major military operation against Hezbollah in response to a spike in drone attacks against Israeli targets. If Hezbollah would quit sending drones into Israel, perhaps we could get somewhere, but Iran either can’t or won’t get Hezbollah to stop their terror attacks. So the Israelis plan to “strike them decisively”, and that is going to seriously upset the Iranians. Unless some sort of a miracle causes the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah to stop, a peace deal with Iran is impossible right now.

There is so much confusion about the negotiations that are taking place between the United States and Iran.

First of all, a permanent end to the war is not being negotiated.

What is being negotiated is a 60 day ceasefire extension. During that 60 days, the Strait of Hormuz would be temporarily “reopened” under Iranian management, and U.S. forces would pull back and suspend the blockade of Iranian ports.

Once the 60 day ceasefire extension is signed, there would be a limited window of time for negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program. The Trump administration is insisting that Iran must hand over their enriched uranium, and the Iranians continue to deny that they have agreed to do this.

I don’t see how the Trump administration and the Iranians will ever come to an agreement on the nuclear issues.

I really don’t.

But the 60 day ceasefire extension must be signed before we ever get to that stage, and that simply is not going to happen as long as Israel and Hezbollah are still fighting.

According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel is “at war with Hezbollah” and he is pledging that the IDF will “press the pedal even harder”…

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he instructed the military to “press the pedal even harder” against Hezbollah, after a US official signaled that Washington would approve a larger operation against the Iran-backed terror group amid a surge in drone attacks.

“We are at war with Hezbollah. Just in recent weeks, our brave fighters have eliminated more than 600 terrorists,” Netanyahu says in a video statement. “But we are not taking our foot off the gas. On the contrary, I have instructed them to press the pedal even harder.”

“We will strike them. Yes, they are attacking us with drones, cyber-enabled drones, and we have a special team working on this — and we will solve that too…But what this requires from us now is to intensify the blows, increase the force. We will strike them decisively,” the premier says.

This is a major military operation.

Within a 24 hour period, the IDF hit more than 70 Hezbollah targets all over Lebanon…

The IDF says it struck more than 70 Hezbollah infrastructure sites across Lebanon over the past 24 hours, including around 10 command centers and weapons depots in the city of Tyre.

The military says it used more than 85 munitions to target the sites, which were “used by Hezbollah to advance terror attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians.”

The IDF also says the air force struck and killed Hezbollah operatives riding motorcycles in an area where troops are operating in southern Lebanon.

As long as Israel is conducting such attacks, Iran is never going to sign anything.

And Israel isn’t going to stop as long as Hezbollah keeps sending drones into Israel.

As I write this article, large numbers of people are feeling from the southern areas of Beirut.

The reason they are evacuating is because they are concerned about Israeli airstrikes, and Iran is warning that any Israeli airstrikes on Beirut could cause the negotiations with the United States to completely collapse…

Iran has warned Washington that any Israeli attack on Beirut or the city’s southern suburbs would seriously threaten ongoing efforts to end the war and could collapse the current diplomatic track, according to Al Jazeera correspondent Ali Hashem citing an Iranian official source.

The warning comes as negotiations involving Tehran, Washington and regional mediators continue in Doha amid growing efforts to secure a broader understanding tied to the Strait of Hormuz and regional de-escalation.

Of course if the Iranians actually wanted peace to prevail in Lebanon, all they would have to do would be to get Hezbollah to stop conducting drone attacks.

So why won’t they do that?

Someone should really ask the Iranians that question.

As long as Israel and Hezbollah continue fighting, there is zero chance that Iran will sign anything.

But for a moment let’s assume that a miracle occurs and the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah stops and we witness a 60 day ceasefire extension.

In order for any sort of a permanent peace deal with Iran to be achieved, they are going to have to agree to hand over their enriched uranium, and they continue to steadfastly refuse to compromise on this issue…

Later Sunday, however, a senior Iranian source told Reuters that Tehran has not agreed to hand over its highly enriched uranium stockpile. The source said Iran’s nuclear issue was not part of the preliminary agreement with the United States.

“The nuclear issue will be addressed in negotiations for a final agreement and is therefore not part of the current deal. There has been no agreement over Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile to be shipped out of the country,” said the source.

Last week, Iranian sources claimed that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, had issued a directive that the near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad.

The Trump administration is not willing to waver on this issue either…

US President Donald Trump insists that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile will either be turned over to the US or destroyed at another location with International Atomic Energy Agency oversight, amid ongoing talks on an agreement with Iran.

“The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event,” Trump writes on Truth Social.

I don’t see how the matter of Iran’s enriched uranium is going to get resolved.

I also don’t see how the matter of Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz is going to get resolved either.

But before we get to those hurdles, the fighting in Lebanon has got to stop.

Unless the Iranians restrain Hezbollah, how is that supposed to happen?

I understand why people are hoping for peace.

But even getting a short-term ceasefire extension signed will be very difficult.

In fact, as I am writing this article U.S. fighter jets have attacked Iranian naval vessels…

Al Jazeera correspondent Ali Hashem says an Iranian source claimed heavy gunfire heard near Bandar Abbas began after the IRGC targeted a vessel at sea, followed by US fighter jets striking IRGC naval boats in the Gulf.

According to the source, several IRGC Navy personnel were killed.

“The situation is still unfolding,” the source said.

Those that are boldly proclaiming that “the end of the war is here” are not being realistic.

This isn’t the end of anything.

This is just the beginning.

Those that are convinced that a golden era of peace in the Middle East is right around the corner are going to be deeply disappointed.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post They Aren’t Telling You The Truth – This Is Why A Peace Deal With Iran Is Impossible Right Now appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

At a Glance: Build a Family Emergency Plan 2026

• The new 2026 government guidelines simplify planning to four basic questions, but dangerously assume cell towers and roads will actually work.
• A communication strategy that relies entirely on a mobile phone is a guaranteed point of failure during a real crisis.
• For a family, forced evacuation into the unknown is often far more dangerous than locking down and sheltering in place.
• Written plans disappear the second people get scared; only physical, timed practice can stop your family from freezing in an emergency.

The last few years proved that most families do not have a written emergency plan. Because the old manuals were too complicated, the government recently pivoted. The new 2026 Ready.gov guidance simplifies the whole process into four basic questions: How will I receive alerts? What is my shelter plan? What is my evacuation route? What is my communication plan?

It looks highly organized on a printable PDF. But the reality is, that checklist falls apart in the first five minutes of a real blackout. As one frustrated parent recently noted after a near-miss evacuation, “They struggled to think of a location in the heat of the moment.” If you rely on a single set of instructions without hard backups, you’re just hoping for the best. Here’s exactly how to fix the blind spots in the ready.gov family emergency framework.

What’s the 2026 Ready.gov Family Emergency Plan and Is it Enough?

The government’s updated approach is designed to get families to stop putting it off and simply write something down. By asking four basic questions, it creates an easy starting point for the average house.

The problem is this baseline plan assumes the grid will stay up and everything will work normally, which is exactly what doesn’t happen during an actual crisis. It assumes that when disaster strikes, your cell phone will have a signal, the highways will be clear, and your family will be physically capable of grabbing a backpack and hiking out of danger.

Writing down “I will text my husband” or “We will drive to the state park” is not an emergency plan. That’s just how you handle a normal Tuesday afternoon. Real survival planning means preparing for the exact moment those everyday systems fail.

How Do I Build a Family Emergency Communication Plan If Cell Service Fails?

The standard government checklist pushes you to write down a list of phone numbers. But a comms plan that relies completely on a working cell tower is a massive vulnerability. When the power grid goes down, cell towers either lose backup battery power or get completely jammed by panicked people making calls.

You need to build a communication setup that has backups for your backups:

• Primary: Cell phones and group text threads (everyday use).
• Backup: Internet-based encrypted messaging apps over Wi-Fi (used if cell service drops but your local internet is still up).
• Off-Grid: GMRS or two-way handheld radios for talking to people in your neighborhood (hardware-based and entirely independent of the power grid).
• Out-of-State: A designated physical contact far outside the danger zone. Local phone lines often jam, but long-distance calls can sometimes punch through. Your entire house needs to know to call a specific relative two states over to check in.

If cell towers are jammed, overloaded, or out of power, your phone may be the first thing to fail. Apps still need service, Wi-Fi, charged devices, and servers you can’t
control. Two-way radios give your family a backup way to communicate without waiting for a signal to come back. Here are the three options I considered getting:

Walkie Talkies, MOICO Long Range Walkie Talkies for Adults with 22 FRS Channels, Family Walkie…

BAOFENG UV-5G (UV-5X) GMRS Radio, Long Range Rechargeable Two Way Radio with NOAA Weather Receiving…

Radioddity DB20-G GMRS Mobile Radio for Car Vehicle, 20W Long Range Two Way Radio with Cigarette…

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Walkie Talkies, MOICO Long Range Walkie Talkies for Adults with 22 FRS Channels, Family Walkie…

Buy on Amazon

BAOFENG UV-5G (UV-5X) GMRS Radio, Long Range Rechargeable Two Way Radio with NOAA Weather Receiving…

Buy on Amazon

Radioddity DB20-G GMRS Mobile Radio for Car Vehicle, 20W Long Range Two Way Radio with Cigarette…

Buy on Amazon

Last update on 2026-05-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Should I Evacuate or Shelter In With Family Members?

The survival community is sharply split on whether to shelter in or bug-out. Standard tactical advice often pushes you to grab a bag and hit the road the second things go sideways. But if you’re responsible for a family, that’s usually a terrible idea.

You can’t just throw your spouse, three kids, the family dog, and a week’s worth of gear into a sedan and merge onto a jammed interstate. Look at the simple math of a vehicle evacuation: A standard mid-size SUV has a maximum payload capacity (passengers plus cargo) of roughly 900 pounds.

• 5 Passengers: ~650 lbs.
• 3 Days of Water (15 gallons): 125 lbs.
• Remaining weight left for food, medical kits, and shelter: 125 lbs.

Overloading your vehicle bottoms out the suspension and blows tires on roads covered in debris. You aren’t bugging out; you’re just stranding your family on a hostile highway. 

Instead of defaulting to hitting the road, use two simple rules to make the right call under pressure:

1. Is the house physically unsafe?

Are you facing a fast-moving fire, rising floodwaters, or a direct physical threat that is going to breach your walls?

• If YES: Get out immediately. Ditch the heavy gear; save the people.
• If NO: Move to the next question.

2. Are you out of critical supplies?

Have you completely run through your home stockpile, or is someone in the house facing a severe medical emergency you can’t handle without a hospital?

• If YES: Use your backup radios to coordinate a safe place to go, and leave.
• If NO: Stay put. Lock the doors, secure your perimeter, and start rationing the supplies you have on hand.

I prep for both outcomes: bugging in and bugging out. Here are the three items I recently added to my stash:

WaterStorageCube BPA-Free Collapsible Water Container with Spigot, Food-Grade Camping Water Storage…

Mini First Aid Kit – 150 Piece Small Waterproof Hard Shell Medical Kit for Home, Car, Travel…

QIO CHUANG Emergency Mylar Thermal Blankets -Space Blanket Survival kit Camping Blanket (4-Pack…

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

WaterStorageCube BPA-Free Collapsible Water Container with Spigot, Food-Grade Camping Water Storage…

Buy on Amazon

Mini First Aid Kit – 150 Piece Small Waterproof Hard Shell Medical Kit for Home, Car, Travel…

Buy on Amazon

QIO CHUANG Emergency Mylar Thermal Blankets -Space Blanket Survival kit Camping Blanket (4-Pack…

Buy on Amazon

Last update on 2026-05-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

For more details on making this critical decision, review our guide on when to bug out vs stay in.

What Are the Best Evacuation Meeting Points for a Scattered Family?

Families rarely spend their whole day together anymore. Between work, different schools, and running errands, your family will likely be scattered when a crisis hits.

“Meet back at the house” is a bad plan if roads are blocked or cops have the neighborhood roped off. You need layered rally points:

• The Neighborhood Rally Point: A specific, easy-to-spot location you can walk to from your house (like the oak tree at the end of the cul-de-sac). Used for sudden house fires or emergencies right on your street.
• The Regional Rally Point: A location 5 to 10 miles away (like a specific parking lot at a major retail store or a trusted friend’s house). Used if your immediate neighborhood is locked down or evacuated.
• The Out-of-Town Rally Point: A secure location at least 50 miles away. Used for regional disasters like hurricanes or widespread grid failures where you have to completely leave the area.

How Do We Practice a Family Emergency Plan?

You can fill out the family emergency plan perfectly, but if your folks didn’t practice it, they’re still going to freeze like deer in the headlights the second a real disaster hits. When the adrenaline hits, the natural human response is to freeze.

A piece of paper won’t stop panic. Practice will. You must define exactly who is responsible for what, write down any specific medical needs of the people under your roof, and assign age-appropriate jobs. Then, you test it.

Turn off the main breaker to your house at 8:00 PM on a random Tuesday. Test your emergency flashlights. Have your kids find their packed bags in the dark. Test your two-way radios. Figure out what breaks and fix it now, while the stakes are zero.

The 2026 Ready.gov update is a good starting point to preparedness, but it’s not enough for a survival strategy. Bureaucrats write checklists; survival is about what actually works on the ground. Don’t rely on government printouts that aren’t tailored to real situations and your family’s needs. Instead, audit your supplies, buy offline radios, and physically practice your response to reduce panic.

Download the Complete Family Emergency Plan Checklist Here

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do we need a written family emergency plan if we already talk about what to do?

Talking about an emergency does not build muscle memory or show you what gear you are missing. A formal written plan forces you to verify phone numbers, nail down exact meeting spots, and face hard realities like vehicle weight limits before you are under extreme stress.

What is the most important item to pack if my family is forced to leave immediately?

Your critical paperwork and specialized medical supplies. While water and food are essential, prescription meds and physical copies of IDs and insurance policies cannot be easily scavenged or replaced when everything is shut down.

How do I handle an emergency plan with young children?

Keep it simple and focused on physical action. Give them one specific job, like grabbing their personal emergency backpack, and practice it in the dark. Frequent, low-stress practice takes the fear out of it and gives them a sense of control when a real disaster happens.

Are standard walkie-talkies good enough for neighborhood communication?

Basic FRS radios (standard walkie-talkies you buy at a big box store) are fine for short distances with no obstacles, but they struggle in dense neighborhoods. Upgrading to a GMRS radio system gives you much better range and clarity when the cell towers go down.

How often should we practice our emergency drills?

Run a zero-power drill at least twice a year. Practice cutting the power to the house, using your emergency lighting, and testing your radios. Finding out your flashlights are dead on a random Tuesday is much better than finding out during a hurricane.

QUICK POLL

FEMA: necessary agency or waste of tax dollars?

Already voted? Explain your choice in the comments below.

For most people, the price of gasoline is the most obvious consequence of the war in the Middle East. As I write this article, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States is $4.56. Of course in some parts of the country consumers are paying much more than that. This is a big story, and the truth is that gasoline prices are going to go even higher in the months ahead. But if you think that the price of gasoline is bad, just wait until you see what eventually happens to food prices. The price of diesel has been rising even faster than the price of regular gasoline, and fertilizer prices have been absolutely skyrocketing. Those costs will get passed along to the rest of us. It is just a matter of time. Meanwhile, our farmers are dealing with drought conditions that are unprecedented and now a “Super El Niño” is coming.

What all of this means is that food prices will rise to very painful levels.

So even though everyone is complaining about rising gasoline prices at the moment, one prominent economist is warning that “the next story is food”…

The cost of food in the U.S. appears poised to rise sharply alongside oil prices, as war-related supply disruptions put pressure on the companies and farmers who keep the country’s shelves stocked.

“The big story right now is oil,” economist Justin Wolfers told MS NOW on Tuesday. “The next story is food.”

Oil prices have risen over 50 percent since the conflict began on February 28, pushing gas prices to a nationwide average of over $4.50 for the first time since 2022.

Can you imagine what would happen if food prices were to rise another 50 percent from current levels?

Over the past year, many of the most common items that Americans purchase at the grocery store have already become much more expensive…

When compared to the same time last year, fruits and vegetables have seen some of the biggest price hikes. Tomatoes are 40% more expensive now than they were this time last year. Bad growing weather, tariffs, and rising fuel prices have all contributed to the huge change in tomato prices, reports the New York Times.

Coffee, another imported product, is 19% more expensive than it was last spring.

You’re also likely seeing inflated prices at the butcher counter. Meat is up 9% overall, but beef has grown even more expensive. Ground beef is about 15% pricier, beef roasts are 18% more, and steak is up 16%.

We can blame the war with Iran for the recent price hikes that we have been experiencing, because the war has made diesel much more expensive.

And diesel is used to transport most of what we eat…

What’s contributing to the price spikes? Fuel prices have soared while the Iran war prevents cargo ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for global oil supplies. Diesel fuel powers fishing boats, tractors and the trucks that ship 83% of U.S. agricultural products.

Just as you’re paying more at the pump, so are truckers who transport goods all around the country. Some vendors and suppliers are adding fuel surcharges to make up for the increased cost of transporting and delivering their goods.

In addition, fertilizer prices have gone absolutely haywire, and those costs will be passed along to us once harvest season arrives.

The solution to this crisis would be for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen.

But Iran isn’t willing to do that.

Instead, Iran intends to make the status quo in the Strait of Hormuz permanent…

Iran and Oman are actively discussing a permanent security mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is pushing to institutionalize and normalize a transit fee or toll on commercial shipping vessels navigating the narrow waterway. According to an Iranian diplomatic envoy, the proposed system is designed to secure the long-term positioning of Iran and Oman as the primary regulators of the strait, effectively transforming a temporary leverage point from the recent military conflict into a permanent sovereign right.

To formalize its grip, Iran’s newly established Persian Gulf Straits Authority began applying conditional rules and hefty transit tolls, in some cases exceeding one million dollars per vessel, while granting selective exemptions to friendly nations like Russia or China. By engaging Oman, which shares territorial jurisdiction over the Strait, Iran is seeking to build a coalition that validates these tolls under the guise of funding localized maritime security.

The US maintains an opposing view on the matter, viewing the permanent toll as a non-negotiable barrier to reaching a sustainable peace deal. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, international straits are governed by transit passage protocols that guarantee the uninterrupted flow of global commercial shipping, a principle the US insists must be restored without conditions.

This is one of the reasons why there is not going to be an agreement to end the war.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio just warned that what Iran is attempting to do with the Strait of Hormuz “will make a diplomatic deal impossible”…

“A toll collection system in the Strait of Hormuz will make a diplomatic deal impossible.”

“We are very disappointed with NATO allies, we will discuss the issue of troop deployment at the upcoming meeting.”

If the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, a global inflation crisis is guaranteed.

And on top of everything else, now a “Super El Niño” is rapidly approaching.

We are being warned that it could potentially be the most powerful “Super El Niño” in recorded history…

Scientists have warned that an imminent ‘super El Niño’ could be even more powerful than a previous event which caused over 50 million deaths.

The 1877 El Niño was one of the most severe climate events in recorded history, triggering a global humanitarian disaster known as The Great Famine.

Climate reconstructions suggest water temperatures in a key region of the Pacific Ocean rose by 2.7°C (4.86°F), which caused disruption to rainfall patterns around the world.

If the Super El Niño of 1877-1878 killed 50 million people when the global population was just a fraction of what it is today, what would an even more powerful Super El Niño do?

An associate professor at Washington State University is telling us that “multiyear droughts similar to those in the 1870s could happen again”…

Estimates indicate the resulting scarcity of food and disease outbreaks killed up to four per cent of the Earth’s population at the time.

That would be the equivalent of at least 250 million people if it happened today.

Now, forecasts suggest water temperatures could potentially exceed 3°C (5.4°F) above average later this year – making the upcoming super El Niño even more powerful than the one nearly 150 years ago.

‘Simultaneous multiyear droughts similar to those in the 1870s could happen again,’ Deepti Singh, associate professor at Washington State University, told the Washington Post.

Worldwide food production was already going to be way down this year due to the global fertilizer crisis.

Now an immensely powerful “Super El Niño” is being added to the equation.

What do you think that all of this is going to do to food prices?

Needless to say, the answer is obvious.

We are in far more trouble than most people realize, but for now most of the population just continues to party.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post Everybody Is Talking About The Cost Of Gasoline – Soon Everybody Will Be Talking About The Cost Of Food appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

At a Glance: 72 HR Bugout Bag 2026

• Discover the critical differences between a heavy, static home emergency kit and a highly mobile 72 hr bugout bag built strictly for immediate evacuation.
• Learn how to engineer your pack using the 20% weight rule to ensure you don’t cripple yourself on the road.
• Get specialized, phase-based gear checklists to build dedicated evasion bags for your vehicles, your kids, and your pets.

If you’re building a bug-out bag from scratch or dusting off an old one for 2026, figuring out where to start can feel overwhelming sometimes due to a mountain of gear out there. You need to know what actually works on the road so you don’t end up carrying dead weight.

Inside this guide:

• Terminology & Foundations
• The 72-Hour Bug-Out Bag for Adults
• The 72-Hour Bug-Out Bag for Cars
• The 72-Hour Go Bag for Kids
• The 72-Hour Bug-Out Bag for Pets

Terminology & Foundations

 A 72-hour emergency kit is a collection of essential supplies designed to sustain your family’s life support for at least three days during a disaster. Federal agencies like FEMA base their baseline emergency preparedness guidelines around this timeframe because it can take up to three days for relief workers, supply chains, or government assistance to reach your neighborhood after a major grid-down event or natural disaster.

BOB vs 72-hour Emergency Kit: Quick Comparison

The difference between a Bug-Out Bag (BOB) and a standard emergency kit is mobility. A home emergency kit is a static system designed for sheltering in place while a BOB is a mobile system designed for immediate evacuation.

The bottom line is simple: secure your home base with a static kit first, then build your Go Bag second, as part of your exit strategy.

RELATED: Refresh Your 72-Hour Emergency Kit Essentials 2026

The 72-Hour Bug-Out Bag for Adults

Your personal bug-out bag needs to comply to strict weight limits. If your bag is too heavy, you simply won’t survive the walk. Your maximum pack weight should never cross 20% of your body weight. If you weigh 180 lbs, your absolute maximum limit must be 36 lbs.

There’s a massive debate in the preparedness space about how this bag should look. The tactical crowd loves highly organized bags covered in webbing for fast access to gear. But the reality on the ground is much harsher. Any high-end bag, even a plain-looking civilian one, signals wealth and signals that you have tactical gear inside, making you a target.

To beat this, you need to disguise your gear based on your environment:

• Phase 1 (Vehicle Evacuation): Keep your bag organized and structured so you can easily throw it into a truck and drive away fast.
• Phase 2 (Foot Travel Through Crowds): If the roads choke and you’re forced to walk through populated areas, cover your backpack with a cheap contractor trash bag or a worn-out poncho. It instantly kills the visual value of your gear.

The Adult Bug-Out Checklist (10 Mobility Essentials)

1. 1-Liter Hard-Sided Water Bottle: Baseline hydration that won’t easily puncture. It’s impractical and physically straining to carry 72 hours of water (that’s 24 lbs). Just carry a liter and filter the rest.
2. Hollow-Membrane Squeeze Filter: Essential for processing water you find along your mapped escape route.
3. 3600-Calorie Ration Block: Dense fuel that doesn’t need cooking, heat, or extra water to eat.
4. Merino Wool Base Layers: Top and bottom layers that hold your body heat even when you’re sweating.
5. Silnylon Tarp or Heavy-Duty Space Blanket: A lightweight, fast-deploying shelter to keep the wind and rain off.
6. Laminated Escape Maps: Physical maps detailing your primary and backup foot routes.
7. Trauma-Focused First Aid Kit: Built to handle severe bleeding (tourniquets, pressure dressings) and bad foot blisters.
8. Fixed-Blade Survival Knife: A reliable, full-tang blade for processing firewood or building a hasty shelter.
9. Waterproof Fire Kit: Two reliable lighters and stormproof matches sealed away from the elements.
10. 55-Gallon Contractor Trash Bag: Your ultimate multi-tool. It’s a ground tarp, emergency rain gear, or a quick disguise for your pack.

The 72-Hour Bug-Out Bag for Cars

Your car is your best evacuation means right up until traffic gridlocks or your engine dies. If your only emergency gear is sitting in a closet at home, you’re completely exposed during your daily commute. A vehicle bag (often called a Get Home Bag) gives you the tools to handle a roadside emergency or endure a long walk home over rough pavement.

The Car Bug-Out Checklist (10 Get-Home Essentials)

1. Sturdy Walking Boots: Kept permanently in the trunk to prevent shredded feet on a long walk. As the saying goes, “if you don’t have a good pair of boots, you ain’t going nowhere.”
2. High-Visibility Vest: Absolutely non-negotiable for walking down highway shoulders in the dark.
3. Emergency Water Pouches: Sealed water that’s lab-tested to survive freezing winters and boiling car interiors without bursting.
4. TSA-Safe Utility Tool: A compliant tool (like a pry bar with exchangeable blades) so you aren’t caught empty-handed if you travel for work.
5. Rechargeable LED Headlamp: Gives you hands-free lighting for tire changes or hiking at night.
6. Local Paper Map: A physical county map with your home and secondary meetup spots marked.
7. Portable Lithium Jump Starter: Lets you self-rescue a dead battery without waiting on a stranger’s jumper cables.
8. Glass Breaker Tool: For immediate escape if your doors are pinned or submerged.
9. Thick Wool Socks: To immediately swap out of your thin office socks before you hit the pavement.
10. Non-Perishable Snacks: Jerky and trail mix in waterproof containers for quick energy.

The 72-Hour Go Bag for Kids

A kids’ go bag is built to focus on normalcy more than survival. The items you pack can give the little ones familiar comforts and a sense of control when everything else is chaotic. 

Because kids can’t carry much weight, you need to be strict on which items to pack. Use the one-gallon ziploc constraint: all of their critical spare clothes and warming layers must fit into a single, waterproof, one-gallon bag.

The Kids Go Bag Checklist (10 Comfort & Safety Essentials)

1. Proper Suspension Backpack: A bag built for smaller frames so they don’t get tired and refuse to carry it.
2. High-Decibel Whistle: Attached right to their shoulder strap so they can signal for help if you get separated.
3. Personalized LED Headlamp: Let them be in charge of their own lighting so their hands stay free.
4. Favorite Comfort Item: One small toy, book, or stuffed animal to lower their stress levels.
5. Weather-Appropriate Clothing Change: Vacuum-sealed in a Ziploc bag to stay dry and save space.
6. Kid-Friendly Wet Wipes: For basic hygiene on the road.
7. Travel Toothbrush: Keeps a tiny piece of their normal routine intact.
8. Familiar Snacks: Fruit snacks or granola bars to keep morale high and blood sugar stable.
9. Pediatric Medications: A 3-day supply of any prescriptions they take regularly.
10. Emergency Contact Card: Laminated and tucked into their pocket with your phone numbers and a designated meetup point.

The 72-Hour Bug-Out Bag for Pets

Evacuating on foot can stress or dehydrate your pet quickly. If you haven’t packed specifically for them, you’re going to end up pouring your own strictly calculated 1-liter water ration into their bowl. Doing that completely breaks the math of your own survival.

The Pet Bug-Out Checklist (10 Control & Sustainment Essentials)

1. Tactical Lifting Harness: A tough harness with a heavy-duty handle on the back so you can physically lift them over fences or debris.
2. Heavy-Duty Slip Lead: A rope that works as both a collar and a leash in one motion, perfect if their main gear breaks.
3. 3-Day Kibble Supply: High-protein dry food portioned out and stored in airtight, waterproof bags.
4. Collapsible Silicone Bowl: Weighs next to nothing and clips right to the outside of your pack for fast water breaks.
5. Extra Collar with ID: Updated, engraved tags just in case they slip out of their primary harness.
6. Soft Muzzle: Absolutely mandatory. Even the friendliest, highly-trained dog can bite out of fear when they are stressed or injured.
7. Pet First Aid Kit: Needs to include a tick remover and self-adhering bandages that won’t stick to their fur.
8. Dedicated Water Supply: At least a full liter of water budgeted specifically for their cooling needs.
9. Paw Protectors/Booties: Keeps their pads from getting sliced up by broken glass or burned on hot asphalt.
10. Vaccination Records: Physical copies in a ziploc bag—emergency shelters often demand these before letting a dog inside.

Your survival during an evacuation depends entirely on your 72 hr bugout bag mobility and preparation. A heavy, disorganized bag will only slow you down and make you an obvious target on the road. Stick to the strict 20% weight limits, actively disguise your gear, and ensure every family member—including pets has their own tailored loadout. Test your packed bags this week and find your failure points now.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should a 72 hr bugout bag weigh?
Your bag should never exceed 20% of your ideal body weight. For a 180-pound adult, the absolute maximum weight is 36 pounds to prevent lower-body injuries during a long-distance foot evacuation.

What is the difference between a bug-out bag and a 72-hour emergency kit? The core difference is mobility. An emergency kit uses heavy bins meant for sheltering in place during a grid-down scenario, while a bug-out bag relies on ergonomic backpacks built strictly for walking and evacuation.

Should I pack tactical gear in my bug-out bag? No. Utilizing heavily militarized backpacks or camouflage makes you an immediate target to desperate people. You should prioritize “Grey Man” civilian aesthetics to blend in and hide your resources visually.

How do I pack a bug-out bag for my dog? Start with a tactical lifting harness so you can carry them over debris. Pack three days of high-protein kibble, a collapsible silicone bowl, dedicated water rations, and a soft muzzle to prevent stress-induced biting.

Can I just keep my primary bug-out bag in my car? No. Extreme temperature fluctuations in a vehicle will quickly destroy your food rations, medications, and water filters. Keep a smaller, dedicated “Get Home Bag” in your trunk, and store your primary bug-out bag inside your climate-controlled home.

We have never faced anything quite like this. Diesel fuel and fertilizer have become far more expensive as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, and extreme weather is playing havoc with crops all over the planet. Here in the United States, we just experienced the driest first three months of a year in recorded history. No, that isn’t an exaggeration. Now a “Super El Niño” is coming, and that means that drought conditions are going to get even worse in many areas of the world. The “Super El Niño” of 1877-1878 resulted in widespread droughts that killed more than 50 million people, and now we are being warned that the upcoming “Super El Niño” could be even worse. Our farmers have never faced a “perfect storm” of this magnitude, and global food production is going to be way down in the months ahead.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization is publicly warning that a severe global food crisis could strike about 6 months from now if something really dramatic does not happen…

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a severe global food price crisis within six to 12 months unless governments act quickly, the Food and Agriculture Organization warned Wednesday.

Decisions now by farmers and governments on fertilizer use, imports, financing and crop choices will determine whether food prices spike later this year or in early 2027, the agency said.

I don’t know what national governments around the world are supposed to do.

They can’t create fertilizer out of thin air.

Thanks to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, millions of farmers all over the northern hemisphere didn’t get the fertilizer that they needed for the spring planting season.

UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo is telling us that as a result “many places in the world will have problems of food shortage” once harvest season arrives…

Food shortages are expected to hit many parts of the world from September or October following a fertilizer production plunge, the U.N. Development Program’s head said on Monday.

“In September, (or) October, many places in the world will have problems of food shortage,” as agricultural production is expected to be much lower following the fertilizer production slump resulting from high oil prices amid Middle East conflicts, UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo said in an interview in Tokyo.

Even if fertilizer is available, many farmers simply cannot afford it.

In fact, one recent survey discovered that 70 percent of U.S. farmers could not afford to buy all of the fertilizer that they needed for the spring planting season because it has become so expensive.

Meanwhile, diesel has become painfully expensive as well.

Virtually all farm equipment runs on diesel, and as I write this article the average price of a gallon of diesel in the U.S. is sitting at about five and a half dollars.

But in California, the average price of a gallon of diesel has reached nearly seven and a half dollars…

According to AAA, the average price for diesel fuel in California is about $7.43 per gallon, which is $2.36 higher compared to last year. In Fresno, prices are slightly higher.

“In Fresno, you’re paying about $6.06 for a gallon of regular gasoline, but you’re paying $7.48 for a gallon of diesel,” Johnson said.

You may not care about what is happening in California, but you should because California produces more fruit and more vegetables than any other state by a very wide margin.

Drought is another major problem that U.S. farmers are dealing with.

In West Texas, the cracks in the ground caused by endless drought are big enough to swallow an entire human hand…

Scott Irlbeck crouched in a field of stunted wheat plants in a parched stretch of West Texas and slipped his hand into a crack wide enough to swallow it.

Last autumn, Irlbeck planted a crop that barely grew because rain never came. ​He now hopes his insurance adjuster will declare it a total loss so he will not need to spend money on pricey fuel to harvest it next month.

Coming into this year, the southwestern portion of the nation was experiencing the worst multi-year drought in at least 1,200 years.

And then the first three months of this year were the driest first three months of a year for the entire country ever recorded.

As a result, it is being projected that the winter wheat harvest will be a disaster…

Crop estimates underscore just how bad the situation is. Growers will see their smallest wheat crop in terms of production since 1972, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture; 1.56 billion bushels this year, down 21% from 2025. That’s especially harmful to Kansas, one of the top overall producers of wheat in the U.S.

This year, only 22 million acres of winter wheat will be harvested, and the abandonment rate is above 32 percent…

Only 32.4 million acres (13.1 million hectares) of wheat were planted this year to begin with, and harvested acreage hit just 22 million, marking abandonment, which is when farmers stop tending to a crop before harvesting, at slightly above 32% of this year’s wheat crop, according to USDA estimates.

Just think about those numbers for a moment.

Our farmers simply gave up on nearly a third of this year’s winter wheat crop.

Wow.

Looking ahead, we are being told that the number of acres of wheat that U.S. farmers are planting in the spring will be the fewest “since record keeping began in 1919”…

U.S. growers were poised to plant the fewest acres of wheat since record keeping began in 1919, as high costs for fertilizer, seeds, and equipment have made it difficult to turn a profit.

In 1919, there were 104 million people living in the United States.

Today, there are more than 340 million people living in the United States.

It doesn’t take a math genius to figure out that we are headed for trouble.

And now a “Super El Niño” is looming…

A “Super El Niño” may be on its way and could impact weather in the United States and worldwide for the next several months.

El Niño is described by the National Weather Service (NWS) as “a state where the water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean near the equator become abnormally warm.” These warmer waters trigger significant weather pattern changes across the globe.

One expert is warning that there is approximately a 50 percent chance that this “Super El Niño” will be the most powerful ever recorded…

“I would suggest there is roughly a 50 per cent chance of the event becoming the strongest in the historical record right now,” Paul Roundy, a professor of atmospheric science at the University at Albany, in the US, told BBC Science Focus. “A few weeks ago, I was suggesting maybe 20 per cent.”

In a previous article, I discussed the fact that the “Super El Niño” of 1877-1878 caused widespread global famines that resulted in the deaths of 50 million people.

So how many will die during the “Super El Niño” that will begin later this year?

According to the UN, the number of people around the world there were experiencing acute hunger was already at an all-time record high even before the war with Iran started.

Now global hunger is spiking, and when people get really hungry they get really desperate.

For example, just check out what is going on in Afghanistan…

Khwaja Ahmad barely gets out a few words before he starts sobbing.

“We are starving. My older children died, so I need to work to feed my family. But I’m old, so no one wants to give me work,” he says.

When a local bakery near the square opens up, the owner distributes stale bread among the crowd. Within seconds, the loaves have been pulled apart, half a dozen men clutching onto precious pieces.

This should break your heart.

One extremely hungry man in Afghanistan says that he is willing to sell his own daughters just so that he will have enough money to buy food…

Abdul Rashid Azimi takes us into his home and brings out two of his children – seven-year-old twins Roqia and Rohila. He holds them close, eager to explain why he’s making unbearable choices.

“I’m willing to sell my daughters,” he weeps. “I’m poor, in debt and helpless.

“I come home from work with parched lips, hungry, thirsty, distressed and confused. My children come to me saying ‘Baba, give us some bread’. But what can I give? Where is the work?”

This is what is already happening.

Six months from now, the level of desperation around the world will be so much worse.

We need the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened as soon as possible, but that simply is not going to happen.

The Iranians are never going to give President Trump what he wants, and they are preparing for the next phase of the war…

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf claimed Wednesday that the U.S. is looking to “start a new war,” a report said.

“The enemy’s movements, both overt and clandestine, show that despite economic and political pressure, it has not abandoned its military objectives and is seeking to start a new war,” Ghalibaf said in a statement shared by Iranian media, according to The Times of Israel.

“Close monitoring of the situation in the United States reinforces the possibility that they still hope for the surrender of the Iranian nation,” he reportedly added.

The next chapter of this war is not going to look like the last chapter.

The IRGC is openly telling us that they are ready to attack “in places you cannot even imagine”…

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned on Wednesday that any new attack on the country would provoke them to spread the war beyond the Middle East, raising the stakes of diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

In a statement reported by Iranian state media, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a powerful military force that answers directly to the country’s supreme leader, said that if “aggression against Iran is repeated,” it would deliver blows “in places you cannot even imagine.”

The Iranians know that they cannot win the war by fighting symmetrically.

So they are going to use asymmetric tools to get the job done.

And some of those asymmetric tools will not be conventional.

When fighting erupts again, I expect things to get really crazy.

What this means is that the Strait of Hormuz is going to remain closed for a long time, and that is really bad news for farmers all over the globe.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post We Are 6 Months From Global Food Shortages Because Farmers Are Facing A Quadruple Whammy Crisis appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

At a Glance: Hurricane Season 2026

• Below-Average Forecast: The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1, with forecast predicting below-normal overall activity due to cooler ocean temperatures.
• The Complacency Risk: Seasonal averages do not predict exact landfalls. A low-activity year can still produce a catastrophic regional storm, just like Hurricane Ian did during a below-normal 2022 season.
• The 20-Day Window: Property owners need to audit their insurance policies, secure a week of supplies, and complete physical property maintenance before the June 1 deadline.

The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1 and runs through November 30, 2026. Early weather data points to a below-average year for total storm volume. However, emergency managers warn that these predictions often create a false sense of security for coastal residents.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will release its official seasonal outlook soon. Ahead of that announcement, Colorado State University (CSU) published its baseline forecast, which predicts below-normal activity across the Atlantic basin.

Key Drivers Behind the Hurricane Season 2026 Forecast

Shifting global weather patterns and ocean temperatures are the main reasons for the lower projections this year.

Forecasters point to weak La Niña or neutral conditions in the Pacific. These patterns usually mean less wind disruption over the Atlantic, but cooler Atlantic sea surface temperatures are expected to offset this. Because hurricanes rely on warm water for fuel, cooler ocean temperatures limit how many storms develop and how strong they can get.

As of mid-May 2026, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reports zero active tropical storm activity in the Atlantic.

2026 Expected Storm Numbers

The current data highlights a lower volume of tropical activity. Still, historical data shows it only takes a single storm to create a regional crisis.

Why Below-Average Projections Still Require Preparation

Meteorologists emphasize that a below-normal forecast doesn’t mean zero risk. Seasonal models predict the total number of storms across the entire ocean basin, but they can’t predict exact landfall locations or dates months in advance.

Historical data shows that low-activity years still cause major disasters:

• The 2022 Season: The 2022 hurricane season featured below-normal activity overall, yet it produced Hurricane Ian. That single storm made landfall as a Category 4 and devastated Southwest Florida with catastrophic storm surge.
• The Landfall Factor: A region can experience a direct hit from a major storm regardless of total basin activity. If a single hurricane hits your home, the seasonal average doesn’t matter.

Critical Preparation Steps Before June 1

Property owners have a narrow window to complete household safety checks before the season officially opens. Taking these steps now prevents the need to scramble for supplies during a last-minute panic.

Insurance Updates

Review your existing homeowners or renters insurance policies immediately. Insurance companies won’t add or change coverage once a tropical system is named and moving toward your region. Check your specific deductibles for named storms and verify your flood insurance status if you live in a low-lying zone.

Emergency Supplies

Audit your emergency kit to ensure it can support your household for at least a week if the grid fails. Check expiration dates on food and medical supplies, and verify that backup power systems like portable generators or battery banks function properly.

Property Maintenance

Walk your property to find vulnerabilities before high winds arrive. Trim tree branches away from your roofline, clear gutters to prevent water pooling, and make a plan to secure outdoor items like patio furniture and propane tanks.

Official Tracking Resources

• Visit noaa.gov to monitor the official 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook as updated numbers are released.
• Bookmark nhc.noaa.gov to track live tropical weather graphics and storm trajectories throughout the summer.
• Download the FEMA app to receive real-time emergency alerts and identify your local evacuation zones.

Get Ready Before the Storm Hits

Don’t wait until a tropical system is named to protect your home and family. Get ahead of the weather today by reviewing our step-by-step SurvivalLife hurricane prep list to secure your property. You can also save out our comprehensive hurricane checklist to track your progress, and check your emergency supplies against our essential hurricane bugout bag list to ensure your family is ready to move if an evacuation order comes down.

FAQs

Why is the hurricane season 2026 predicted to be below normal?

Forecasters cite a combination of weak La Niña or neutral conditions in the Pacific, alongside cooler Atlantic sea surface temperatures compared to the record highs of 2024. Because hurricanes rely on warm water for fuel, these cooler ocean temperatures limit how many storms develop and how strong they can get.

Can I buy flood insurance right before a hurricane hits my area?

No. Most flood insurance policies, including those through the National Flood Insurance Program, carry a strict 30-day waiting period before the coverage becomes active. If you wait until a storm is named, you will face the weather completely exposed.

Why do insurance companies stop updating policies when a storm is active?

Insurance companies place a binding restriction or freeze on writing new policies or increasing coverage once a tropical system enters a specific geographic area. They do this to prevent people from purchasing coverage only when a loss is guaranteed.

What is the difference between a hurricane watch and a hurricane warning?

A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible in your area, and it is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated arrival of tropical-storm-force winds. A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected, and it is issued 36 hours in advance to allow for final preparations or evacuations.