Region 7 – North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota

General information on this region:

·         Population

o   North Dakota – 723 thousand

o   South Dakota – 845 thousand

o   Minnesota – 5.42 million

o   6.99 million total

·         Major metropolitan centers:

North Dakota

o   No population densities over 200 thousand

South Dakota

o   No population densities over 200 thousand

Minnesota

o   Minneapolis / St Paul – 648 thousand

o   648 thousand total

·         Objective: 

o   A little over 9% of the entire population of region 7 live in high density areas of 200 thousand or more.  These population densities are referred to as “threat areas” and are identified in FIG 1 as threat rings around those areas.  The red rings are the high threat areas (25 mile radius around city centers) while the larger outer yellow rings (50 mile radius around city centers) are medium threat areas.  It isn’t until you move outside of the threat areas that you can consider your environment relatively safe again.  Even then, you must remain vigilant and be aware that a threat can present itself anywhere at any time.  The objective of this rally point plan is to move people out of chaotic high population density areas through initial rally points (user-selected points within the threat area) in route to intermediate rally points on public land (local, state or national parks and recreation areas, etc.).  Such areas will generally be within 5 days walk from threat areas centers.   Intermediate rally points will be outside of populated areas so that the survivors can take more time to prepare for their movement toward their respective final points which are all well outside threat areas. 

Initial Rally Points

Initial rally points are inside of the threat areas and are chosen to allow for quick stops for getting organized and as reference points for getting oriented.  They are selected by the members that live in that area.  The reason for this approach is because people who live and work in the area are going to know it better than any outside planner, what will or will not work as a staging area for their movement through, and eventually away from threat areas.  This is a simple matter of looking around the area in advance where you live and do two things:

1-      Select a location or locations that meet the description for an initial rally point in this plan

2-      Communicate this with individuals that you want to include in your plan and potentially have with you during your movement.  Selection of these points is based upon predictable local social reactions under emergency conditions as well as ease of access to allow for temporary safety and short term stops for members to check in, become organized and get any necessary medical attention, and / or distribution of supplies amongst persons in the group.  

.  When selecting these initial rally points, consider the following:

·         Should be public property but can also be private land owned by someone you are familiar with provided you have made prior arrangements to use the property

·         Preferred to be near main roads or highways maintaining easy access to egress route(s)

·         A potential source for shelter, food and water if necessary

·         If public or commercial property consider the following:

o   Church parking lots

o   Convention center parking lots

o   School / sport venue parking lots

·         Avoid using any of the following:

o   Liquor store parking lots

o   Grocery store parking lots

o   Convenience store parking lots

o   Drug store parking lots

o   Sporting goods store lots

o   Any area where there may be an increased incidence of looting, robbery, or loitering concentration of dangerous individuals or groups

o   Tunnels / underpasses

Initial rally points may or may not be used and can be bypassed to go directly to the intermediate rally points if conditions dictate and resources allow.

Route Entry Points

Route entry points are rally points established outside of the red zones with many outside of the yellow zones.  These rally points are established for larger numbers of members to use and to provide the first geographic location where members can expect to link up with others from their threat area.

Threat areas 1 and 2

Minneapolis (MN) and St. Paul (MN)

Threat Area 1 – Minneapolis

Threat Area 2 – St. Paul

Geographically, Minneapolis and St. Paul are essentially unrestricted in any direction although travel to the east from Minneapolis could be difficult due to the Mississippi river that runs between the “twin” cities.  Since Minneapolis and St. Paul are in such close proximity to each other, they are considered to be one threat area and the route entry point for both threat areas is the same. 

Route entry point for Minneapolis / St. Paul – Intersection of I-35 and State Rd 95, North Branch, MN.  Coordinates for this location are:  45.510229, -92.993260

Final Rally Point for Minneapolis / St. Paul – George Washington State Forest – Intersection of State Rd. 65 and County Rd. 52, Cook, MNCoordinates for this location are: 47.704795,  – 93.19331