Safe, scenic and safe Sussex County, Delaware

As I write this, there is considerable concern about the dangers of urban life brought about by the terrorist attacks in the United States. As some of you know, I have been a student of disaster preparedness and a real estate consultant for those looking for “insulated and survival properties” for over thirty years. At one point, I had a checklist of several hundred items for my “surviving” clients to read and check off so that I could guide them to what they considered the most utopian place to live safely with their family. I suppose you could say that some of my clients were, to say the least, eccentric, but the common thread running through all their needs and desires was to be able to live safely and securely from all possible or probable threats, whether caused by the man or not natural. The most common concern of those who wanted to find a better place to live was the fear of urban riots and terrorism. After that, the concerns were safe schools for children, a low crime rate, clean air, clean water, friendly communities, and quite often they wanted as little intrusion into their personal lives as possible by the various government agencies. There was always concern about earthquakes from those that came from California. There was concern about tornadoes from those in the Midwest. One of the biggest concerns about the power outages came from the northern areas. The concern about hurricanes and terrible storms came from those who lived near the coast and from those in the south. There was also an often unstated fear of nuclear, biological and chemical attacks.
So, long story short, the so-called Survivalists were just people, people like the rest of us in many ways, and people interested in having a better life, free from violence and trouble from any predictable natural or man-made sources. They just wanted what we all want, a better life! Now, since 9/11, the concerns of those “survivors” are exactly the concerns of almost everyone. We are receiving quite a few calls and thousands of contacts on our websites, from those looking to get out of town and into the country. Rural life makes more and more sense for more and more people. Some who have hired me in the past wanted to buy caves or mine coal so they could have an inexpensive way to have a safe “bunker”. The media has taught some people to invalidate anyone with that bunker mentality. However, we think it’s okay for all of our government officials to have plenty of bunkers, shelters, and safe places to go. Senior government officials, at the county, state, and federal levels; has a selection of these safe and secure places to go. We don’t, but we buy your withdrawals with our tax dollars. Some of those previous clients wanted a special remote access property, one with difficult or impossible access, such as a winding mountain road or tunnel on the property that they could close off for their own personal safety and that of their family. Some wanted energy efficiency, and many wanted to be able to grow most or all of their own food. This was always a very small micro percentage that wanted these things and far fewer that were willing to pay for them. There are hundreds of people, outside of government officials, looking for a safe place to be in the event of a disaster, but few of them take the step of buying one. In all those years of searching for “perfect spots” and utopian retreats, I learned a lot and eventually presented seminars several times. Some of those preparing for the worst and hoping for the best were the Survivalists. Some were concerned about personal and community preparations, such as Mormons, conservative Christians, Buddhists, homeschoolers, naturists, organic gardeners, vegetarians, and many hopeful hermits, back to earth, types of Mother Earth and all kinds of people seeking refuge. from the rigors and hectic of urban and suburban life. I have found the best place, in my most informed opinion, is Sussex County, Delaware. I myself live here. I help others move here for the same reasons and more. I’ll tell you why this area is my first choice for safety, lifestyle, security and permanent “survival” of the highest and best class. Other than the first half mile inland from our coast, we have suffered virtually no damage from any of the hurricanes that occasionally reach us. We have many watches each year, but only a few storms that actually reach or affect us. In those rare cases when storms do reach us, they almost always do not come more than half a mile offshore. In fact, only twice since 1955 have storms caused damage five miles inland, in my experience. On those two occasions there were some fallen tree branches and some flooded streets or roads on small rural bridges and that’s it. For coastal areas, flood insurance is required, so damaged homes and businesses in the beachfront area were promptly repaired. Our air quality is wonderful except for a quarter mile or less along the Delaware Bay. There we get a very light and almost undetectable airborne effluent from the Delaware City refineries under certain weather conditions, hardly anyone is aware of this minor fact. Although we are east of Washington DC, air currents do not contaminate us from there. From an airplane you can watch DC air pollution stop dead in its tracks in the Chesapeake Bay, which is fifty miles or more from this area. The moderating effects of the Chesapeake Bay, the Delaware Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and all of our myriad Inland Bays give us a climate like South Carolina. Thomas Jefferson gave us the nickname “Diamond State” because he discovered that our soils and growing season were as valuable as diamonds. This is due to the rich agricultural and garden values ​​that are available in southern Delaware now as then. Our climate is the MOST suitable climate for almost all American plants. According to the National Park Service botanist, our local state and federal parks have the most different plants of any terrestrial location on earth. We have a long and rich agricultural history and a great place to learn about it. We have a great retirement community here in southern Delaware due in large part to our almost non-existent income and property taxes. Our taxes are among the lowest in the nation. As a result of this retirement community, we have fully equipped hospitals, many restaurants catering for all tastes, theatre, numerous first-run theaters, music festivals, poetry readings, over a dozen writing groups, excellent bookstores, coffee shops, bakeries . and one of the best selections of adult education opportunities anywhere. We also have duty-free shopping at over 200 “factory outlet stores.” Our lifestyle is so relaxed here that we are known as Lower, Slower, Delaware. We even sell hats and t-shirts to celebrate this slogan. More and more people are moving here to telecommute jobs around the world. I specialize in helping telecommuters find affordable and wonderful homes where they can enjoy living and working at home. You can work in your pajamas, work from the pool or garden, or even work naked if you want! We have high speed cable modems in many areas of Sussex County. We rarely get much snow here. When we get a few inches or less, it usually goes away, as a result of the warm weather and sea air, within a few hours. When someone moves here, knowing how bad snowfall can be in the Northeast United States, they often ask me what to do to prepare for snowstorms. I tell them to get an extra bottle or two of wine and a couple of logs for the fireplace. By the time they’re done with the wine and before the logs run out, the snow will usually have melted. Of course, we are famous for our beaches and our summer life, but you can find all of that in several of my other articles. Give me a call or email and we’ll find something to fit your needs and budget. But call now so you can start enjoying what we all know is America’s best place to live, work and play. My informed survival advice to you is to get out of the city now, stop urban fighting and get a better life. Come to Sussex County, Delaware and learn to enjoy the lower, slower life in Delaware. By www.JodyHudson.com copyright 2001

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