How To Stay Safe and Survive During a Riot in Maryland

On June 13, 2025 By The.Daily.ChristianIn Maryland, Maryland Preppers, Maryland's Worst Roads, UncategorizedLeave a comment

How To Stay Safe and Survive During a Riot in Maryland
By a Skilled Survival Prepper

Let’s get one thing straight: when civil unrest erupts, you don’t have time to Google what to do next. Riots can unfold fast, especially in high-density areas like Baltimore, Annapolis, or even the D.C. suburbs. If you’re in Maryland, a region already known for political protests and occasional flare-ups, you need to be ready now—not after the first bottle hits the pavement.

I’ve been a survival prepper for over two decades. I’ve trained in everything from urban self-defense to wilderness survival. This guide isn’t about fear. It’s about readiness. Below, I’ll give you practical, field-tested advice on how to stay alive, protect your loved ones, and navigate the chaos with a cool head and a strong spine.

1. Know When to Bug Out and When to Hunker Down

One of the most important decisions during a riot is choosing whether to stay put or leave. If you’re in an apartment near a protest route or your area has been flagged for unrest, consider leaving early. You don’t want to be making escape decisions with mobs in the street and roads blocked. If escape isn’t possible, fortify your home: lock all doors and windows, draw blinds, and turn off lights to avoid drawing attention.

Prep Tip: Keep your vehicle gassed up and parked facing outward for a quick getaway. Have a bug-out bag in the trunk with a flashlight, water, trauma kit, cash, maps, and power bank.

2. Situational Awareness is Your First Line of Defense

Most people walk around like zombies—head in their phones, ears plugged in. In a riot, that can be fatal. Your head needs to be on a swivel. Learn to read body language, watch the crowd’s mood, and listen for escalating tension.

Practice the “OODA loop” (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act). It’s what fighter pilots use, and it works just as well in chaos on the ground. Every decision should cycle through this loop.

3. Self-Defense Skill 1: Verbal De-escalation

Sometimes you can talk your way out of danger before fists fly. Stay calm, use open palms, and never escalate a confrontation unless you have no choice. Be firm but non-threatening. Control your voice tone and never argue emotionally.

4. Self-Defense Skill 2: Breakaway Techniques

If someone grabs your wrist, neck, or clothing, you need to break contact fast. Learn simple joint manipulations and leverage-based techniques that use minimal strength. Krav Maga offers excellent training for real-life breakaway maneuvers.

5. Self-Defense Skill 3: Targeted Strikes

In close quarters, forget choreographed kicks. Use your elbows, knees, and fists for targeted strikes—eyes, throat, groin. Your goal is to disable and escape. A strike to the throat or a kick to the knee joint can create the space you need.

6. Self-Defense Skill 4: Improvised Weapons Training

You may not have a firearm or blade on you, but anything can be a weapon—keys, a belt, flashlight, even a pen. Practice using common items to block or strike. A tactical pen is one of the best EDC (Everyday Carry) tools for this reason.

7. Self-Defense Skill 5: Situational Escape Tactics

Always plan multiple exit routes from your home, work, or any building you’re in. Know how to get to rooftops, alleys, basements, and side streets. Practice moving quietly and avoiding well-lit or loud areas that draw attention.

8. Self-Defense Skill 6: Shielding and Cover

Not all cover is good cover. A wooden door won’t stop a bullet; a concrete wall might. Know the difference between “cover” (stops threats) and “concealment” (hides you but doesn’t stop projectiles). Use trash bins, vehicles (engine block area), and structural pillars when moving through riot zones.

9. Self-Defense Skill 7: Tactical Driving

If you’re in a vehicle during unrest, remember: stay calm. Drive slowly through crowds, hands on the wheel, don’t provoke. If attacked, never stop unless you’re boxed in. Use your horn sparingly, and avoid ramming unless life is at risk—this can escalate or land you in legal trouble.

10. Self-Defense Skill 8: Non-Lethal Tools Proficiency

If you’re not comfortable with firearms or knives, carry non-lethal options like pepper spray, a stun gun, or a high-lumen tactical flashlight. The key is knowing how to deploy them under pressure. Practice drawing and using them until it’s muscle memory.

3 DIY Survival Skills to Build Your Own Weapons

DIY Skill 1: The Sock Sap (Improvised Sap Weapon)

Take a heavy padlock or rock and place it inside a sturdy sock. Knot the end and swing like a flail. It’s easy to carry, quick to deploy, and highly effective in a close-quarters ambush.

DIY Skill 2: PVC Pipe Baton

Cut a 24-inch section of thick PVC pipe. Fill it with sand or bolts and cap the ends. Wrap the grip with duct tape or paracord. This creates a powerful, durable baton that can be hidden in a backpack.

DIY Skill 3: Spear from Broom Handle and Knife

Lash a fixed-blade knife securely to a broom handle using paracord or zip ties. This gives you reach and leverage. It’s not elegant, but it’s lethal enough for defense when necessary—and it keeps distance between you and the threat.

Shelter in Place Strategy (If You Can’t Evacuate)

Secure your perimeter. Push heavy furniture against doors. Use blackout curtains or duct-tape thick garbage bags over windows. Have a fire extinguisher ready in case of Molotov cocktails or flares. Stay silent and avoid drawing attention—don’t post your location on social media.

Also, designate a “safe room” inside your home—preferably with no windows and a solid door. Keep food, water, medical supplies, and defensive tools inside. Charge all devices and set emergency alerts.

Communications Plan

Don’t count on your cell phone. Have a battery-powered or hand-crank radio. Use signal mirrors or flashlights for visual signals at night. Agree on check-in times with trusted family or friends. If you’re in a high-risk area, establish code words for safety or danger.

Mental Fortitude: Your Ultimate Survival Tool

Panic kills. It clouds judgment and causes people to make fatal errors. Train your mind by visualizing scenarios and walking through your plan. Survival is 90% mindset, 10% gear. Stay calm. Stay focused. You’re the protector of your domain.

Maryland-Specific Notes

Baltimore: Know the difference between protest zones like Inner Harbor vs. residential areas like Canton.
Annapolis: Avoid main roads near state government buildings—riots there can escalate fast.
Suburbs & Rural Areas: Your threat is less likely to be mobs and more likely break-ins or isolated incidents. Prep accordingly.

Whether you’re in the thick of the city or living out near Deep Creek Lake, these strategies will help you stay ready and stay alive. Don’t depend on the government. Don’t assume your neighbors will be calm. In a riot, only you stand between chaos and safety.

Be smart. Be ready. Be silent until it’s time to act.

Maryland’s Worst Roads to Drive on During a Disaster

On June 2, 2025 By The.Daily.ChristianIn Maryland, Maryland Preppers, Maryland's Worst RoadsLeave a comment

Maryland’s Worst Roads to Drive on During a Disaster (And How to Survive Them)
By a Well-Traveled Survivalist Who’s Seen More Than One Apocalypse Coming Over the Horizon

Disasters don’t wait for the weather to clear, the traffic to thin, or your gas tank to fill up. Whether it’s a hurricane bearing down on the Chesapeake, a Nor’easter crashing across the Appalachians, or a cascade of man-made chaos clogging the I-95 corridor, Maryland has more than its fair share of roads that’ll turn a bad day into a nightmare.

I’ve driven the swampy logging routes of the Deep South, carved wheel paths through the deserts of New Mexico, and braved snow-walled passes in the Rockies. But few places test your mettle like Maryland in a full-blown disaster. It’s a mix of suburban sprawl, tight mountain roads, waterfront lowlands, and decades-old infrastructure built for a population half its current size.

Here’s my take on Maryland’s worst roads during a disaster—and more importantly, how to survive them.

The Roads You Should Avoid Unless You’re Desperate—or Skilled

1. I-95 Through Baltimore
This beast is always congested. In a disaster, it’s the first to jam up with panicked drivers. Bridges, tunnels, and limited exits make it a trap if you don’t know your detours.

2. Route 50 Eastbound to the Bay Bridge
On a holiday weekend, this stretch looks like a parking lot. Add a hurricane evacuation and you’ve got a recipe for gridlock from Annapolis to Queenstown.

3. I-270 Corridor Between Frederick and the D.C. Beltway
A death funnel of commuter traffic. During an emergency, the already-bottlenecked lanes become impassable. Back roads may be your only option.

4. Route 1 Through College Park
Choked with lights, pedestrians, and poor drainage. Avoid it when the rain starts falling—flooding is a real problem here.

5. I-70 Near Ellicott City
Heavy truck traffic and tight turns combine with steep elevation. Add snow or flooding and it’s game over.

6. Route 2 (Ritchie Hwy) Through Glen Burnie
Urban sprawl, constant commercial traffic, and confusing side streets make this a slow death in any emergency scenario.

7. MD-140 Between Westminster and Reisterstown
Hilly terrain and a lack of shoulder space turn minor accidents into massive pileups.

8. MD-32 Between Columbia and Annapolis
Known for fast-moving traffic and sudden slowdowns. In a bug-out scenario, the margin for error disappears.

9. I-83 Jones Falls Expressway
A concrete chute through Baltimore prone to accidents and flooding. No shoulders mean no mercy.

10. US-301 South of Waldorf
A long, flat corridor that bottlenecks at every town along the way. One wreck and you’re stuck behind miles of brake lights.

15 Survival Driving Skills That’ll Keep You Alive

You don’t need to be a stunt driver to survive a disaster—but you do need to think like one. Here are 15 hard-earned skills every survivalist driver should master:

Reverse Driving at Speed – Learn to back up quickly and in control. Sometimes there’s no room to turn around.
Tactical U-Turns – Not all U-turns are legal or easy. Know how to execute a quick 3-point or bootleg turn under pressure.
Driving Without Headlights – Essential for stealth at night. Learn to use peripheral lighting and ambient glow to see without being seen.
Engine Braking – In rough terrain, using gears to slow the vehicle prevents brake failure and loss of control.
Emergency Lane Changes – Quick, controlled swerves to avoid obstacles or evade threats.
Skid Recovery on Ice or Wet Pavement – Practice counter-steering and throttle control until it’s instinct.
Off-Road Navigation Without GPS – Know how to read terrain and follow utility lines, ridgelines, or watercourses.
Water Crossing Techniques – Know your vehicle’s wading depth and never cross fast-moving water. Walk it first if unsure.
Driving with Damaged Tires – A tire plug kit, compressor, and knowing how to drive on a flat can keep you moving.
Spotting Ambush Points – Pay attention to chokepoints, overpasses, or blind curves—classic ambush zones.
Using Vehicles as Cover – In active threat situations, park at angles to create visual and ballistic cover.
Silent Parking & Idling – Practice arriving undetected: lights off, coast in, engine kill, brake gently.
Urban Evacuation Tactics – Don’t follow traffic. Use alleys, sidewalks, and parking structures if needed.
Fuel Rationing While Driving – Maintain constant speed, limit acceleration, and coast when possible.
Using a Manual Transmission When Power Fails – Know how to clutch start a manual if your battery’s dead.

3 DIY Survival Driving Hacks When You Run Out of Gas

Even the best-prepared can run dry. Here’s how to cheat the system when the pumps are down:

1. Siphon from Lawn Equipment and Abandoned Vehicles
Keep a siphon pump or tubing in your emergency kit. Don’t forget to check boats, motorcycles, RVs—anything with a tank.

2. Emergency Fuel from Alcohol-Based Products
Gasoline engines can sometimes run short-term on denatured alcohol or ethanol-heavy fuels (like E85), though it’s hard on the engine. Use only in desperation. Make sure to filter first.

3. Gravity-Feed Jerry Can Setup
If your fuel pump dies, rig a gravity feed system using a jerry can strapped above the engine line. Run a fuel-safe hose directly to the carburetor or intake line.

Tactical Advice: Maryland Edition

Now let’s bring it home to Maryland. The Chesapeake region is a hotbed of natural and manmade threats: hurricanes, coastal flooding, chemical spills, even cyberattacks disrupting traffic signals. If you’re caught in a disaster, every second counts. Don’t follow the herd. Most evac plans will funnel everyone onto a few major arteries, and those are the first to fail.

Instead:

Know your county’s emergency routes. Memorize them—not just the map, but the feel of the road at night, in rain, under stress.
Use railroad access roads, utility trails, and undeveloped fire lanes. They often run parallel to major roads but are less traveled.
Scout in advance. Take day trips to explore backwoods passes across Harford, Carroll, and Garrett Counties—places where traffic can’t follow.
Keep a bug-out vehicle that isn’t flashy. Something with 4WD, good clearance, and preferably without fancy electronics that can fail under EMP or flood conditions.

Parting Thoughts from the Driver’s Seat

I’ve spent nights under the stars in a Humvee outside Kandahar, and I’ve crawled through DC traffic with a Geiger counter on the dash during a drill that got way too real. If there’s one truth that crosses all terrain and all threat levels, it’s this:

The road to survival isn’t the fastest. It’s the one only a few know.

Don’t wait until the sky turns green or the sirens wail. Know your routes, tune your ride, and drive like your life depends on it—because one day, it just might.

TheDailyChristian

Category: Maryland’s Worst Roads