'Doomsday Preppers' Bunkers Down At Greenbrier; Hit NatGeo TV Series To Debut Season 2

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, Wv. -- If the Mayans were indeed correct in predicting the end of the world on December 21st, then a small, but rapidly growing, group of Americans would be ready for such an apocalyptic scenario. And they just might be your neighbors from across the street.

Such prepared individuals are the focus of the hit National Geographic Channel series Doomsday Preppers, which makes its second season television debut tonight (Tuesday, November 13th) at 9:00p.m. ET.

Easily the network’s most popular show, the upcoming 15-epsiode run zeroes in on the lives of otherwise ordinary Americans who are preparing for a calamitous disaster of some form or another – be it the end of the world, an F-5 tornado, the collapse of the global economy or a mega-earthquake.

When grocery store shelves lay bare, the power grid is turned-off, and drinking water scarce, these so-called ‘preppers’ come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and levels of preparedness. Some boast their own subterranean shelters, complete with livestock and armory, while others simply worry about defending their homes and families from desperate looters and predators.

Each episode includes an assessment by an expert, who analyzes just how prepared these individuals really are should their worst fears become a reality. Viewers are then left to make their own decision as to whether the preppers are, in fact, master planners or just plain paranoid.

A lucky handful of international journalists had the opportunity to talk, dine, shoot, and even fight with a select group of Doomsday Preppers cast members last weekend to better understand their motivations and fears.

Providing a whole new level of luxury to the phrase ‘bunkering down’, National Geographic ferried everyone to the sprawling grounds of The Greenbrier, which, in addition to hosting a world-class casino and resort, also famously hid a top secret relocation facility for Congress during the height of the Cold War when a nuclear confrontation seemed imminent at times.

Between academic panels, festive meals, and team-building activities, such as riflery, archery, and fishing, members of the TV, radio, and online press got the opportunity to better understand the “preppers” craze firsthand.

And it is a craze to be sure. When Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence told People magazine that she was hooked on the show and Stephen Colbert dubbed it his favorite of last season, Doomsday Preppers has clearly permeated the cultural zeitgeist.

Let’s just hope it remains there and doesn’t become a way of life...