DOOMSDAY PREPPERS Season 4 Hits NatGeo Today

A natural disaster, an economic collapse, an unexpected harsh winter - for every person, there's that moment when they discover that the world and everything they hold dear can be taken away. And that is why they prep. The fourth season of National Geographic Channel's hit series Doomsday Preppers (#DoomsdayPreppers) digs deep into the basics of prepping: forget expensive, elaborate bunkers and builds - this is just good ol' prepping. Take a closer look into Who The preppers are, why they prep and how their prepping impacts those close to them and their communities. Season four of Doomsday Preppers premieres tonight, July 24, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on National Geographic Channel. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com/doomsday.

In each episode, viewers meet three separate preppers and get an up-close and personal look into their lives, homes and way of life. We meet them on their own turf, examine their methods and track their progress as they think through every logistic and contingency plan. In the end, experts analyze the preppers' chances of survival if their worst fears become a reality and they have to put their plans into action. Each prepper is judged on five categories - food, water, shelter, security and an Extra factor depending on their particular methods. Viewers are left to decide for themselves whether the preppers' concerns can be substantiated by evidence or are unlikely to come to fruition. These people have dedicated their lives to preparing for the worst. Will it be worth all the effort?

Every prepper has their own story and reasons for prepping. They come from all walks of life but share one common goal: doomsday survival. When Jack Houston was 14, his father, an avid outdoorsman and fan of Doomsday Preppers, died of a heart attack. Wanting to follow in his footsteps, Jack picked up when his father left off. The teen now trains his peers in wilderness survival. Rick Austin and his wife, Survivor Jane, left corporate jobs to prep full time. Now the couple lives on an Appalachian mountaintop, where they've developed a camouflaged gardening system to sustain them. Urban preppers are a rare breed - Jim Lebus is one of them. He is a scientific analyst living in Los Angeles, prepping for complete anarchy following a natural disaster or nuclear strike. Growing up on the Corriganville Movie Ranch, he developed an "every man for himself" mentality and is prepared to fend for himself should disaster strike.

Premiere episodes include:

Doomsday Preppers: To Fail Is to Die Premieres Thursday, July 24, at 9 PM ET/PT In the premiere episode, meet Jimi Falcon, who is prepping for a potential World War III. Because of dwindling resources and failing economies, Jimi believes a major world power will invade and occupy the United States. Venture out to the secluded stretch of land high in the Rocky Mountains where Jimi moved 25 years ago to begin stockpiling food, water and other resources. After learning about a family that nearly froze to death because of their lack of preparedness, Jimi built his home to withstand the extreme climate of Montana, where temperatures can get as low as negative 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, meet Cindy Stewart - she and her family began prepping for a foreign nuclear attack on the U.S. following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Cindy and her husband, Randy, sold their home in an Atlanta suburb and moved 100 miles away to an isolated community in rural Georgia, where they now run a taxidermy business. But these aren't typical stuffed animals. See how the Stewarts use their taxidermy skills to create camouflaged improvised explosive devices to protect their property. Lastly, meet retired soldier Rod Godfrey and get a close-up look inside the military-style command and control center he built in his home to protect himself and his loved ones from apocalyptic superstorms. He believes that communication is the key to survival and shows off his 20-plus different radios and communications support equipment. Doomsday Preppers: Be the Prep

Premieres Thursday, July 31, at 9 PM ET/PT Meet three Americans all preparing for some sort of economic or societal collapse. After losing his job three years ago, Nick Klein began prepping for an economic collapse. Nick has his own warren of rabbits that he believes will give him all the food, fuel and fertilizer he needs to survive. He's developing a system to grow vegetables from the waste of his rabbits and he's built a rabbit-powered flame thrower to protect himself. Patrick Troy began prepping for societal collapse caused by a catastrophic event after the birth of his only child. Journey to rural Virginia, where he moved with his wife and son to get away from the city and keep his family safe. To make his house less susceptible to rioting intruders, Patrick is building a multi-tiered perimeter defense system, all controlled by what he calls "the box." Retired Navy veteran Keith Ford is prepping for a second civil war that he believes will destroy American society. Visit the remote area of Missouri he moved to five years ago - 17 miles from the nearest town. Check out the rain collection system he developed to provide a steady supply of water, and the portable power system that gives him electricity anywhere. But his new wife, Amanda, isn't quite ready to give up her city lifestyle. Doomsday Preppers: Shepherds and Wolves

Premieres Thursday, August 7, at 9 PM ET/PT Meet Roger Dougan, who lost his home in a fire seven years ago. He's working to become completely self-sufficient through prepping, so he never has to feel helpless again and can survive a terrorist attack on the electrical grid he believes is imminent. Roger is stockpiling enough food to feed his extended family of more than 20 people and keeps a storage tank full of water. Curtis began prepping after the Y2K scare. Before the 2000 New Year, he bought a generator and stocked up on some food and water, but it occurred to him that if something serious did happen, they weren't nearly as prepared as they should be - so he became a prepper. He believes the Earth will soon reach its carrying capacity, causing civil unrest. Curtis is creating a self-sustained ecosystem on his 35-acre farm in Missouri to feed his extended family of nearly 60. Karissa Baca lost her job during the 2008 financial crisis, causing her to realize how fragile the economy is. She and her husband moved out of the city to begin prepping for a second Great Depression. Every inch of their small home is used for prepping. They've been stockpiling their dog's and goat's hair in case they need to make their own blankets or clothing.

Doomsday Preppers is produced by Sharp Entertainment for National Geographic Channel (NGC). For Sharp Entertainment, executive producers are Matt Sharp and Alan Madison. For NGC, executive producer is Kathleen Cromley; Vice president of production and development is Kevin Mohs; senior Vice president of programming and development is Noel Siegel; and executive Vice president of programming and strategy is Heather Moran.

National Geographic Channel

Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and FOX Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel NAT GEO WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in over 85 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.

To post a comment, you must register and login.