THE PANIC POINT: Why Good People Make Bad Decisions in a Crisis

And How Calm Stops the Spiral

When Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina, something stood out in every survivor’s testimony: not the storm itself, but the moment their brain stopped working the way it normally does.

Some went silent.
Some froze.
Some minimized the danger.
Some made choices they still can’t explain.

And yet others stayed clear.

This post breaks down why that happens, using what Helene survivors saw firsthand and what science and crisis expert Amanda Ripley has documented in her book The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes — and Why.

Inside this post you’ll find:

• The Panic Point: the exact moment your brain flips from reasoning to raw survival mode

• Why normal, intelligent people misjudge risk during disasters

• The three patterns that predict panic (from Helene’s aftermath)

• The calm cues that prevent bad decisions

• A simple checklist you can actually remember in a crisis

• Why community reduces panic more than gear ever will

This isn’t about fear.
It’s about clarity, the kind that keeps you sane (and human!) when things fall apart.

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