French philosopher and prophet Michel de Nostradamus reportedly predicted a zombie apocalypse for 2021.
But don’t fear!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are behind you with a series of tips for preparing for zombies it has maintained for a full decade.
“Wonder why zombies, zombie apocalypse, and zombie preparedness stay alive or dead on a CDC website?” asks the guide, which was developed in 2011 as a marketing gimmick – and a standout one too.
“It turns out that what first started as an ironic campaign to engage new audiences with readiness messages has proven to be a very effective platform,” the guide continues. “We continue to reach and engage a wide range of audiences in preparing for all dangers through ‘zombie preparedness’.”
If, as the performers of the Nostradamus Annual Horoscope believe, a zombie invasion is imminent, that will be a great moment for the CDC.
“Few young people: half dead to make a start,” wrote the 16th-century astrologer, ominously adding, “Fathers and mothers deaths of unending sorrow / Women in mourning, the plague-like she-monster: / The Great One to be no more, the whole world is ending. ”
To prepare for that bloody, carnivorous worst, the CDC page links to several “Zombie Preparedness Products,” including a downloadable zombie preparedness graphic novel; a printable poster of an undead-looking, grinning person with very dirty fingernails; and tips for teachers planning zombie-related classes. (Sample resource: “The threat of the zombie apocalypse is imminent. The mayor’s staff has been compromised and it is up to you to write a speech to the mayor advising the community on what actions to take. What are you telling the community to do? ”)
The bizarre page on the otherwise deadly serious site was published in May 2011 after the CDC’s chief of communications became concerned about the agency’s reach – and decided that the agency’s very first posts on Twitter and Facebook should be fun.
“We were talking about the hurricane season, which starts on June 1. I think about hurricane season, and we spread the same messages every year, and I wonder if people are seeing those messages, ”CDC representative Dave Daigle told The Atlantic at the time. “We have a great message about preparedness here, and I don’t need to tell you that preparedness and public health aren’t the sexiest topics,”
The page turned out to be so popular that traffic to the CDC site tripled and the server crashed.
Actual zombie preppers, however, were critical of the CDC’s advice, saying it fell short in one specific way.
“” That was one of the first things we got from the zombie crowd … “What weapons do you recommend?” Daigle said. “Remember we’re a public health center, so we’re not going to recommend guns … we’ll leave that to the police.”