Sherman, TX

Practical resilience for a relocator: food, water, energy, and defensibility

For someone serious about self-reliance, Sherman offers a workable baseline. Water is the first concern: the city draws from Lake Texoma, a massive reservoir on the Red River that also supplies water to Dallas and Oklahoma. In a prolonged drought or contamination event, that shared dependency could become a problem. However, the lake is large enough (89,000 acres) that it would take a major event to drain it. Private wells are common in the rural areas outside city limits, and the water table in Grayson County is generally reliable at depths of 100-300 feet. Rainwater catchment is also viable, with annual precipitation around 40 inches. Food production is realistic: the growing season runs from April to October, and the soil supports corn, beans, squash, and livestock forage. Local farmers’ markets and co-ops exist, but they’re not robust enough to replace supply chains in a crisis—you’d need your own garden and seed stock. Energy is a mixed bag. Sherman is served by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which has a well-documented history of grid failures during winter storms (2021’s Uri being the prime example). Natural gas and propane are available, but reliance on the grid is a vulnerability. Solar is viable, with the region averaging 220 sunny days per year, but you’ll need battery storage to handle winter cloud cover. Defensibility is where Sherman gets interesting. The city itself is spread out, with a mix of older neighborhoods, newer subdivisions, and rural acreage. The terrain is mostly flat to gently rolling, which means line-of-sight is long—good for observation, bad for cover. The best defensive setups are on the outskirts, where you can have a few acres with a well, a garden, and a clear view of approach routes. The local law enforcement presence is adequate for day-to-day, but in a breakdown, you’re on your own. The county has a strong tradition of gun ownership and hunting, which means the local population is not helpless, but it also means you’re not the only one armed. Community cohesion is moderate—Sherman is not a tight-knit rural enclave, but it’s not an anonymous suburb either. If you’re willing to build relationships with neighbors and participate in local events, you can establish a mutual-aid network that would be invaluable in a crisis.

The overall strategic picture for Sherman is one of calculated trade-offs. It’s not a remote survivalist retreat, and it’s not a fortified compound. What it offers is a middle ground: enough distance from major population centers to avoid the immediate chaos of a collapse, but close enough to access resources, medical care, and economic opportunity during stable times. The risks from fallout, industrial accidents, and refugee flows are real but manageable with preparation. The water, food, and energy potential are solid for a family or small group willing to invest in infrastructure. For a conservative-leaning relocator who wants to be ready for the worst while still living a normal life, Sherman is a viable option—provided you go in with eyes open, a plan in hand, and a willingness to adapt. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s a place where you could survive it.