Bernard Jones Jr. and his wife, Doris, built their dream home in California’s Inland Empire. It had everything they wanted: a swimming pool with a waterfall, a home theater, a fruit orchard, and even a large underground bunker.
The bunker, hidden under a metal hatch near their basketball court, had space for 25 people, bathrooms, two kitchens, and its own water and electricity supply. Bernard said they wanted to be ready for any disaster, including a nuclear attack. “If you had a bunker, you’d use it too,” he explained.
The couple sold the home two years ago, but many people around the world are now buying bunkers. Fear of nuclear war and global instability, like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other conflicts, has increased bunker sales. The market for shelters is growing, with some costing $20,000 and others millions of dollars.
Ron Hubbard, the CEO of Atlas Survival Shelters, builds bunkers in Texas. He said his customers want to feel safe from disasters like nuclear fallout, tornadoes, or pandemics. His company sells at least one bunker a day, with most costing around $500,000.
Government experts, however, say people don’t need bunkers to survive a nuclear explosion. FEMA advises people to stay inside a sturdy building, ideally in a basement or the center of the house, for one or two days to avoid radiation exposure.
Critics argue that bunkers give people a false sense of security. They believe the real solution is to reduce the number of nuclear weapons worldwide. Activists and politicians, like Congressman James McGovern, say the focus should be on stopping nuclear weapons rather than planning for survival.
The current owners of Bernard’s former home bought it for the garage space and the bunker. While they don’t fear nuclear war, they’ve stored food and supplies in the bunker just in case. They’ve even told friends to come to their house if a disaster happens. “It gives us a sense of security,” the new owner said.
