Californians develop 'doomsday survival bunkers' amidst safety concerns

Residents of South California city, known for its farming and mining have reportedly started developing 'doomsday safety bunkers' after the City Council passed a hotly contested ordinance allowing the practice.

The residents are now applying for permits to build their safety survival homes as they face heightened concerns of a terrorist attack, economic meltdown, even solar flares or meteor showers.

South California resident, Bernie Jones, 46, has a construction plan to build his underground survival shelter, which would not be the typical Cold War-era bunker, but will be able to hold 20 people, Fox News reports.

Jones, who has six children and seven grandchildren, said that he wants to be prepared and his family to survive.

An expert in apocalyptic and end-of-the-world theories at the University of Southern California, Stephen O'Leary said that the bunker is a type of security blanket and the people developing them are concerned with what's happening in the world on a massive scale.

However, Deputy Mayor Wallace Edgerton believes that most people would use their bunkers for good reason but there have been instances when the children have been held in those places.

Meanwhile, president of emergency management company All Hands Consulting, Steve Davis, said that people should spend time preparing for likely disasters instead of Armageddon.

He further added that in California, there are earthquakes and on the East Coast, there are winter storms and people should be focusing on basic preparedness for such disasters.