Detailed Timeline: The Collapse (May-December 2032)
This page provides day-by-day documentation of how America descended from functioning nation to failed state in eight months. Every entry is corroborated by historical records, news archives, and survivor testimony.
MAY 2032: The Cascade Begins
May 15, 2032 - Day 1: Northern California Attack
- 6:23 AM PST: Coordinated attacks on three substations serving SF Bay Area
- 6:45 AM: 8.2 million customers lose power
- 10:15 AM: Cell towers begin failing as batteries exhaust
- 2:30 PM: Water treatment plants switch to backup generators
- 6:45 PM: First generator fuel exhaustion; untreated water enters system
- 11:00 PM: Boil water advisory issued but communications down
May 16-17: Crisis Spreads
- First waterborne illness cases reported
- Hospitals overwhelmed by contamination victims
- Power restoration attempts fail; equipment damage severe
- Federal emergency declared for California
- Congressional debate begins on emergency funding
May 18-19: Pacific Northwest Attacks
- Four substations destroyed in Oregon and Washington
- 3.4 million customers affected
- Pattern matches California attacks; coordination evident
- FBI announces domestic terrorism investigation
May 22-24: Texas and Gulf Coast Strikes
- Five substations and one refinery attacked
- 12 million affected by power outages
- Fuel distribution disrupted across region
- First Congressional emergency bill fails in partisan vote
May 27-29: Midwest Industrial Corridor
- Six substations attacked, two bridges damaged
- 15 million affected
- Manufacturing centers go offline
- Supply chain disruptions begin
- President declares national emergency
May Summary: 38.6M directly affected, 47 major attacks, federal response inadequate
JUNE 2032: Government Paralysis
June 2-5: Southeast Attacks
- Four substations, three water plants targeted
- 9 million affected by power and water failures
- Cholera outbreak begins in Atlanta region
- Death toll from contamination reaches 5,000
June 8-11: Northeast Corridor Strikes
- Seven substations, two communications hubs destroyed
- 18 million affected, including Washington D.C.
- Federal government operations severely disrupted
- Congressional debate continues with no action
June 15-18: Cascade Failures Accelerate
- Repairs overwhelmed by scale of damage
- Replacement parts unavailable; months-long lead times
- Extremists attack repair crews and temporary installations
- Public panic spreading; runs on food and water
June 18: Compromise Bill Passes
- Congress passes $127B emergency infrastructure bill
- Amount represents 4.5% of estimated need
- Funding distribution delayed by bureaucratic processes
- Too little, too late
June 25-30: Systems Begin Failing Nationwide
- 67% of US experiencing power disruptions
- 35% have access to safe water
- Communications networks at 18% capacity
- Interstate commerce grinding to halt
June Summary: Infrastructure cascade unstoppable, government response failing, death toll: 15,000
JULY 2032: Social Breakdown
- July 4: Independence Day observed without power in most major cities; symbolic significance not lost on population
- July 8-12: Food distribution breaks down in multiple urban centers; looting begins
- July 15: National Guard deployed in 35 states; overwhelmed by scale
- July 20: Hospitals running out of medicine; insulin shortage kills diabetics
- July 25: Major disease outbreaks: dysentery, typhoid, cholera spreading
- July 31: Estimated 45,000 deaths so far; rate accelerating
July Summary: Social order deteriorating, medical crisis, death toll rising exponentially
AUGUST 2032: Point of No Return
- August 5: President attempts to invoke Defense Production Act; legal challenges delay
- August 12: Interstate commerce effectively ceased; states hoarding resources
- August 18: Federal government losing control; state governments assuming emergency powers
- August 22: First confirmed starvation deaths in major cities
- August 28: Military begins unauthorized local stabilization efforts
- August 31: Estimated 125,000 deaths; infrastructure beyond pre-Collapse government capacity to restore
August Summary: Government authority collapsing, military acting independently, survival crisis
SEPTEMBER 2032: Government Disintegration
- September 3: Washington D.C. becoming uninhabitable; power intermittent, water unsafe
- September 12: Congress unable to achieve quorum; legislative function suspended
- September 15: Multiple states declare they will no longer follow federal authority
- September 20: President relocates to military bunker; civilian government effectively suspended
- September 28: Federal agencies evacuating from capital; burning classified documents
- September 30: Estimated 285,000 deaths; pre-Collapse government ceasing to function
September Summary: Constitutional government has failed; regions organizing independent survival efforts
OCTOBER 2032: Survival Mode
- October 5: Midterm elections cancelled in 38 states; democracy suspended
- October 12: Military commanders organizing regional stabilization independently
- October 18: Emergency managers coordinating survival efforts in functioning regions
- October 25: First proto-Protected Zones emerging around functional infrastructure
- October 31: Estimated 420,000 deaths; survivors clustering in zones with power/water
October Summary: Federal government non-functional; regional survival networks forming; proto-Authority emerging
NOVEMBER 2032: The Dark Months
- November 3: Election Day passes without national election; democracy ended
- November 10: Communications with federal government lost in most regions
- November 15: Winter approaching; heating fuel scarce; exposure deaths beginning
- November 22: Thanksgiving; grim irony noted by survivors
- November 28: Organized extremist activity continues despite collapse they caused
- November 30: Estimated 505,000 deaths; death rate slowing as survivors adapt or perish
November Summary: Constitutional government ended; regional networks only governance; winter approaching
DECEMBER 2032: The Transition
- December 7: President issues final address acknowledging government failure
- December 10: Emergency management and military leaders begin coordination
- December 15: First discussions of unified emergency governance structure
- December 20: Regional survival networks agree to coordinate under unified authority
- December 25: Christmas; survivors grateful for any safety or shelter
- December 31: Estimated 577,000 deaths in 2032; Authority formation to begin in 2033
December Summary: Collapse complete; democratic government ended; proto-Authority forming from necessity
The Numbers: May-December 2032
577,000
Confirmed deaths (2032)
65.6M
Directly affected by attacks
240M+
Experiencing infrastructure failure
42
Major substations destroyed
67%
Of US with power disruptions
35%
With access to safe water
18%
Communications capacity
Zero
Effective federal governance (Dec 2032)
What January 2033 Would Have Brought Without Authority
Mathematical modeling suggests that without Authority intervention, deaths would have continued accelerating:
- January 2033: Additional 200,000-350,000 deaths from exposure, starvation, disease
- February-March 2033: Complete social breakdown in urban areas; mass migration to rural regions
- Spring 2033: Agricultural disruption; no planting for fall harvest
- Summer 2033: Disease epidemics spreading unchecked; medical system non-existent
- Fall 2033: Food shortage catastrophic; starvation deaths in millions
- Winter 2033-2034: Second winter without infrastructure; death toll could reach 20-30 million
The Authority prevented this timeline by establishing unified governance and beginning systematic infrastructure restoration in early 2033.