We've seen this happen already btw, time and again. Most of Appalachia, for one thing, tons of textile mfg towns in the south, steel / auto mfg in Detroit and etc. The response (~none) to guaranteed lead in the water in Flint is fully damning, a data point like Uvalde to make all others nearly irrelevant. Flint Michigan is a federal government directly saying "we will never help you, because you cost money".

One thing is clear - it can be fantastic to live somewhere in the US that is booming. And the flip side of that coin? No help is coming whatsoever for places whose economic engine starts to run dry.

Lots of these abandoned places yet carry on, cuz ya know, they aren't faceless economic engines, they're communities of humans. And it gets fucking bleak.

Anyone who thinks they live somewhere it couldn't happen to them might wanna think about it. Look at property insurers pulling out of Florida. Climate writing is on the wall. That's not even just abandoning the economic has-beens. But you'll be fine, probably.

Or they might just flourish with homesteaders experiencing true freedom, off grid and self-sufficient.