BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES, GRAB YOUR BUG-OUT BAG AND PREPARE TO "BUNKER" DOWN

Beat the Apocalyptic Heat by Staying Cool with All-New Summer Episodes of National Geographic Channel's Hit Series Doomsday Preppers

Four Weeks of Premieres begins Tuesday, August 13, at 9 PM ET/PT

(Washington, DC - July 19, 2013) With summer in full swing, Mother Nature can be unpredictable - from hurricanes and tornadoes to heat waves and raging forest fires - the season calls for extra preparedness. And whether you buy a few bottles of water to keep in the basement, stock up on toilet paper at Costco or buy an extra gallon of milk "just in case," there's a little bit of prepper in all of us. But some people are working around the clock to ensure their families remain safe from disaster - going to extremes to make sure that, if doomsday hits, they won't be left in the dust.

Beginning Tuesday, August 13, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, National Geographic Channel's wildly popular series Doomsday Preppers is back with four weeks of premieres. Go inside the lives of the ordinary Americans, from all walks and from all across the country, who are taking whatever measures necessary to prepare for what they believe is the end of the world as we know it. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com/doomsday and follow us on Twitter at @NGC_PR.

This summer, visit "the Colony" - a compound prepared to sustain 25 people, all unified with the single purpose of surviving doomsday - as the leader prepares his young son to someday take the reins. Meet a prepper with an RV buried 12 feet below the ground and stocked with enough food to last three or four years and more than 1,000 gallons of water. But if an "end of days" asteroid hits, will it be enough to survive the expected harsh winter conditions? And some preppers fear that World War III is on the horizon. Meet a former Marine who plans to stay safe with a private army of German Shepherd attack dogs, and two skateboarder preppers who are taking a more pacifist approach.

Summer episodes of Doomsday Preppers include:

Doomsday Preppers: Don't Betray the Colony Premieres Tuesday, August 13, at 9 p.m. ET/PT Some preppers believe in safety in numbers - as is the case for Jeff Mann, who leads "the Colony," a community of 25 preppers unified with the single purpose of surviving doomsday. Watch as he prepares his son, Colten, to take the reins by having him hunt down live boar in the Florida swamps and builds the Colony's very own gallows - an important message that there are laws to be upheld, even in times of chaos. An independent prepper, Tony, believes an "end of days" asteroid will turn the Earth into an inhospitable ash of its former self. Despite stocking his RV with three to four years' worth of food and more than 1,000 gallons of water, the harsh winters of a post-asteroid collision might be too much for Tony's bug-out plan. In the foothills of California's Sierra Mountains, Cheree and her family run a Christian camp by day and a prepper getaway by night. After a dispute about the use of violence, a democratic vote puts one member at odds - the punishment: exile.

Doomsday Preppers: The Gates of Hell Premieres Tuesday, August 20, at 9 p.m. ET/PT An economic collapse could mean total chaos for the U.S. - looting, riots and civil unrest are top concerns. In Washington state, Steve works with a stern hand to prep his family for the potential threat. Each weekend, the family leaves suburbia and travels to their bug-out location to practice defense maneuvers and run drills that involve explosives. South Carolinian David Appleton is a comedian, but the idea of a devastating earthquake is no joke to him. His job doesn't always pay the bills, so David must Dumpster dive to find supplies to make a DIY camouflage net to hide his preps. Life coach Suzanne and her life partner barter around town for supplies to prepare for an economic collapse. An experienced marksman puts Suzanne through a grueling test so she can improve her defense preps - and all she uses is a paintball gun.

Doomsday Preppers: Whatever It Takes Premieres Tuesday, August 27, at 9 p.m. ET/PT Could an explosion on the surface of the sun cause mayhem on Earth? Jason and Jacob are a father-son team from Alabama who are prepping for exactly that: a global solar flare with the potential to wipe out power grids around the world. Jason was almost stranded for good in the wilderness when he was 19, but that will not stop him from prepping in those very same woods by molding his own ammunition and preparing his 20-piece bug-out pack. In Arizona, the Moffatt family teaches their seven children essential survival skills in the event of the collapse of the American economy. In another doomsday scenario, Mike and Grayson are organizing and prepping for the possibility of World War III. While Mike has his Navy training to fall back on, Grayson is hesitant to get away from his pacifist roots.

Doomsday Preppers: People Become Animals Premieres Tuesday, September 3, at 9 p.m. ET/PT The possibility of World War III is a major concern for many preppers, including former Marine Alex Dunbar, who is training a private army of German Shepherd attack dogs in San Luis, Colorado. He firmly believes that his pack can face any challenge a new world war would bring. In the woods of East Appalachia, Brenda McSwigan fears that a vicious mutating virus will lead to a pandemic that will overwhelm hospitals and leave the rest of the country in chaos. To prepare, she's building a secluded mountain retreat complete with a 400-watt solar panel, a quarantine zone and a year's supply of food. Brenda will open up the doors of her oasis for about two dozen lucky refugees - anyone after that will face the looming plague alone. Another prepper, Grace McLeod, is a retired police officer whose goal is to secure her 3,500 square-foot fortress before the American economy collapses. To do this, Grace and her husband install a drawbridge, hire a professional prepping consulting team and reinforce the doors.

Doomsday Preppers is produced by Sharp Entertainment for National Geographic Channel (NGC). For Sharp Entertainment, executive producer is Matt Sharp; co-executive producer is Alan Madison; vice president of production is Dan Adler. For NGC, executive producer is Kathleen Cromley; vice president, production & development is Charlie Parsons; senior vice president, production & development is Noel Siegel; president is Howard Owens.

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National Geographic Channels

Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in 85 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 38 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.