southern appalachia is the most likely to stay dry because of altitude, as far as i recall, but if you pick that location you need to consider having a floating vessel as maybe up to a few hundred metres may be needed, my personal take on this is why i designed the ARK: https://git.mleku.dev/mleku/ark/src/branch/main/ARK_TECHNICAL_SPECIFICATION.md and yes, i intend to continue development of this, scale models are not going to be expensive assuming i can secure some good transport options for buying the parts, pvc pipes, light wires, and i probably need to acquire a decent but cheap CNC and a lot of slabs of aluminium to carve.

ɪ ᴘersonaʟʟʏ ʙeʟɪeve ᴛʜaᴛ ᴛʜere wɪʟʟ ʙe a ᴘre-evacuaᴛɪon, reꜰerreᴅ ᴛo ɪn reveʟaᴛɪon as ᴛʜe "ꜰɪrsᴛ ꜰruɪᴛs" anᴅ ᴛʜaᴛ ɪ am ᴅoɪnɢ everʏᴛʜɪnɢ ɪ can ᴛo ʙe worᴛʜʏ oꜰ ᴛʜaᴛ, ʙuᴛ ᴘarᴛ oꜰ ᴛʜaᴛ ɪ ᴘreᴘarɪnɢ ᴛʜose wʜo are on ᴛʜe ꜰence ᴛo ʙe reaᴅʏ ꜰor ɪᴛ. so ɪ wɪʟʟ aʟso ᴘreᴘare mʏseʟꜰ ᴅɪrecᴛʟʏ, as weʟʟ as ᴅeveʟoᴘ ᴛʜe ᴛecʜnoʟoɢɪes ᴛʜaᴛ ɪ ᴛʜɪnᴋ wɪʟʟ ʙe ɪnvaʟuaʙʟe ᴛo survɪvaʟ, anᴅ ʟow cosᴛ, anᴅ ɪꜰ enɢɪneereᴅ weʟʟ, accessɪʙʟe ᴛo even non-ᴛecʜnɪcaʟ ꜰoʟᴋ.

ᴛʜɪs ɪs aʟso wʜʏ ᴛʜɪs aɪrcreᴛe ɪᴅea ʜɪᴛ so ʜarᴅ ꜰor me anᴅ wʜʏ ɪ ᴘromoᴛeᴅ aʙouᴛ ɪᴛ, ɪ'm ɢoɪnɢ ᴛo ᴛesᴛ anᴅ aᴘᴘʟʏ ɪᴛ, anᴅ ɪ susᴘecᴛ ɪᴛ wɪʟʟ ʙe ᴘarᴛ oꜰ ᴛʜe "ʜow ᴛo" ᴋɪᴛ ɪ ᴘʟan ᴛo ᴅesɪɢn. ɪᴅᴋ ɪꜰ ᴛʜere wɪʟʟ ʙe a commercɪaʟ reʟease oꜰ a ᴘroᴅucᴛ ᴛʜaᴛ ᴘeoᴘʟe can ᴊusᴛ orᴅer anᴅ ʜave sʜɪᴘᴘeᴅ ᴛo ᴛʜeɪr ʟocaᴛɪon, ᴛʜaᴛ ᴅeᴘenᴅs on ʜow ʟɪɢʜᴛweɪɢʜᴛ ᴛʜe core can ʙe. ɪ ᴛʜɪnᴋ ɪᴛ's ʟɪᴋeʟʏ ᴛʜaᴛ common maᴛerɪaʟs wɪʟʟ ʙe ᴘossɪʙʟe ꜰor mucʜ oꜰ ɪᴛ, anᴅ onʟʏ ꜰunnʏ ᴘarᴛs ʟɪᴋe ᴛʜe sensors anᴅ ᴛurnʙucᴋʟes anᴅ sucʜ wɪʟʟ sᴛrɪcᴛʟʏ neeᴅ ᴛo ʙe ᴘrovɪᴅeᴅ ᴛo enaʙʟe a ᴅɪʏ ʙuɪʟᴅ.