Part of my job is processing concealed carry permits. In the last month or so applications have absolutely sky rocketed. Is there an impending alien invasion, global meltdown or armaggedon type situation I don't know about. Or maybe our local grocer ran a free firearm with purchase of 3 lbs of produce. Is there anywhere to check stats to see if this is a local thing or more widespread? I could not find anything online. I am feeling a little out of the loop and like I should go buy some more guns, lol.

I believe some may call it mass hysteria spread throught the main stream media. A reaction to concern over the approaching end of days, or perhaps a secret desire to prepare for the coming revolution.
On the other hand, try considering the possibility that there is nothing strange about this at all. These kind of statistical bumps happen in all sorts of things and are usually quite unrelated.
That is of course unless someone wants to use them to spread fear and paranoia. Surely no one would want to do that though.

Ask yourself americanwoman, "When SHTF will you be ready?" You ask ready for what? Honestly, I don't know but it doesn't hurt to have firearm during chaos...

I have an idea of why... We have the #1 gun salesman as president... Not cause hes actually selling anything, but instead what he is actually doing while in office... people realize we need to protect our own... and not the greedy corps/banksters... Plus all the out of control cops you see anymore... Not saying all are bad, but most are on a power trip...

I have been thinking of getting concealed myself, but my pistols are more open carry weapons, and my state allows open carry, so I just do that instead of running an intense backround check