Ride Out The Zombie Apocalypse At One Of These Bergen Malls: Experts

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Bergen County is home to two of the top 10 best-suited malls to hide in in the event of a zombie apocalypse, a new ranking shows.

Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, and American Dream in East Rutherford are among the most ideal malls to either be stranded in or run to in the event of a "'The Last Of Us'-scale infection," according to online experts from Jeffbet.com.

The findings scored major shopping malls in America based on eight key factors, including chance of rescue and shelter suitability.

Across all factors, Westfield scored the best in chance of rescue — determined by the mall's infection risk and ease of hospital access. American Dream, on the other hand, scored the best in shelter suitability — accounts for number of entrances that would need securing or defending, and the number of floors and store units.

Across all of the major malls assigned a survival score, Westfield had the sixth-highest, at 5.9 out of 10, while American Dream had the ninth-highest, at 5.6.

The findings were released as Season 1 of HBO's The Last of Us has drawn to a close, leaving many viewers wondering, Jeffbet said, whether they could survive a zombie apocalypse and what their plan would be.

"Given that a(n) outbreak could occur without any prior warning, highly-populated areas like shopping complexes could see thousands of people scrambling to survive," the website said.

"Whether it's a case of already being at the mall or deciding to go there (during an apocalypse), it's interesting to find out which factors will prove the most challenging to navigate," the site continued. "Identifying structures that have steel shutters and aren't too busy may be a useful pastime."