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When the power grid goes out: why you should worry about preparing for disasters and emergencies

When the power grid goes out: why you should worry about preparing for disasters and emergencies

Imagine a life without the conveniences we all expect from today’s modern infrastructure. Every time you flush the toilet, turn on a light, turn on the air conditioner, open the refrigerator, brush your teeth, drink a glass of water, cook on the stove, listen to your iPod, shop at the store, drive your car, drink Take a shower, call your mom, mow the lawn, or just sit down with a cold glass of iced tea, you’re relying on an intricate and interwoven structure of supply and distribution networks that make all these “little” conveniences possible. What many of us don’t consider, or don’t even think about, is that this supply and distribution network is highly interdependent, which means that disturbances in one part of the network can send shock waves throughout the system, affecting hundreds of thousands of people and households in very unpredictable ways.

As an example, consider a “simple” 7-day power outage (an increasingly common occurrence in today’s uncertain world). Once the electrical grid has been depleted, so is the energy to pump water, sewage, street lighting, shop lighting, house lighting, refrigeration, heating systems, security systems, telecommunications systems, gasoline pumps and more. You will not be able to go to the store to buy the food, water, medicine and supplies you so desperately need because the stores will be closed; stores that can somehow remain open will be sold out in a few hours. You will not be able to drive to an unaffected location because the gasoline pumps will not be operational; all you have is what’s in your tank. Your refrigerated food will go bad in a few hours, your sewage will accumulate, and you won’t have fans to remove odor and heat, or heaters to warm you from the biting cold. The ice will disappear in warmer latitudes. You’ll run out of food as soon as your pantry is empty, and the only water you’ll have to drink or clean is what you had in the bottles before the power outage happened. If you have an emergency, you won’t be able to call 911 because telecommunications probably won’t work.

What will the next 7 days be like for you and your family? Here’s what it looked like for a victim:

“We had no idea how the power outage would affect us. We planned ahead, but there are so many things you don’t think about and the water runs out so fast. We had to wait in line to get water. Who would have thought a toilet takes almost three gallons to fill just to flush! People here would have paid any amount of money for a battery operated fan, we were miserable! “- Renee Sutherland, Hurricane Gustav survivor

If you’re not properly prepared, you’re likely to spend the week nervously standing in a long line of grumpy and seemingly hostile strangers, all waiting for a government aide (who can take days to arrive). If that sounds bad, then you now know what millions of unprepared people have been through (or in some cases, not), after a major disaster hit them.

Peace of mind in these uncertain times comes from reasonable preparation – a balance between personal responsibility to prepare for potential natural and man-made disasters, the recognition that it could actually happen to you and your family, and the appreciation that there is a safety net. out there ready to help … but one where you’ll have to be prepared to wait. It’s the waiting that can hurt you:

“I live in northwestern Pennsylvania. In the interior of the United States. Who would have thought I should be prepared for a week-long power outage due to a hurricane that made landfall in Texas? Ike soared toward the country, we hit 80 mph winds and left us totally unprepared. There was a race at Wal-Mart, and I had to rely on my neighbors to help me get through the outage. A neighbor had a generator, and he went from house to house giving us each one hour of power to cool our food and what little water we have left. ” Alita Gail – Hurricane Ike Survivor

The question of survival in today’s complex, increasingly unpredictable and dangerous world is simple: given the potential dangers likely to affect it (such as an economic collapse that severely disrupts our supply chain and support networks, or a natural disaster to Katrina scale, or social unrest, etc.), do you have the necessary supplies on hand to overcome the waiting period … to stay home peacefully in the comfort and company of your family and loved ones? Or will you be waiting anxiously in a long line of strangers, hoping to get to the front before supplies run out?

The choice, and the decision, is yours … Never forget that when the time for action is upon you, the time to prepare is over.

Be careful. Stay informed. To be prepared.

Kevin

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