Posted on 11/30/2012 10:08:24 PM PST by Kartographer
Some people believe that we are hurtling towards physical disaster with our delicate electrical grid. Just how that disaster might occur is open for debate, but we need only look at major power outages over the last few years to see how precarious our grasp on electricity is. It isn’t a matter of “if” the lights will go out, but a matter of “when”.
Severe weather has given the grid a walloping over the past few years. For example, three years ago, parts of Kentucky, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia and Missouri suffered through 3 weeks sans power after a record-setting ice storm. Last summer, people in the Washington, DC metropolitan area were without power for a week during a heat wave as the result of a severe thunderstorm accompanied by high winds. And most recently, of course, we have witnessed the plight of the victims of Hurricane Sandy as they have struggled to function in the most populated area in the United States without electricity and running water, all while attempting to clean up the detritus of the massive storm.
Mother Nature could have other tricks up her sleeve with the possibility of a solar flare-related coronal mass ejection that could cause not only outages but irreparable damage to items powered by electricity. Many countries have developed EMP (electromagnetic pulse) weapons that could perpetrate the same type of damage.
Yet another grim possibility is that as the economy continues to degrade, more and more people simply won’t be able to afford to keep the electricity on in their homes.
(Excerpt) Read more at shtfplan.com ...
Preppers’ Ping!!
When the lights go out I will studiously reject the truth for several days. I will believe they will come back on, all the while knowing they will not. I will reject my gut feeling in deference to what I have been taught to believe. My camping equipment will be a temporary measurement. I will act amused as the fear grows, as reality presents itself.
We will light the oil lamps, throw a log or two on the wood stove..
When the morning comes with no power I may fire up a small generator. I have another PTO generator that will run the whole farm I’ve never had to use yet...
Play it by ear from there I guess.
With high quality flashlights and head lamps that will produce gentle, consistent light for 100 hours and more, on a single AA battery, and with rechargeable batteries that only have to be recharged every couple of years, and solar battery chargers, it isn’t as serious as it used to be in regards to having just the lighting, and radios, CD players, and other battery powered devices.
In Revelations it states that the whole world will look upon the bodies of the slain prophets for 3 1/2 days. So, I think we will have internet and electricity until then, but after that, all bets are off.
Go into withdrawal because I won’t be able to access Drudge and FR?
I drive to work, but it has been castrated by the outage. They too, believe this is temporary, and give me a week off with pay. On my way home, I stop at the grocery for extra supplies.
I’ve been preparing my larder, but I am not a fool after all.
There is a bit of bottled water, which I take,, some canned ham, a bag of sugar and flour, no Korn kits, but a few cans of condensed milk, two bags of dry cat food the same for the dogs.
I go home, expecting the best, believing the worst, but believing I am a crazy fool. What will I do with all this crap when the lights come back on?
Personally, I think almost everybody underestimates the odds of a major grid collapse.
Even many preppers underestimate the risk.
The list of things that could trigger this is as long as my arm.
If the grid goes down nationwide, and STAYS down, we’ll have swarms of locusts oozing out of our major cities within three days. They won’t survive long, but they’ll devour everything in their path before they die.
Around the fourteenth day I hear voices in the streets. I do not hear words but tones. Both questioning and challenging. I do not look.
Lock and Load.
Bible doesn’t mention America at all, so the grid going down here wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination at all. I hold to the theory that because the Bible doesn’t mention us at all when it comes to the end times, something happens to this nation before hand to make us a non-relevant entity on the world stage. Lets face it, right now we still have way too much influence on the world for Rev prophecy to start kicking in. When Obama is done with us however, who knows??
I'll have warmth with a “safe to use” in the house propane heater and two sleeping bags good to down to zero. I will stay warm and so will my Yorkie.
None of my food preparation requires anything that comes from a refrigerator. The best book for recipes and knowledge about foods in these conditions is, “Eating Off The Grid” by Denise Hansen. Filled with recipes using food storage and using nothing that comes from the fridge. The recipes are designed in stated quanities so that you use all the recipe in two meals since there will not be refrigeration. Walton Food ssells this book. Amazon only has the Kindle version and you need the hard copy.
For eggs in a recipe, I have boxes of “Egg Replacer” made by Ener-G in Seattle, Washington. One box is 113 eggs. An egg is used in a recipe to bind ingredients together, and that is what this product was designed to do.
I will live well without power because I planned it that way.
Freepmail me if you want to read about how I did it.
Impressive!
Runs the house, shop, and other out buildings with no strain whatsoever. Did have a problem with the throttle body being defective but Kohler will make good on the warranty.
It's a dual fuel (propane/natural gas) unit. I had another 500 gallon propane tank brought in just for that purpose. That and the other tanks gives me 1500 gallons to rely on. That should get us through any major outage for a few months, should the SHTF!
Our backup (to the backup!) is a 6kw Gernerac gas operated generator, and an old diesel 10kw that needs some TLC... Have multiple 325 gallon fuel tanks for those...
Our "gulch" is well stocked should our worst nightmare come about. Where we live in Northern MN, no power could be a death sentence when it gets down to 40 below.
Bring it on!!!
Sine wave inverters stored in old microwave ovens.
I hope I have enough candles so I can see to roll my own cigarettes....
“I hope I have enough candles so I can see to roll my own cigarettes....”
I have a new kind of E cigarette and the “pack” that comes with it can be recharged using a solar panel I’m getting. That will be better than nothing.
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