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How to Survive: Lessons from Puerto Rico
American Thinker.com ^ | October 8, 2017 | Norman Rogers

Posted on 10/08/2017 11:20:39 AM PDT by Kaslin

The takedown of the Puerto Rican power grid by Hurricane Irma will, we hope, provide a teaching moment. The United States power grid is vulnerable, and the consequences of a widespread failure, especially if lengthy, will be a disaster of monumental proportions. This should not be a new realization. Serious analysts such as the Foundation for Resilient Societies and the EMP Commission have been warning us for a long time. The warnings have been ignored or even actively opposed by the electric power industry.

America's electric grid can be brought down by sabotage or by natural forces, such as the hurricane in Puerto Rico. Hurricanes have limited geographic scope, but solar storms can affect the entire country. As was shown by the Puerto Rican experience, without electricity, credit and debit cards don't work. Cash becomes king. Without electricity, communications become dubious.

Among natural threats to the electric grid, solar storms are perhaps the most serious. A solar storm causes the Earth's magnetic field to move and induce large direct currents in long conductors, such as power lines and communications cables. The 1859 Carrington Event was so powerful that some telegraph operators were electrocuted by voltages induced in the wires. Fortunately, in 1859, the power grid did not exist. A smaller March 1989 solar storm crashed the Quebec power grid and destroyed a large power transformer at the Salem nuclear generating station in New Jersey. If the 1989 solar storm had been as severe as the Carrington Event, much of the North American grid could have gone down for months or years.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: disaster; preppers; prepping; puertorico; shtf
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To: bitt

Elect Donald Trump, that’s how. :^)


41 posted on 10/08/2017 9:05:40 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
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To: Tilted Irish Kilt

The vast majority of Americans have lost touch with how their food is produced at the most basic level. There are at at least two generations that have grown up on nothing but industrialized, pre-cooked, pre-packaged “food” loaded down with chemical additives for the sole purpose to enhance shelf life and keep products sellable on the shelves- all of which is transport and stocked in a 72 hour “just in time” logistics chain.

One of the more fascinating counter approaches to this system is the growing trend to have fresh food and ingredients delivered to your doorstep with step by step instructions on how to cook your own “fresh” meal. It’s rather comical, but in a sad way. At least people learn to cook by this approach, but it’s bothersome that many people in their 20s and 30s require hand holding on acquiring such basic skills.

Loss of Convenience is going to be a big killer when the lights go out and the trucks don’t run- especially in the high density urban areas. You can’t grow, cook and store food from the ground or breed livestock from the pen fast enough to keep from starving at that point even if you do know what you’re doing unless you are already doing it.


42 posted on 10/09/2017 12:49:58 AM PDT by TADSLOS (Reset Underway!)
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To: Paladin2
When the gas is finally gone, every now useless car (except for use as a storage bin) still contains a good alternator, battery, fan blade.

It doesn't take to much effort to come up with a small wind driven 12 volt power supply.

43 posted on 10/09/2017 5:42:03 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: TADSLOS

It’s gonna be bleak!


44 posted on 10/09/2017 5:44:14 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: PrairieLady2

About 5 years ago, Austin, TX and surrounding areas decided it was wise to turn off people’s electricity during a bad freeze because they were afraid heaters would overload the system. They were supposed to do a round robin turning the power off a few minutes here and then there. Thing is they forgot to turn some people back on and some they did turn back on caused transformers to blow. They very quickly ran out of transformers.

As for food, our HEB grocery store (a chain in TX) always has bare shelves and is always short of basic staples. I’ve lived here forever and know to stick with staples on the grocery list because 1) it’s fruitless to hope for anything more exotic than black or green canned olives and 2) the budget won’t allow it. You learn to stock up when an item is on the shelf. The day Harvey hit, I went to the store to fill a basket with canned tomatoes, not because of Harvey but because that’s the first time they had any in two months. Same story with basic ol’ all purpose flour. People will beg for that second gallon of milk in your cart. I haven’t seen cauliflower or pork ‘n beans there for years. Shelf bread comes in frozen, not fresh which makes no sense as we have people who commute to work in Austin. Being so close to a major city, there is no reason for this. We live a bit of Venezuela and PR every day right here in the US.


45 posted on 10/09/2017 6:01:03 AM PDT by bgill (CDC site, "We don't know how people are infected with Ebola.")
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To: Kaslin

First lesson: Don’t live where the average IQ is room temperature.


46 posted on 10/09/2017 6:06:47 AM PDT by CodeToad (CWII is coming. Arm Up! They Are!)
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To: ROCKLOBSTER
Every Rican needs to buy a generator.

With everybody running their generators fuel will run out the next day.

So you have the first 24 hours covered. Then what?

47 posted on 10/09/2017 6:07:40 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Not a Romantic, not a hero worshiper and stop trying to tug my heartstrings. It tickles! (pink bow))
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To: ROCKLOBSTER
Every Rican needs to buy a generator.

That will never happen.

They will be GIVEN a genset, and then sit around and bitch because the government hasn't come by to fill it up.

That is how f**ked up PR moochers are.

48 posted on 10/09/2017 6:08:25 AM PDT by DCBryan1 (No realli, moose bytes can be quite nasti!)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear; DCBryan1
With everybody running their generators fuel will run out the next day...So you have the first 24 hours covered. Then what?

Then they will have to go get more fuel. It's quicker and easier for the people to go get fuel than it is to rebuild the power grid.

That will never happen...They will be GIVEN a genset, and then sit around and bitch because the government hasn't come by to fill it up.

Nope.

Then they can go back to stone-age camping until their third-world power is restored. Most of them are already getting an uncomfortable crash course in self-reliance.

(just for the sake of survival)

49 posted on 10/09/2017 6:28:01 AM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (RATs, RINOs...same thing)
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To: Cyclops08

Amen to that.


50 posted on 10/09/2017 7:19:01 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Tilted Irish Kilt

Thanks, TIK!


51 posted on 10/09/2017 7:20:26 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Taxman; Travis McGee; Tilted Irish Kilt

Taxman, you are so right about what the downing of the grid could lead to. Below are links to some recent excellent appearances by Travis McGee on Infowars. Definitely worth viewing, imho.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvAfOV8VkLg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG7FT86A4EQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1MGqbebV5U

Travis, thank you for all you do getting the truth out there. It is heartbreaking to see where we are today, but you are NOT a Cassandra. Many ARE heeding the message. Prayers continue for you and your mission and for your family - and all loyal patriots to the Holy Cause of FReedom


52 posted on 10/09/2017 9:28:43 AM PDT by TEXOKIE (We must surrender only to our Holy God and never to the evil that has befallen us.)
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To: SunkenCiv

“Elect Donald Trump, that’s how. :^)”

And primary all GOPe RINOs so he can have some help!


53 posted on 10/09/2017 9:36:47 AM PDT by TEXOKIE (We must surrender only to our Holy God and never to the evil that has befallen us.)
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To: TADSLOS
At least people learn to cook by this approach, but it’s bothersome that many people in their 20s and 30s require hand holding on acquiring such basic skills.

I was in the last Home-Ec class my high school offered. In the middle of the school year, they decided to cancel all life-skills classes and focus solely on college-prep. I got laughed at when I tried to protest that they'd end up graduating students who couldn't even boil an egg. Now, I'm considered the weird one because I can cook from scratch and sew buttons back on.

I hate being right sometimes.
54 posted on 10/09/2017 10:12:14 AM PDT by Ellendra (Those who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with.)
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To: Ellendra
I hate being right sometimes.

Over that emotion I got.

55 posted on 10/09/2017 11:19:17 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Tilted Irish Kilt

if you have miles and acres of food, but if you don’t have the fuel/energy to get it where it is needed, it doesn’t really matter, because it will spoil in the fields, or on the docks.

________________________________________________________

Without fuel to supply the tractors there won’t be acres and acres of food.

The key to a disaster is personal preparedness and not preparedness by the government. In Puerto Rico it has already been two weeks and people are not getting the assistance that has been delivered.

In many cases, perhaps the majority of people no longer have livable homes. These people are poor and worried more about having NetFlix and cable TV than they did sturdy homes. They may still have their I-Phones but they don’t have anywhere to plug them in.

My home in Florida just went thru the eye of the Irma. I did sustain a little damage, I lost my favorite Coca Nut Tree that produced wonderful, tasty Coca Nuts, I lost some trim on the house but not a single shingle. To me that is amazing. I expected to lose the house when I saw the path of the Hurricane but it is still there, in fact some of the clean-up volunteers that went to help people in the area used my house for a place to sleep while there.

I’m not a rich guy. I’m not poor either but I can’t afford Cable, I drive cars that are several years old and I bought them used.

I have generators at both my homes and solar power in Kentucky. I’m in Kentucky where we have tornadoes and high wind storms in the spring. We don’t get much ice and snow so when it hits it is a disaster breaking trees that down power lines.

I have food and water in the basement that will last a long time, much more than a couple weeks.

I have a very heavy safe in the basement with a little money for emergencies and plenty of ammo for the same reason.

I live on the top of the highest point in my area, I don’t have to worry about flooding.

Ok, there is much more I could say about my preparedness but I’m trying to make a point. We make decisions and sometimes they are not wise. To me having a safe with a little money for emergencies is more important than having cable. For me making a car payment is stupid if you don’t make a lot more money than me and if you do why not just pay for it and be done with it.

I don’t trust government to take care of me, I don’t trust the Red Cross to take care of me or my next door neighbors. Perhaps in a disaster I will be able to offer limited help to oothers, I hope so.

My home in a hurricane prone area was built to withstand at least a category 3 hurricane, it did and did it well. Others could do the same if they weren’t worried about having the coolest tattoo or newest car, phone or you name it. If you make poor decisions about these things and never have the storm you are ahead but when you don’t prepare don’t expect me to feel sorry for you.


56 posted on 10/09/2017 11:38:05 AM PDT by JAKraig (my religion is at least as good as yours)
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To: TEXOKIE; Travis McGee

Thank you, TEXOKIE!

I have seen Travis on Alex Jones show several times.

I also appreciate what Travis is doing for the “Holy Cause of FReedom!”


57 posted on 10/09/2017 12:29:00 PM PDT by Taxman (Replace the income tax with the FAIRtax and abolish the IRS!)
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To: jjotto

And the US is how many trillions in debt? no different.


58 posted on 10/09/2017 1:05:08 PM PDT by huldah1776 ( Vote Pro-life! Allow God to bless America before He avenges the death of the innocent.)
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To: Taxman; Travis McGee

You are welcome, Taxman!

Travis does a GREAT job!

I feel very hopeful about where this nation is, with respect to our Covenant standing. I have long had the sense that the Tea Party rebellion of 2010 and following years was all of us who hold with our Constitution and/or Founding under God and His Covenant were the offering before the altar which was an acceptable repentance before our Lord.

He has indeed answered our prayers and interceded by helping us put into power Donald Trump - who since the Inauguration speech and other occasions has claimed in our willing behalf that Covenant.

We have perhaps some tough sledding in front of us, the hooligans do indeed have quite a lot of temporal power, but I truly believe that there is indeed a solid core of patriots who will not cave and back down. The Lord has plans and stratagems which the hooligans can never even imagine.

I hold the belief that as long as ONE of us holds that flame and adores Him, and is seeking to stand for the Truth, that one will never be abandoned or forgotten by Him. When we realize that it is indeed into the millions of us who cleave to Him, then the picture is, in my view, hopeful.


59 posted on 10/09/2017 1:50:08 PM PDT by TEXOKIE (We must surrender only to our Holy God and never to the evil that has befallen us.)
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To: huldah1776

A US citizen is in hock for a LOT more than a PR citizen!

Debtclock.org


60 posted on 10/09/2017 2:55:48 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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