[sarasota]

Well let's just call more attention to how terror can bring the US down. Sheesh.

[Portnoy]

I wonder how many AMericans have restocked their supply of batteries, candles, water and canned goods?

When the blackout hit here in Detroit, the only thing I was in short supply was gas. I know have at least 5 gallons of gas in a gas can. One week after the event, I have all my supplies restocked.

guarenteed, most people who waited in long lines and complained about the lack of supplies haven't prepared for the next event. (Especially here in Michigan where its almost certain you will lose your power once during the winter months....

[Squawk 8888]

"With power out beyond a day or two, both food and water supplies would soon fail. Transportation systems would be at a standstill ... natural gas pressure would decline and some would lose gas altogether -- not good in the winter time ... Communications would be spotty or non-existent. ... All in all, our cities would not be very nice places to be... Martial law would likely follow," This scaremonger obviously doesn't know what he's talking about. Firstly, it is unlikely that a grid failure would cause widespread outages for more than a day- the first thing Ontario did in the last outage was disconnect from the grid and some power was flowing within 5 hours, the whole province was back within 24 hours. Some areas never lost power because they were near powerplants that disconnected from the grid. Finally, his scenario of social unrest is a bit OTT- parts of Québec lost power for 33 days (Montréal was dark for a week) and everyone managed. Never underestimate the ability of resourceful individuals to make things happen.

[finnman69]

Buy a generator, batteries and bottled water.

[randog]

So the experts say that bad things will happen if we don't have electricity? Sheesh, where do I get a job making predictions like that?

NEWSFLASH: Weather expert randog sez things get wet when it rains!!

[mtbopfuyn]

Not to sound like little Tommy, but it deeply saddens me that so many people STILL don't have a clue. Every day the power is interrupted somewhere in the US and many times during the winter and for extended periods of time. If those normal occurrances hadn't enlightened people, one would think the Y2K scare would have. 9/11 couldn't have been a bigger wake-up call. But apparently they still are in the dark, in more ways than one, after the latest major grid failure.

This is the lowest we've been on supplies, but it is intentional as I'm sorting through things right now. It needed more than the normal rotation of items. We'll be living on the edge the next few weeks but I'm aware of the situation and will begin restocking this weekend.

[upchuck]

If you're wondering how to prepare for something like this may I suggest reading a very interesting book? With all due respect to the FReeper of the same name, "Alas Babylon"^ by Pat Frank is a must read. Frank wrote this book in the late 60's. It's the story of folks in a small town in Florida and how they survive an atomic attack from the former Soviet Union.

Granted, atomic attack causing national destruction is much less likely today and the Soviet Union no longer exists. But the book still does an excellent job of portraying what these folks go through and the fruits of planning and not planning.

I have read this book many times, it's one of my favs. And I have used it as a "how-to" guide in my personal preparation for "what if."

[redgolum]

As an engineer in the energy business, we have often joked that a few guys with a high powered rifle could take down the grid. Blow out a few transformers in the right place and cause the type of rolling blackouts that we say in the Northwest.

That being said, in my home state of Nebraska, losing power for a few days or weeks would probably result in a mini baby boom.

[Timesink]

"With power out beyond a day or two, both food and water supplies would soon fail. Transportation systems would be at a standstill ... natural gas pressure would decline and some would lose gas altogether -- not good in the winter time ... Communications would be spotty or non-existent. ... All in all, our cities would not be very nice places to be... Martial law would likely follow," Paul H. Gilbert of the National Research Council told a congressional panel.

Sounds more like the first 72 hours of the Dean Administration to me.

[_Jim]

Terror attack on grid would collapse U.S.

Lightning storms, hurricanes, torrential rains - contrasted with a 'terrorist' attack would be miniscule ... the RESILIENCY in a properly operating network is remarkable.

As soon as we get FirstEnergy straighened out - WE'LL be in good shape.

[_Jim]

Terror attack on grid would collapse U.S.

"Terror Attack" ............................. "Collapse"

WHAT falls in the gap between these two endpoints?

I'm talking specifics ... what skills, what knowledge does it take?

What *specific* tools (and I'm NOT talking just a computer w/a dail-up access but *specific* software packaages) ...

'Disrutping' a grid ain't like Telnetting into a foreign host and 'cracking' it to get 'root' ...

[_Jim]

John McCarthy, director of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Project at George Mason University, described how a student of his -- using information in the public domain -- had created a comprehensive map of the nation's entire fiber optic cable network as part of his Ph.D. dissertation.

THIS is always going to be the case ... there are TOO MANY people simply withing organizations that *know* htis information, and, were they to 'tuen bad' could wreak ALL kinds of havoc *without* being identified for days and weaks even ... the fortunate things about 'terrorist' attacks on infrastructure, is, #1 there is so d*mn much of it #2 MOST of it is over-designed #3 it's redundant ... the 'terrorists' on the other hand are, for the most part (it turns out) bumbling idiots. A persomn like Atta, with centered, focused drive comes along ever so infrequently ...

[_Jim]

Re-issue w/spelling corrections

John McCarthy, director of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Project at George Mason University, described how a student of his -- using information in the public domain -- had created a comprehensive map of the nation's entire fiber optic cable network as part of his Ph.D. dissertation.

THIS is always going to be the case ... there are TOO MANY people simply within organizations that *know* all this sensitive information, and, were they to 'turn bad' could wreak ALL kinds of havoc *without* being identified for days and weeks even ... the fortunate things about 'terrorist' attacks on infrastructure, is, #1 there is so d*mn much of it #2 MOST of it is over-designed #3 it's redundant #4 it's *not* a static scenario: law-enforcement *and* utility operators are active, not passive in their ability to adapt ... the 'terrorists' on the other hand are, for the most part (it turns out) bumbling idiots. A person like Atta, with centered, focused drive comes along ever so infrequently ...

[RightWhale]

When the grid goes down, it should collapse to its several local, autonomous community systems. Overall efficiency would not be as great, and there would be local problems, but the whole economy should not suffer. Drag out the old diesel generators and dig up the old station operator and start polluting the air like in the good, old days.

[SSN558]

Every special interest in the U.S. has used chicken little tactics in attempt to get a piece of the largest gubmint spending spree of the 21st century. What is next ? Homeland defense generators.

[LibKill]

There would be an upside to this if it happened. An awful lot of Americans who have lost interest or never paid attention would be reminded that this war affects them very personally.

It might even strengthen our resolve as a people.

"You don't tug on Superman's cape..."