What would you do if the grid went down?
Government (DHS) Changes Stance on Preparedness
For years the government’s stance on preparedness has been to have 72 hours of food and water in case of a disaster. After the NIAC’s – Surviving a Catastrophic Power Outage report published by DHS advises that the American people should have resources for a power outage lasting “at least 2 months, but more likely 6 months or more”. Puerto Rico’s power took 11 months for most of the island to get power restored. There were small pockets that were out even longer due to geographical constraints or resource requirements.
Lights Out
What would you do if the electrical grid suddenly went dark? Many folks have a fear of the dark. As children, we would often ask to leave the lights on so we could fall asleep, afraid of the “monster under the bed”. As we got older we mostly grow out of being afraid of the dark. Although humans are not typically nocturnal by nature, many of us have grown accustomed to the twilight hours and no longer fear what the dark may hold. However, we also know we can just flip a switch and turn the lights on. What if that was no longer possible?
Forbes Report
In a report from Forbes that states businesses that lose their information technology for more than 9 days go bankrupt within a year. Here is the quote from the Forbes report, “those that lost their information technology for nine days or more after a disaster…bankruptcy within a year”. If this is in fact true, what will happen if the grid is down for more than a month, 6 months, “or more”? If the report from Forbes is correct, and the businesses that lose their IT more than 9 days go bankrupt within a year, even when the power comes back on most if not every business will go bust within a year.
Think about that a minute, if every business has a chance of going bankrupt even when the power comes back on we will not be able to buy food, gasoline, heating oil, health care – nothing. If our grid is down for 2 months or longer, how long will it take for us to recover? Will we recover?
If we do not have a plan or are not ready for an event such as this, odds are we will not.
NIAC Report Potential Power Outage Causes
The following quote is from the NIAC report.
“Unlike severe weather disasters, a catastrophic power outage may occur with little or no notice and result from myriad types of scenarios: for example, a sophisticated cyber -physical attack resulting in severe physical infrastructure damage; attacks timed to follow and exacerbate a major natural disaster; a large-scale wildfire, earthquake , or geomagnetic event;or a series of attacks or events over a short period of time that compound to create significant physical damage to our nation’s infrastructure. An event of this severity may also be an act of war, requiring a simultaneous military response that further draws upon limited resources.”
Here are the possible sources of above:
- Cyber-physical attack
- Attacks that follow/exacerbate a major natural disaster
- A large-scale wildfire
- Earthquake
- Geomagnetic event
- Series of attacks or events that compound significant physical damage to our nation’s infrastructure
- Act of war
Notice the 3 that are bold, have you seen these in the news lately? Not just a news article, but actual occurrences. The power outage in Puerto Rico is cited as an example, but hurricanes are not listed explicitly. Hurricane Maria was a major natural disaster solely responsible for an 11 month power outage. It did not require a subsequent attack. The point is, there are other events that can create a power outage that can impact our lives.
Get Ready Now
When the government changes its perspective on how long we should be ready coupled with the ways that this event can occur it is past time to wake up and get ready. Review the video “6 Month Grid Down” on YouTube to learn what you need to know when the grid goes down. It is not a question of “If”, but “When” this event occurs.
What can you do to get Ready
There are things you can do now to get ready. All of this may seem scary, maybe even something from a bad sci-fi movie. However, the reality is this a very real possibility. The thing is, there are steps you can take to mitigate or even overcome this event. The question is – are you ready to start?
Steps you can take to become ready
First and foremost, create a written Emergency Readiness Plan. Start with a plan.
- Identify what resources (food, water, etc.) you would need in order to survive a grid down situation.
- Identify what skills you would need to survive a grid down situation.
- Identify the potential risks near where you will shelter in place, or where you will bug-out.
- Identify what resources you have and then compare to those you identified that you would need.
- Identify what skills you have and then compare them to those you identified that you would need.
- Identify what “event” will trigger activation of your plan.
Additional information about an Emergency Readiness Plan can be found here.
Contact Us
If you are unsure how to get started contact us, let us help you. The task of getting ready for an event such as this can be overwhelming. We are here to help you. We have over 30 years of planning and survival skills.
Whatever you decide, please decide to be ready.
Links
6 Month Grid Down YouTube Video – GL Snodgrass
Emergency Readiness Plan – Great Living Sources
Free Readiness Checklist – Great Living Sources
Great Living Sources 