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Did Hurricane Sandy give us a glimpse of how serious and devastating an extended power outage can be? There were millions of people without power, Hurricane Sandy blacked out some of the nation's most densely populated cities and suburbs in the North East, instantly taking away all modern conveniences that each and every one of us depend on. It did not take long before panic, chaos and desperation set in. There were many news reports commenting on how the neighborhoods were descending into chaos and pandemonium. With little police presence on the storm-ravaged streets, many residents were forced to take their protection into their own arms arming themselves with guns, baseball bats and even bows and arrows to ward off thugs and loaters.
Without power we lose access to our basic services, food, running water, fuel. Within a couple of days fear and panic begins to set in and law and order begin to break down. We are a society that is very dependent on electrical power; we have no idea how to survive without it.
Many feel this is one of the largest threats that we face as a nation. Can you even begin to imagine a disaster of this magnitude? With widespread blackouts across the entire country for weeks or even months would create a total breakdown of our society.
Recently the National Research Council (NRC) released a report titled Terrorism and the Electric Power Delivery System. The report was completed in 2007 but the Department of Homeland Security determined that it should remain classified in nature. The report was eventually cleared for release August 2012 the full current report was approved for public release, and provides shocking detail on just how vulnerable we are indeed, which is summarized in a press release which was published by the NRC on November 14, 2012.
"The US electric power delivery system is vulnerable to terrorist attacks that could cause much more damage to the system than natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy, blacking out large regions of the country for weeks or months and costing many billions of dollars, says a newly released report by the National Research Council.
According to the report, the security of the US electric power system is in urgent need of attention. The power grid is inherently vulnerable physically because it is spread across hundreds of miles, and many key facilities are unguarded. This vulnerability is exacerbated by a reorganization shift in the mid-1990s, prompted by federal legislation to introduce competition in bulk power across the country, resulting in the transmission network being used in ways for which it was not designed. As a result, many parts of the bulk high-voltage system are heavily stressed, leaving it especially at risk to multiple failures following an attack. Important pieces of equipment are decades old and lack improved technology for sensing and control that could help limit outages and their consequences – not only those caused by a terrorist attack but also in the event of natural disasters. "
The possibility of widespread loss of electricity is very real and something that this country is just not prepared to deal with. So what are we to do about it? How do we prepare for such a disaster of this magnitude? Start planning today, when the whole country is in crisis we are all going to be on our own. Calling 911, waiting for the police or National Guard, Red Cross or FEMA to fly in and make everything better again is not really going to be an option. With a disaster of this magnitude these services are going to be overwhelmed if not completely unavailable, remember those people have families too.
A really good way to get an idea of ??what this would be like or what kinds of things your family would need. Do a trial run, you and your family go for 24 hours without the use of any lights, stove or microwave, no electrical items at all.
Here is a brief list to help you get started with your prepping.
- Food storage, buy foods that can be eaten with little or no cooking.
- Water, you'll need stored water as well as a way to purify water.
- Lighting, flash lights, batteries, solar lights, candles, glow sticks, and water proof matches.
- A means to boil water or heat food, propane camp stove or outdoor grill.
- A means to keep warm in the winter weather. If you have a fireplace of wood burning stove, stock up on the wood.
- Sanitation, there will not be any running water, so consider other alternatives for your sanitation needs.
- Personal security and self-defense, during a widespread power outage people are going to be scared and desperate; Criminals may decide to take advantage of the power outage.
- Also you'll want to have cash on hand, when the power goes out, the ATM machines will not be working.
Start now; do not put off preparing for a threat like this. The possibility of this happening is very real . When it happens it will be to late to prepare. If the lights go out and do not come back on for weeks or even months you will not be able to just run down the supermarket to buy supplies. You will not be able to run down to buy gasoline or propane. You will not be able to live your life as you once did, and it will happen all in an instant. Plan Now! Stay Safe!
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Source by Tammy Sammons
