Topic Tuesday #2 2012/07/31
What do you do when the power goes out, for a LONG time?:
Here's a hypothetical situation to get your neurons firing. Wherever you are, the power just simply goes out. No one on the radio or TV says anything for a few hours. Your cell phone is glitchy, and calls fail almost immediately, and you don't have reliable data. Even SMS isn't always making it to your contacts. You are cut off. The power is down, inexplicably, and you have no idea when it will be restored (if it will be restored) Assume at this moment, you don't have power for the foreseeable future unless you are the source. Now (easy for hurricane veterans) consider all the items you rely on that require power. The clock starts ticking on perishables, your AC or heating doesn't work. The power backups at the utility providers (like gas stations, natural gas, water, sewer, internet, telephone) likely have 4-48 hours of reserve power. So... What do you do? What are you going to do if and when the rioting starts?
07/31/world/asia/
india-blackout/index.html
Responses from Google+ (my wall is PUBLIC, so always remember that the world will see it.):
What do you do when the power goes out, for a LONG time?:
Here's a hypothetical situation to get your neurons firing. Wherever you are, the power just simply goes out. No one on the radio or TV says anything for a few hours. Your cell phone is glitchy, and calls fail almost immediately, and you don't have reliable data. Even SMS isn't always making it to your contacts. You are cut off. The power is down, inexplicably, and you have no idea when it will be restored (if it will be restored) Assume at this moment, you don't have power for the foreseeable future unless you are the source. Now (easy for hurricane veterans) consider all the items you rely on that require power. The clock starts ticking on perishables, your AC or heating doesn't work. The power backups at the utility providers (like gas stations, natural gas, water, sewer, internet, telephone) likely have 4-48 hours of reserve power. So... What do you do? What are you going to do if and when the rioting starts?
(This is an exercise to get you to plan ahead and to help others that may not have the same insight. This is NOT for fear-mongering. Those that have lived through storm events know what this is like. Share the love and lets see your plans, and maybe make a better one.) http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/poweroutage/needtoknow.asp
Responses from Facebook (my wall is PUBLIC, so always remember that the world will see it.):
Andy Cowen but, given the example, how would you move north? This is an immediate survival situation.
Becca Diehl Charvet these boots were made for walkin'... (come on! just let me be snarky!)
ok, really? I'd get my peeps circled up in one location with as much fuel as we can get, gas, propane, charcoal, wood, car batteries. Then figure out food & water sources. We happen to have some free-range chickens, so making sure those are secure is tops. Oh, & make sure the bikes are working. That's off the top of my head.
ok, really? I'd get my peeps circled up in one location with as much fuel as we can get, gas, propane, charcoal, wood, car batteries. Then figure out food & water sources. We happen to have some free-range chickens, so making sure those are secure is tops. Oh, & make sure the bikes are working. That's off the top of my head.
July 31 at 9:42am · · 1
Jim Mathews LOL, first thing I would do is take my trusty 5kw generator over to my friends gas station and trade him a .22 pistol and a couple hundred rounds ammo for as much gas as I can pump into my 5 20 gallon army surplus gas tanks. I won't go into further details, just know that I have thought this out and prepared......
Linda Mahoney Sauls bank, gasoline for vehicles and spares, LOTS of ice. fast thawing food to cooler, add ice, compact everything else from our 3 freezers into one freezer, pack with bags of ice and newspaper and foil, shut and don't open till food gone in cooler. All set for food and water, matches sterno, gallons of water prepared for hurricane each year. Do seal and fill bathtubs with water, washing machine as well. Gather neighbors and help put together plan so we all know what the others have to share if things get tough. (Andrew was a lesson well learned) Traded gas washer and dryer use for ice and food, traded our steaks for gasoline, game plan for finding water and ice, would split up as neighbors and each head for a different site and share what we got.
07/31/world/asia/
india-blackout/index.html
Michelle Rasberry Here in Arkansas we are use to our power going out for weeks at a time, especially in the winter months. You just light the fireplace and pull out the board games for the kids and do the best you can until power is restored. If you are smart you have a gas stove and you can heat some water to take a spongebath and at least eat. But if all else fails you just put the pot in the fireplace and do the best you can.
Donald Davis Lack of running water is much more scary than lack of power. There is wood to burn to cook if you have tools, etc whatever food is available, but fresh water is the real commodity.If there is no power for long periods of time, perishables can soon be forgotten about because ice only lasts for so long, same with gas once supply lines are cut and it runs out. The only real way to move forward is to learn to live without those comforts. people did it before, and survival instincts will kick back in, hopefully there will be some civility left among people if it ever does come to pass.
David OConnor I figure out my survival plan based on a few things - Water: Know where and how to get fresh water every single day. Food, be aware of how much you have and where/how to get more. Multivitamins help here. Shelter - don't let your environment kill you, and is also a handy place to prepare food. Showers and defecations - have a plan to facilitate this.
How prepared should you be? Some people go to extremes in their bid to survive the worst holocaust, but that's incredibly expensive to do. If I have a knife, some rope, a tarp and a water filter I would feel pretty well prepared because the worst case scenario is the world goes to hell when you're out on vacation. Plan for that and think about what it would take to acquire the things you need to keep going. One week of food and water is pretty reasonable to have on hand - One month of food and water on hand will get you past the worst of most emergencies. For the most extreme (Look up katrina) you will have to rely on your neighbors working together to keep everyone going, which is read: alive.
How prepared should you be? Some people go to extremes in their bid to survive the worst holocaust, but that's incredibly expensive to do. If I have a knife, some rope, a tarp and a water filter I would feel pretty well prepared because the worst case scenario is the world goes to hell when you're out on vacation. Plan for that and think about what it would take to acquire the things you need to keep going. One week of food and water is pretty reasonable to have on hand - One month of food and water on hand will get you past the worst of most emergencies. For the most extreme (Look up katrina) you will have to rely on your neighbors working together to keep everyone going, which is read: alive.
Responses from Google+ (my wall is PUBLIC, so always remember that the world will see it.):
Tony SandovalJul 31, 2012
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part of the problem is that people panic before they think.
We are not that far removed from being the people who never had power to begin with.
My grandparents lived in one room shacks with wood stoves and outdoor toilets. No indoor plumbing.
I spent summers on a farm that was the same until I was a teen.
I used to "hobo" when I was a teen. slept where I found space, camped in a tent. ate out of cans and cooked on an open fire. Walked or got rides however I could.
The first thing is not to panic. The next thing is to realize we do not "need" electricity to live.
We are not that far removed from being the people who never had power to begin with.
My grandparents lived in one room shacks with wood stoves and outdoor toilets. No indoor plumbing.
I spent summers on a farm that was the same until I was a teen.
I used to "hobo" when I was a teen. slept where I found space, camped in a tent. ate out of cans and cooked on an open fire. Walked or got rides however I could.
The first thing is not to panic. The next thing is to realize we do not "need" electricity to live.
David OConnorJul 31, 2012
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I figure out my survival plan based on a few things - Water: Know where and how to get fresh water every single day. Food, be aware of how much you have and where/how to get more. Multivitamins help here. Shelter - don't let your environment kill you, and is also a handy place to prepare food. Showers and defecations - have a plan to facilitate this.
How prepared should you be? Some people go to extremes in their bid to survive the worst holocaust, but that's incredibly expensive to do. If I have a knife, some rope, a tarp and a water filter I would feel pretty well prepared because the worst case scenario is the world goes to hell when you're out on vacation. Plan for that and think about what it would take to acquire the things you need to keep going. One week of food and water is pretty reasonable to have on hand - One month of food and water on hand will get you past the worst of most emergencies. For the most extreme (Look up katrina) you will have to rely on your neighbors working together to keep everyone going, which is read: alive.
How prepared should you be? Some people go to extremes in their bid to survive the worst holocaust, but that's incredibly expensive to do. If I have a knife, some rope, a tarp and a water filter I would feel pretty well prepared because the worst case scenario is the world goes to hell when you're out on vacation. Plan for that and think about what it would take to acquire the things you need to keep going. One week of food and water is pretty reasonable to have on hand - One month of food and water on hand will get you past the worst of most emergencies. For the most extreme (Look up katrina) you will have to rely on your neighbors working together to keep everyone going, which is read: alive.
Matthew O'ConnorAug 1, 2012
Well, the first thing to keep in mind is that zombies are interested in brains, brains, brains...
Tony SandovalAug 1, 2012
That's just B grade movie zombies.
"Real" zombies just eat living flesh. doesn't matter arms, ears, legs. they don't care.
but, this is about a regular power outage not a zombie apocalypse. That would change a lot of things.
"Real" zombies just eat living flesh. doesn't matter arms, ears, legs. they don't care.
but, this is about a regular power outage not a zombie apocalypse. That would change a lot of things.
Matthew O'ConnorAug 1, 2012
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Very good. In that case... I'll take a stab at what memory serves me, and hopefully I won't get too much wrong...otherwise I'll be DEAD if this ever happens!
in situations where supplies of finite quantity and there is no foreseeable resumption of basic social infrastructure, rationing is a good thing. Food intake should be kept to a minimum where possible - humans can survive on around or less than 1000 calories per day, as I recall, though that number may be high. If hunting for food is not a plausible activity, attempt to seek out and organize food acquisition and distribution; again, rationing here will become a necessity. Canned goods are always a good thing. If you're a baker, sourdoughs do not require much more than the starter, flour, and water. Makeshift solar ovens, clay ovens, or underground fire pits can be useful for baking.
Water is a necessity, especially in hot climates. If gas or wood fuel is available, water boiled for 15 minutes (after a full boil is reached) should kill most microorganisms. Do not catch water out of your gutter, especially if you have an asphalt roof - set up an independent catch-water system if you intend on trying to use water from the sky. Coffee filters may remove a good number of large impurities, but distillation is the best for removing the most. Wells have to be used with caution, especially around urban environments - lots of pesticides, heavy metals, and other nasty things will wind up in them. A water heater can be an invaluable source of water - the catch to having it be one is that you have to regularly flush the tank. The tanks have ports near the bottom for this purpose. Flushing once a month would generally be sufficient to keep sludge to a minimum and a full 40+ gallons of fresh potable water available.
Staying cool can be hard - wearing as little as possible and avoiding movement during the hottest daytime hours can help, as well as residing in the shade. This also conserves energy and water. Bathing may be reduced to sponge baths every couple of days, or longer if the situation becomes dire. Wear hats to keep the sun off you, and loose breathable clothing if you must be in the sun.
The propane tanks used for gas grills can be handy to have, but you have to have at least one or two on hand because once the power goes out, those things go out of stock fast. The downside to the gas grill is it's terribly inefficient for heating things like water - we had to use ours for a while while our kitchen was obliterated. Making spaghetti took a looong time. Maybe it was just our piece-o-junk grill...
Digging back to basics, if you are running out of fuel and happen to have trees available for the chopping, you can acquire two useful things: pitch and charcoal. I don't remember the particulars about pitch and its usage (other than for making boats waterproof), but as I recall the charcoal is made by setting the chopped bits of wood on fire, then burying them to smolder and cool. The process takes many hours. The resultant charcoal should make excellent fuel.
If riots are really a concern, having a shotgun or two on hand should at least deter people from rioting on your property. The goal - get them to realize that your neighbor doesn't have a shotgun and doesn't mind a riot in HIS front yard. ;-) No need to fire unless they are intent on causing you harm, the sound of a shotgun cocking should make most people rethink their intentions.
And remember this above all else, and especially when the scoops come: Soylent Green is People.
in situations where supplies of finite quantity and there is no foreseeable resumption of basic social infrastructure, rationing is a good thing. Food intake should be kept to a minimum where possible - humans can survive on around or less than 1000 calories per day, as I recall, though that number may be high. If hunting for food is not a plausible activity, attempt to seek out and organize food acquisition and distribution; again, rationing here will become a necessity. Canned goods are always a good thing. If you're a baker, sourdoughs do not require much more than the starter, flour, and water. Makeshift solar ovens, clay ovens, or underground fire pits can be useful for baking.
Water is a necessity, especially in hot climates. If gas or wood fuel is available, water boiled for 15 minutes (after a full boil is reached) should kill most microorganisms. Do not catch water out of your gutter, especially if you have an asphalt roof - set up an independent catch-water system if you intend on trying to use water from the sky. Coffee filters may remove a good number of large impurities, but distillation is the best for removing the most. Wells have to be used with caution, especially around urban environments - lots of pesticides, heavy metals, and other nasty things will wind up in them. A water heater can be an invaluable source of water - the catch to having it be one is that you have to regularly flush the tank. The tanks have ports near the bottom for this purpose. Flushing once a month would generally be sufficient to keep sludge to a minimum and a full 40+ gallons of fresh potable water available.
Staying cool can be hard - wearing as little as possible and avoiding movement during the hottest daytime hours can help, as well as residing in the shade. This also conserves energy and water. Bathing may be reduced to sponge baths every couple of days, or longer if the situation becomes dire. Wear hats to keep the sun off you, and loose breathable clothing if you must be in the sun.
The propane tanks used for gas grills can be handy to have, but you have to have at least one or two on hand because once the power goes out, those things go out of stock fast. The downside to the gas grill is it's terribly inefficient for heating things like water - we had to use ours for a while while our kitchen was obliterated. Making spaghetti took a looong time. Maybe it was just our piece-o-junk grill...
Digging back to basics, if you are running out of fuel and happen to have trees available for the chopping, you can acquire two useful things: pitch and charcoal. I don't remember the particulars about pitch and its usage (other than for making boats waterproof), but as I recall the charcoal is made by setting the chopped bits of wood on fire, then burying them to smolder and cool. The process takes many hours. The resultant charcoal should make excellent fuel.
If riots are really a concern, having a shotgun or two on hand should at least deter people from rioting on your property. The goal - get them to realize that your neighbor doesn't have a shotgun and doesn't mind a riot in HIS front yard. ;-) No need to fire unless they are intent on causing you harm, the sound of a shotgun cocking should make most people rethink their intentions.
And remember this above all else, and especially when the scoops come: Soylent Green is People.
Andy CowenAug 1, 2012Edit
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Excellent advice Matt. For calories, basic rule as I understand it, to maintain your current weight an average metabolism must consume 100 calories per pound of person. So if you are 200lbs, 2000 calories on a normal day will sustain your mass. Do more work, you need more calories and start to shrink or waste away. Do less, need less.
CDC and FDA recommend 1 gallon of fresh water per person per day. Plan accordingly.
Rain water from roofs is still invaluable. You can use it for bathing and irrigation and for washing clothes and such items that will not be ingested. Washing dishes for instance, as long as the final rinse is with clean water.
CDC and FDA recommend 1 gallon of fresh water per person per day. Plan accordingly.
Rain water from roofs is still invaluable. You can use it for bathing and irrigation and for washing clothes and such items that will not be ingested. Washing dishes for instance, as long as the final rinse is with clean water.
Matthew O'ConnorAug 1, 2012
Great info! Enjoyed the CDC article after I got done blathering on, too. Now about those zombies.... ;-)