No power this morning...

charliebrownout · Heavy Crude Joined: Apr 17, 2008 Posts: 291

I woke up this morning to no power for several hours.

I'm posting this here because it was like a psychological "wakeup call".

I've been trying to prepare (what little I can, given the circumstances), but it jolted me into thinking more seriously about the situation at hand.

What happens if we really do have an economic depression? What if infrastructure begins to fail in ernest?

There were no TVs or web for news. No lights. The stuff in the fridge was starting to warm up a bit.

My older son, being PO aware got the handcrank radio and tuned into NPR. I think the kid was sure the govt. had finally gone down the shitter and the lights wouldn't ever be back on. Not that I've tried to scare him. The kid picks his own books at the library and draws his own conclusions. He's the one that got me onto PO with a science project of his on alternative energy.

At any rate, I was really nervous until I managed to get a call via cell into the power co. and found out it was a blown circuit breaker.

My husband, who was a PO "believer" at nearly $150 a barrel has lapsed back into thinking it's all crap and the economy and the world will continue on unperturbed indefinitely.

He got a big laugh out of my son getting the radio and me calling the power company.

Now, I'm not a "doomer" in the sense that I think people will be eating each other...but I do think our country is in a mess, bankrupt or damn close, and people are jumpy, and things could get unpleasant before they get better.

I just hate getting laughed at for building supplies and taking survival and first aid classes, etc. because I think it's good to have the info before things get bad or (at the very least) in case things get rough.

I will say, my hubby was only laughing AFTER the power came back on.

Revi · Fusion Joined: Apr 25, 2005 Posts: 3531 Location: Maine

I think you are prudent getting a crank radio and some supplies. Get them to read the book "Last Light" by Alex scarrow. I think it turned my wife into a believer. We are now into preparation. link

Better to be prepared than to be sorry.

You can always eat the stuff you have stored as your regular food. Nowadays it's better than money in the bank. Look at the price of food now. Store food for 6 months and you probably make over 10% interest.

People will laugh until something really happens.
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Deep in the mud and slime of things, even there, something sings.

Delphis · Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 6:29 pm Post subject: Re: No power this morning...

There have been several "brown outs" in my area and when you phone the power company they simply say there was a circuit failure...

I hate to be a doomer, but it would be plausible that they are testing the reaction of grid maps and response times and such to get a plan for the inevitable. Not unlike the exercise in LA after Katrina and the exercises we have not read about yet in TX.

Keep your supplies in order and your husband PO aware, your son may very well be a key asset to your survival in the coming "exercises."

Kudos for being on your toes...

Cheers!
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"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."....Albert Einstein

Zel · Tar Sands Joined: Jun 22, 2008 Posts: 28

I think it's never a waste to be prepared. If people laugh at you, at least you know who's drinking the kool-aid.

When Ike hit, we lost power for four days. Aside from the upper 90 degree heat and melting into puddles of goo, the thing that bothered me the most was the communications blackout. We listened to local radio, but I'm so used to just hopping online to look up what I want that it bothered me more than I expected it to.

The ~very next day~ there were people out looking for food. I can't imagine not having enough food for even one day, but there were a lot of people ridiculously unprepared, even with a week's notice. Grocery stores still aren't fully stocked and gas stations are hit and miss. It's going to take months to get Houston back to normal, probably years for Galveston. I can only imagine what a horror a lasting power outage will mean.

I'm thankful for the wake-up call. Ike was a nice test run that showed me what I did right and what I still need to get to be comfortable. You won't regret your preparations and your husband will see the light eventually.

Cashmere · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Mar 27, 2008 Posts: 1971

SILENTTODD · Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 10:51 pm Post subject: Re: No power this morning...

Where do you live charliebrownout?
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Skeptical scrutiny in both Science and Religion is the means by which deep thoughts are winnowed from deep nonsense-Carl Sagan

ohcomeon · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 10, 2006 Posts: 140 Location: USA

Charlie Brownout,

I wonder if you live near me... We had a power outage yesterday morning as well. Though it was shorter, the internet and phones went down at the same time. Even though the power came back quickly, the cable, internet and phones took a couple hours or more. It felt like withdrawals to me!

IslandCrow · Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 7:18 am Post subject: Re: No power this morning...

I wanted a wood burning stove in the kitchen, and while my other half "agreed" to it (even agreeing on which model to buy), there was always other conditions attached (such as completing redesigning a kitchen) which effectively was a veto on my suggestion (as we did not have the finances to do everything at one time).

Then there was a large storm, that knocked out the power overnight and most of the next day. Well, in half an hour, will having breakfast of cold cereal and bread by candle light, we agreed on all the details that would allow us to get the stove!

So yes, a power cut is a good way to focus the mind, and I am glad that we had ours when we did.

Other lessons from that storm: 1) the pressure on the local water supply depends on electric pumps - so no electricity = soon no water. 2) one of our neighbours would let us use her well. 3) the storm was strong enough to knock out the cell phone system as well, so news is what you hear in the local shop (candle light and cash only)
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We should teach our children the 4-Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rejoice.

StuckInPhilly · Heavy Crude Joined: Jul 24, 2008 Posts: 120

charliebrownout · Heavy Crude Joined: Apr 17, 2008 Posts: 291

charliebrownout · Heavy Crude Joined: Apr 17, 2008 Posts: 291

Revi · Fusion Joined: Apr 25, 2005 Posts: 3531 Location: Maine

CharlieBrownOut,

Prepare a place to bug out to. Pick a place near relatives, or some place you know. Go and check it out because you might need to go there sooner than you think.

Don't worry about you husband. Tell him you are going on a vacation and visit relatives or something. Check out a place you can go to if it gets bad.

My wife is reluctant, but we went to the discount food place and bought a bunch of things this weekend. I feel a little better now. It's worth it just to have the stuff. Cheap insurance.

Things could go south in a hurry now.
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Deep in the mud and slime of things, even there, something sings.

ohcomeon · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 10, 2006 Posts: 140 Location: USA

charliebrownout · Heavy Crude Joined: Apr 17, 2008 Posts: 291

IgnoranceIsBliss · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 1:57 pm Post subject: Re: No power this morning...

Hmmm. We've had two brief brownouts in the last two days.

Yesterday for about 30 seconds, and today for 5 seconds (lights flickered but computer stayed on somehow).

In about 1 hour north of Atlanta. (and wishing we lived much, much further away!!)