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What Happens When the Lights Go Out for Good?
Have you put some thought into what would happen if your world went dark for a week? I mean really thought about it, starting with day one and going out a week, a month or even longer?
I don’t know about you, but when I first started prepping, I heeded the warnings from NASA and considered the possibility of an EMP caused by solar flares, a coronal mass ejection, or even a meteor strike. These days, the concern is as much for a human-induced attack on the grid as it is for a natural phenomena.
It would be an understatement to say that I prep, first and foremost, for the possibility of an extended grid-down power outage. Such an outage would affect every aspect of life as we know it including water, food, sanitation, and health care. Businesses would close and jobs would be lost. Chaos would become the norm, and for those living in heavily populated areas, civil unrest the likes of which we have never experienced, will erupt.
Today I am going to breakdown the sequence of events during the first week of a grid-down power outage, and give you a small taste of what will happen in the weeks after that. Yes, I am preaching the choir. But even so, if there is a message that needs to be broadcast, it is one of preparedness.
If you ever feel your efforts are not worth it, return to this article, and think again.
Day One: Cities are Hit the Hardest
Thousands are trapped in elevators
All electrical appliances are shut down and inoperative, including refrigerators, freezers, heating units, air conditioners
Water faucets run dry
Because there is not water, toilets no longer flush
ATM machines are inoperative
Banks and other businesses are shuttered
Emergency generators provide pockets of power and light but, for the most part, there is profound darkness everywhere
Battery-powered radios and cell phones still operate but there is no word as to the cause or scale of the power outage
Gas stations without generators cannot pump fuel
Day Two: Confusion Reigns
Drugstores and supermarkets have been stripped clean of all goods
Law enforcement personnel are overwhelmed by medical emergencies and scattered outbreaks of looting
Batteries on laptops and cell phones are dying
Radio updates offer conflicting descriptions of the outage and there is no credible news relative to the expected duration
Officials disagree as to whether residents should find shelter or evacuate (but to where?)
Bridges and tunnels are backed up for hours
Day Three: No Gas, No Water, and No Food
All gas stations have run out of fuel
Water is at a premium
FEMA has provided emergency generators to pump water and keep sewage systems operational, but supplies are limited
Millions of “Meals Ready to Eat” have been distributed.
Backup food and water supplies do not exist
End of Week One: You are Own Your Own
Emergency rations have been depleted
Hundreds of the elderly and infirm have died
Hundreds of thousands of refugees have migrated to areas where there still is power
Unequipped to house or feed them, some states have instituted plans to keep the refugees out
Only the military can maintain a semblance of order and there are not enough troops to go around
Millions of people are, essentially, on their own
Week Two and Beyond: Board Up the Windows and Protect Yourself from Looters and Thugs
With no end in sight, hiding and defending your goods is a full time job and a number one priority
Law enforcement personnel are abandoning their post in order to secure their own families
Like-minded neighbors band together to inventory resources and exchange goods via barter
Neighbors canvass each other for skills that can be put to good use for the collective good
Stockpiled food is rationed to the minimum amount needed to maintain necessary caloric levels
Hunting, fishing and foraging for food begins and stored goods begin to dwindle
FEMA is nowhere to be found
Electronic Armageddon?
A while back NatGeo put out a documentary that deals with both a natural and a nuclear EMP. You can watch it on YouTube (below) or get the DVD.
The Final Word
The aftermath of a wide-rage, long-term power outage has been written about and discussed by many. For some, an introduction to such an event came from fiction, such as One Second After or, in the extreme of a nuclear winter, The Road. On the other hand, the probability has been poo-poo’d by many. Clearly, those naysayers will not be ready and most likely will become predators when they learn that help from the government is not forthcoming.
As Ted Koppel stated in his book, Light’s Out, there is no federal plan for a widespread power outage lasting more than a week. That does not mean that we can’t be prepared.
Additional Reading: Q&A With Ted Koppel in Prepper Book Festival 10: Lights Out.
When you think about, beyond preparing for a localized natural disaster, we need to be thinking about the consequences of a disruptive event of a much larger magnitude. And with that thought in mind, know that being prepared is the best thing you can do for yourself and your family.
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
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Bargain Bin: Here are a selection of items related to this article. Note that it is my belief that everyone should have some basic solar devices, including a portable panel for charging electronic gizmos and rechargeable batteries.
Sunferno Flintstone Portable Solar Panel with Rechargeable Battery Pack: This sturdy solar power pack is lightweight and small enough to be used in an EDC kit. I especially like that it has 2 USB ports.
RAVPower 15W Solar Charger with Dual USB Ports: This compact, three panel, solar charger will charge two devices at once, including tablets, smartphones, Kindles, and even AA/AAA battery chargers. Value priced at about $50. For more information, read: Gear Review: RAVPower 15W Solar Charger with Dual USB Ports.
Solar Charger for Standard Batteries: This Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus Power Pack , coupled with the Goal Zero Nomad 7 Solar Panel is what I use to charge up AA and AAA batteries as well as my electronic devices. I purchased mine as a kit from Amazon.
Panasonic eneloop AA New 2100 Cycle Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries: These days, I try to use eneloops as much as possible. They hold a charge forever, or so it seems, and work well in flashlights and small electronics. Note: I also use the Amazon Basics brand and will purchase those if the price is less. I have done a lot of reading and to the best of my knowledge, they are an eneloop twin, branded by Amazon. They charge up fine in my Maximal Power battery charger.
Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath: The hallmark book, by award winning journalist Ted Koppel, will hopefully educate the sheeple and motivate them to embrace the message of preparedness. For the rest of us, there is much to learn about the state of preparedness, or lack thereof, at the highest levels of our government. Read more: Prepper Book Festival 10: Lights Out by Ted Koppel.
One Second After: For many, the novel “One Second After” was a game changer that convinced them of the need to be prepared. It is a story in which one man struggles to save his family and his small North Carolina town after America loses a war based upon an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) used as a weapon. It could happen. If you have not read this book, you really should.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
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Which are the best oils for your survival kit? This article describes my top picks. 
The post What Happens When the Lights Go Out for Good? by Gaye Levy first appeared on Backdoor Survival.
Source: http://www.backdoorsurvival.com/what-happens-when-the-lights-go-out-for-good/
pfft “raiders” hahahaha, silly rabbits, there are far worse things, out in the wings
Your scenario is exaggerated and not realistic. Rethink it.
In your end of Week 1 prediction, you state: “Hundreds of thousands of refugees have migrated to areas where there still is power.”
If there are unaffected areas with electricity, then we’re all good. Remember Hurricane Katrina? It was a cluster F, but almost everyone eventually got out and moved to areas with power and infrastructure. Hundreds of thousands of people relocated north, east and west to hotels, gymnasiums, shelters, arenas. I was there, both in the immediate aftermath of the storm (1 week after) and then again a month later. It wasn’t a perfect response. But we/they managed.
The armageddon you describe would have to involve a nationwide, or at least vast regional, extended power outage. But the scenario you lay out for us involves a city or small region and escalates in ways that history has shown us don’t really happen.
Remember the asian tsunami? That was a major blow to infrastructure, but aside from the catastrophic destruction and loss of life during and in the immediate aftermath of the crisis, people remained relatively calm, help was delivered and doomsday did not occur.
There would literally have to be a continent-wide or world-wide failure for your scenario to be plausible. And if that’s the case, then no amount of preparation will be sufficient. Better be sure you have a gun and a knife to kill the Walkers in that case.
^^^^ More to that point. Here, from the article-
RAVPower 15W Solar Charger with Dual USB Ports: This compact, three panel, solar charger will charge two devices at once, including tablets, smartphones, Kindles, and even AA/AAA battery chargers. Value priced at about $50.
WTF!!!!!! If all power went out, the cell phone towers would no longer be operating, so WHO CARES if you can recharge your Kindle, tablet, or smartphone!?!?!?!
What utter nonsense.
yep
If have not printed out all of the survival information on your computer, recharging it could make a big difference. Note to self; Print out the damn information.
How to make soap.
How to preserve meat with salt.
Knots you need to know.
Edible plants.
Medicinal plants.
Quilting
Food Storage
Water safety
How to sharpen a knife
How to sew.
etc.
The question is, if we have an EMP attack, will all the parts of a solar charging system still work? If not what parts?
Do you have water stored for emergencies? Is it enough? What about food? How many meals can you make without making a store run?
Have you gotten professional training with firearms.
How much ammo do you have on hand? Do you have enough to supply a neighborhood watch if needed?
Have you prepared mentally for the hard decisions you will have to make?
This is a valid concern that is getting more and more media coverage. Ultimately, we all need to be prepared to protect ourselves and our families for interruptions in electrical service. Such interruptions could occur from a host of reasons; EMP, cyber attack, solar activity (CME) or the more likely source, storms. For families that rely on a well for their water, lack of electrical service is a serious problem since well pumps won’t work without power. However, there is a backup tool available that allows water to be drawn from a well without power and without having to remove the pump called the Emergency Well Tube (www.emergencywelltube.com). Hopefully none of us ever experiences a worst case scenario to need a tool like this, but it’s a good idea to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
Good read. But we shouldnt trust anything coming out of nasa mouth
I die’ I have about 1 months supply of insulin and 2 weeks supply of other medication.So a banking crash EMP attack or lights out then I’m on borrowed time.
The only issue I have with this article is that the author is assuming generators and cars will still function. If the outage is due to an EMP, most if not all cars manufactured after 1975 wont run not will most generator since they have electronic controls. Concerning the comment left by JohnSMith2016, all I can say is that remember New Orleans during Katrina. You CANNOT compare an American crisis to one that occurred in another country. Americans have grown complacent and spoiled and we witnessed the depravity of what can be expected when Katrina ravaged New Orleans. People act differently once they realize the police won’t be coming to look for them. Crime will be the rule of the day and it will be every man for himself. All I can say is accept Jesus now and if you’re already a born again Christian, repent and seek Him fervently.
jesus does not care if you repent–he already died for everybody–yeah i know–you arrogant,holier than thou christians think your the only ones–i used to be one til god open my eyes–you know the phrase…its for you guys–but you will get in too even though you are the most judge mental jerks on the planet,right up there with the taliban..when you make it to heaven i am going to be in charge of kicking your asses for being such idiots…
Peace and quiet….lol.
Peace and quiet…