Watching the Movie Blackout - What Would You Do If The Power Grid Is Off For A Week? With the power off this long petrol pumps stop pumping, UPS power for cell phone towers runs out, traffic gridlocks, ATMs don't dispense cash, freezers defrost, crime spirals after dark, in many places water and sewerage stop pumping, TV's don't work, etc. Basically civilisation reverses. Gridlocked traffic also means that diesel and fuel supplies often can't reach where they need to be, and ambulances cannot get through the traffic to emergencies. Ironically 3rd world countries with dicey power may be better prepared than countries used to having their power on. Here in South Africa our grid load shedding of two years ago prepared us quite well with backup power installed for most businesses, traffic lights, hospitals, and many homes. Without a working TV, radio (do you still have a battery powered radio?), or computer, all our gadgets are basically useless. It's certainly worth thinking about what basic preparations one can make without going overboard: 1. Keep a large bottle of clean drinking water at home, with sufficient tinned food for a few days. 2. Make sure you have a working battery powered radio. 3. Small solar panels are useful to charge phones and provide light at night. Modern LED lamps will burn for days and sometimes weeks at a time. 4. Keep an amount of cash in a safe place. 5. Have a small gas stove (with a means to light it) to cook and heat water on (like a camping stove). 6. Have keys to bypass electric gates and garage doors that no longer operate. Anyone have any other practical suggestions that are not very expensive? Watch the (ficticious) movie at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqhf7ORdEuM http://bit.ly/2kN5SfN
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