Crippling the US Without Firing a Shot: The Electrical Grid May Well Be The Next War’s Battlefield

SHTF Plan ^ | 7/17/14 | Chris Martenson

[Kartographer]

When the power goes out, everything just stops. For residential users, even a few hours begins to intrude heavily as melting freezers, dying cell phones, and the awkward realization that we don’t remember how to play board games nudge us out of our comfort zone.

However, those are just small inconveniences.

For industrial and other heavy users, the impact of even a relatively short outage can be expensive or even ghastly. Hospitals and people on life-assisting machinery are especially vulnerable. Without power, aluminum smelters face the prospect of the molten ore solidifying in the channels from which it must be laboriously removed before operations can be restarted.

Many types of nuclear power plants have to switch to back-up diesel generators to keep the cooling pumps running. And if those stop for any reason (like they run out of fuel), well, Fukushima gave us a sense of how bad things can get.

And of course banking stops, ATMs are useless, and gas stations cannot pump gas. Just ask the people of New Jersey in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

A blackout of a few hours results in an inconvenience for everyone and something to talk about.

[bgill]

The TX grid will be the first stop for those OTMs crossing the border.

[bgill]

Now is the time to go through the kids’ rooms to gather up all the misplaced game pieces and instructions. Print out the instructions from the internet while you can. Tape and repair the boxes and put the game pieces into ziploc bags. Sure, it’s bothersome and the kids may have outgrown them but you’ll be thankful when the time comes. Also, bag up those puzzles, too. 6” wide boards put up on the wall section behind doors makes for great shelves for books and takes up no space. That’s free entertainment you already have in the house.

When going through the kids’ rooms, and elsewhere around the house, don’t throw out their arts and crafts or other toys that could be repurposed for preps. Example - those old school backpacks can be used for bug out bags for those who can’t carry heavier loads.

[ConservativeMan55]

bttt

[Theophilus]

Here’s another thought: when it’s decided that we need culling to “lower the sea level” etc, some “tea party terrist” will come up with smallpox that’s been inadvertanly “overlooked” in a FDA cold storage for lo these many years...