Are You Ready For A Blackout In Your Area? (Vanity - Poll)

Aug 15, 03 | SLB

[SLB]

How many FReepers feel they would be ready for a blackout right NOW? What do you do that makes you feel like you are or are not? How about personal safety.

[MineralMan]

No problem. We have blackouts every winter here. I keep a Coleman lantern (Propane) and a Coleman propane stove in the house at all times. We have one flashlight in every room, plus plenty of candles. We have wood heat, when needed.

Last year, the power was off one day for 6 hours. My wife and I entertained half the block, since the Coleman lantern looked like we had lights. I fired up the Coleman stove and made tacos for everyone. No problems.

Oh yeah, I also have a 5 KW gasoline generator, but I don't usually start it up unless power's going to be off for more than a few hours, and I use it just to power the refrigerator.

Power failures in small towns are no big deal.

[Conspiracy Guy]

I have mine firmly attached to the concrete with concrete fastners.

[I still care]

I live in Florida.

When I lived in NY, I actually loved blackouts. On Long Island (with the "go sit on the stoop" and strong neighborhood) mentality, everyone went outside and barbequed, and walked around the block. No tv, no radio, and people actually talked to one another. We didn't have a/c but we so rarely needed it anyway.

Here in Florida one night without air conditioning would finish me off.

[archy]

My neighbor, a anti-gun demoncRAT will "donate" anything else I might need. ;o)

Got any good recipies? Like muskrat or groundhog, they're more a pest than usual food source, better suited to feeding the hogs.

But in an emergency, there might be possibilities...and they do have a debt of social obligation to repay for the damage they've inflicted on society. It's amazing how the public sanity returns when the power goes out.

-archy-/-

[archy]

My cardboard box under the freeway overpass is power failure proof.

That's not at all the worst place to be when a tornado hits, either. When I'm on my motorcycle I try to keep track of how far I am from the nearest one during tornado season.

[archy]

I fell for Y2K hook line and sinker and I kept up the preps. I have everything still except the 300 gallons of water.

It was a great training exercise, treated more realistically by some than others.

[Delphinium]

I am ready. I live in a very rural area, have somewhat of a garden, lots of fruit trees , I live right on a river. I have candles, food storage, fishing poles,and nets, a wood stove, firewood, lots of guns, and a few bows for hunting, . Lots of deer attracted to my yard by my beautiful roses, etc, etc.

Only thing I would have wished I'd done was go to grocery store, and get all rigs fueled up. The refrigerator stuff would spoil anyway.

Think if the water supply? It takes electricity to get water from the wells even. What about from city water supplies?

We found out a few years ago during a flood that our town experienced how fast the grocery stores empty out of food. That was when every road out of this small town had washed out, or mud slid over it. The food was gone by noon.We can handle this kind of thing here in Idaho, but think about any big town, or city?

[Allegra]

I live in a hurricane-prone area, so I always have the necessary batteries, radio, drinking water, candles, canned goods, etc.

[discostu]

Yeah like they didn't get a chance to see it during the west coast black outs in the mid-90s, or the classic NY blackouts. These things happen. Not much blood though, terrorists like blood.

[nothingnew]

...so I would have to do a lot of fast drinking!!!!!!

Not to worry...I'll come over and help. I'm really fast.

FMCDH

[Eala]

Our power in Redmond is so flaky (brief interrupts) that every computer has a UPS. But it was amusing (after a fashion) that the blackout shut down all my employer's e-mail and MIS activities throughout the country... the servers are all in Ohio; there are no backup servers...

[Richard Kimball]

Whips, chains, dildoes, whistles, nose spray, flashlight and a book. Yep, I'm ready.

[archy]

I live in Montana. I have a generator and plenty of food, fuel, water and ammo. Any questions?

Close to a rail line or highway? If so, the possibility of a major HAZMAT disaster might well require your temporary relocation. I don't expect long-term snowstorm existance is any great hardship for you, but there've been a few recent wildfires out that way mismanaged to a fare-thee-well that could be good cause for considering a back-up location for a short stay, at least. No big deal, but it's a great chance to work in a visit either to deserving family or old friends. In general, I prefer to go with the latter.

-archy-/-

[jmc813]

Every Sunday, they refused to show the Dolphins home games. It sucked!

Dolphags suck. Go Jets.

[Styria]

Fire control toned out every department and told them to go to their respective stations. Ours was calling various eating establishments, getting all the food it could, and telling them it would pay them back later. I don't know how prepared my own home is for a large-scale power outage, but I do know that there's something for me to be doing elsewhere when it does happen.

[nothingnew]

BTW, our woodstove has saved the day (and night) many times over. Being in the rockies is an awesome place to be, both in the good and bad. I love it, and I love my woodstove.

FMCDH

[archy]

We live out in the boonies with electric co-op power that is frequently disabled by falling trees, etc.

Hey, free firewood! What a deal!

Nicer if you get a chance to season it first, but if it's winter and you need the heat, don't complain!

-archy-/-

[CarmelValleyite]

Lived in California since 1953 and have only experienced a few brief power outages, in the L.A. area. During the '94 Northridge quake we lost power in a few areas for about 4-5 days but that was it. The loss was sporadic, not widespread.

Other than that, in the past 20 years the only power lost was when some utility company was screwing around with the underground lines in the neighborhood.

[azhenfud]

Cauliforeignia started the blackout mess and the Northeast just HAD to get in on the trend. Copycats!!!

[Conspiracy Guy]

I lived in Kansas when I was in USAF. I rode my Hardly Daviston alot. Knew where every bridge, culvert, parking deck, deep ditch, etc in SE Kansas was located.