Monday, August 22, 2016

Facts About When The Grid Goes Down

By Cynthia Wilson


A product of fragile human hands such as the grid is bound to breakdown. It cannot last for an eternity. Neither can it function seamless for decades. Definitely, there will be times of interruptions because of either human error or natural factors. Planning for when the grid goes down is a great step. It will help a family to survive terrible days without electricity. One needs to write down his plan and subsequently implement everything jotted down. With the right measures, survival is possible.

The supply of electricity reaches millions of homes and businesses from the transmission centers through the grid. This infrastructure also supplies natural gas. In addition, the movement of water from the pumping stations to the faucets happens through this system. Thus, it is a piece of infrastructure that serves vital roles. Its failure portends doom necessitating the need to prepare.

Failure of the grid in the past is proof enough that it can still fail in future. The main reason to anticipate future failure is poor maintenance of the entire system. Some parts of it have been neglected for years because of lack of enough federal funding. It seems, preventative maintenance is not the case but rather the personnel involved simply react to problems instead of preventing them in the first place.

An asteroid from space is enough to destroy part of the electric transmission system. Bodies of mass from outer space are a big threat. They can cause weeks of black outs. No one can prevent natural factors. Hurricanes and strong gale force winds usually cause power outages. Those who live in areas that are susceptible to natural catastrophes need to make the right arrangements.

Hacking is an imminent and persistent threat. It is not only affecting banks and corporate institutions. National intelligences have been stolen through hacking. This criminal activity can also cause the destruction of the grid. The computerization of everything puts crucial infrastructure at high risk. Citizens need to be aware of these unpreventable threats and carry out the necessary emergency preparedness measures.

Surviving will be very easy if there is enough heat and light in a house. Unfortunately, most families depend on electricity as their one and only source of energy. Electricity should be the primary source but there should also be a secondary source such as propane or kerosene. A heater that uses any of these fuels will come in handy.

A food crisis will set in after some weeks of a blackout. Food production depends on electricity. Therefore, a national outage will have undesirable consequences. Food distribution, transportation and refrigeration also largely depend on electricity. Off the grid refrigeration facilitated by propane will come in handy. One should stack away sufficient emergency food supplies. Of crucial importance is dry and canned food products.

The unexpected at times happen. Life is not always predictable. Blackouts usually happen without any warning. Grid failure is more serious than a simple blackout. It will greatly paralyze a nation and affect the daily conduct of life. The ensuing disaster will require survival skills. Those who will manage to survive are those individuals who will have the right supplies.




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