It's 7:30pm the LIGHTS GO OUT

[Diesel]

It's 7:30pm the LIGHTS GO OUT, No power. You pull into your driveway in your car and you hear on the radio that the Major regional power plant has been damaged and will be inoperable for atleast 2-3 weeks, could be even a month.

People mad dash for generators and fuel

Local big box is out of generators

Fuel Stations for 50 miles are shut down due to no power

GO

[PT945]

I have the bobcat 225 full all the time, so thats about 16 hours of power before a refill, the small genny will run 4 hours per tank. I only have 15 gallons of fuel stored at present time, I do however have a 13 gallon tank on the truck that stays full. so here is what im thinking.

hook up the bobcat to the fridge/freezer and run the genny only to maintain the temps of the fridge and freezer while Im stoking up the grill and smoker to start cooking some food, not alot of frozen foods, maybe a month worth .

[herbalpagan]

start the propane generator to keep the freezer/fridge going and to run the water pump. Start rationing the driving time a ibt more. Other than that, we're good to go!

[collector]

First we'd get the generator set up, although its usage would be limited due to limited fuel for the time alloted there would be more than enough to just use to operate our well to get some clean water and also to charge any batteries, we are well stocked on candles, matches in order to provide light in the dim hours, we have a woodstove and although there is not that much wood for it at the moment more could be obtained by harvesting a few trees, could operate a couple power tools with the generator for a long enough time to do this. We also have a propane grill and could cook over our outside pit using some old pine limbs we usually have sitting around, for food I admit our regular supply is quite week and would only last about a week but we do have chickens and would have ample supply of eggs and could slaughter some for meat. That should be about it in order to keep us going through.

[coxmw]

Solar panels are up and running the lights and the TV now, so fire up the generator to run the fridge and the freezer and the well.

[Echo2]

Go to the BOL for a month.....Wont be welding much w/o power.....

BOL will have power...food....etc....

How wide spread is the outage from AO?

[PT945]

Go to the BOL for a month.....Wont be welding much w/o power.....

BOL will have power...food....etc....

How wide spread is the outage from AO?

Oh well thanks. now I have another reason to consider getting a BOL Property.
That's actually a great reason to have BOL.

[Oscar Wilde]

Get the cook fire started ....

O.W.

[Omegaman]

Fire up our generator to run fridge, freezer and well pump and only run it as needed. Kerosene lamps and propane lamps used for light plus crank radio for news. Camp stove or propane grill used for cooking. House alarm switched to solar back up system. Cell phones and laptops charging on solar kits. I have plenty of gas, propane, K1 and diesel stored. Limit driving to wifes Subaru and I could bike to work. My work has a generator and a propane tank farm to run 1 month with no power and they have run up to two weeks on back up power. Since I live close by I would be one of the few to show up for work. It was freaky when we were the only thing open on the seacoast for two weeks and the only beacon of light in a pitch black town.

[maric]

Does anyone ever notice, when the electricity is out, how many times you walk into a room and try to flip the light switch out of habit? :) We have had the electricity go out on us, 2 times, where it was a significant amount of time. First, was in 08 for almost 2 weeks. Second this past winter (10degress out) for 3 days.

We would get the candles, and the flash lights/headlamps available. Make sure all the kids toys were out of the walk way (major catastrophe waiting there). Get a fire started, and get organized.

[hford]

We have no generator, so getting food ready would be our first order. Inventory our staples and preserved food, get a meal plan ready to conserve what we had. (which is pretty significant) Get to store asap to hopefully supplement what we have. If it's cold-outside goes the milk, lol. We have a wood smoker, so smoke our frozen meat before it ruins. I work only a few miles from home, so biking is fine for me, bit I can't imagine having the clinic open with no electricity. Getting your animals vaccinated would be at the end of folk's list. We have a wood stove and a well-so split more wood for fire and cooking, and rig up well so we can draw water from it. My husband has a way to do it. Get lots of cards and board games ready. :) Drag out my sewing/mending/craft projects. Clean guns, inventory ammo. Oh, fix horse fence so they don't bust through the hot wire that is no longer "hot", lol. Get camping gear out and make use of my lamps, flashlights, and cooking stuff. Make the most of it! :)

[Omegaman]

I know during any of our two - four week power outages there were no gas stations open and only one grocery store that had a generator and it was picked clean by day 3. Places like Home depot were only opened for the first day or two because their registers were on battery back up. People had to drive to the next state over to get supplies and that only worked if you had fuel in your car. One more little thing all transactions at any thing that was open were cash only and all of the banks were closed and no ATMs were open.

[Diesel]

Makes you think and re-assess your preps right? ;)

[Echo2]

Makes you think and re-assess your preps right? ;)

It gives you the opportunity to brainstorm a bit....but it'd be nice to have a bit more of the details...

how far from your AO....do they have power?

is the Gov't going to step in and bring in generator to run the local wally worlds?

will the gov't be shipping in fuel supply trucks?

this is things that they do....would they?....it goes to restoring order...

If you look at it as a "short term" thing....it changes my thoughts on it....because it will eventually get back to normal.....or you can migrate to somewhere that has normalcy....

I'm in Va....if you were to have said that the entire eastern US has had a major power outage....and there is no idea of when the power may be back on....that changes it a bit more....but migration is still a possibility....

Now...change the senario to....2/3s of the country is in total blackout.....no idea of when it's coming back.....that's a bit more interesting....and terrifying.

but go with an EMP "blink"....that's the EOTWAWKI that would blow....big time.

[bcauz3y]

First order of buisness is to go down to the police station, let them know that I have enough fuel to keep their cruisers running while they make alternate arrangements. Same with the FD.

Second order of business, is to drag the generator out and hook up the freezer and fridge. I figure I can run the freezer overnight and it will stay frozen through the day, same with the fridge.

We have enough preps for about 60 days (rough estimate) in the house.

I would probably go ahead and drive out of the region to fill up a few 55 gallon drums with fuel just in case.

I think that would hold us over.