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That obviously doesn't include your family because you don't have a rally point.
A technique I used in planning combat operations is Backwards Planning (intended to be used with other techniques). Where do you want to be? Okay, how do you get there, and work backwards to Time Point Zero.
Never assume family members will be with you when something happens and you need to be able to get them to safety. That means going to the rally point and then moving your family to the primary rally point with others.
Even if you have no family of your own, you should be assisting others and their families.
You will not survive alone and are likely to end up as food for someone else unless you're in a group of 60-120 people.
Our planned group has 2,565 people. Everyone of them has a line number on the TO&E.
Quote:
Originally Posted by considerforamoment
***If the grid goes down,....
The grid could be down for weeks, months, or years depending on the cause.
You must operate on the assumption that you may never know the cause. You will need to rely on AM Radio and also Short Wave Radio for whatever details might be available and always consider that early news reports are likely to be unreliable, and then weigh that against government justification for lying in order to avert wide-spread panic and chaos.
A group member is a Duke employee in a supervisory capacity and has an electrical engineering degree. He volunteered info and was interviewed at length. The transformer, main, sub, and switching (sometimes called relay) stations are a mix of technology from the 1920s to present depending on when the station was built. Think of it in terms of analog, transistor, digital, and microprocessor. Regardless, they are controlled by computer software much in the same way a cell-phone base station tower routes calls and collects data for billing purposes.
There is no showroom for those components. You can't go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy them. An analysis is required to assess the component failure which can take several days. It may be necessary to design a replacement component depending on the type of technology. That could take days or weeks even though the engineers will likely have what they need to do that (CAD programs etc) from generator-supplied electricity.
Then it has to be built which could take 12-24 months. Most components are made by Siemens and other Euro-companies. If the event also results in damage to transformers -- the things you see on telephone poles -- that's also a problem. Most power companies keep a half-dozen to dozen on hand in centrally located storage facilities as replaces for damage due to traffic accidents, storm damage, or failure. But, if all the transformers or large numbers need to be repaired, they take 6-12 months to make Would Duke send transformers to California? Probably not unless ordered by the government because they would need them in their own operating areas. It may or may not be possible to do a band-aid patch until there's a permanent fix.
Quote:
Originally Posted by considerforamoment
how do you pay your bills if all of your bills are online? (I don't get paper statements anymore). The worry is that I wouldn't be able to pay my mortgages and banks could then foreclose on properties. How do you work-around this?
If that's your primary concern, I don't think you have good odds of making it. For anything mid-to-long term, the various State legislatures or federal government will put a moratorium in place. Most likely it would require federal since mortgage lenders are governed by federal banking laws and are required as a matter of law to foreclose when 120 days past due (180 days for unsecured debts).
I don't suppose it occurred to you if you cannot pay bills online your mortgage lender cannot bill you, either, and wouldn't know if you paid it or not and without electricity, couldn't contact a law firm who couldn't write up the complaint without electricity to be filed in a court without electricity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by considerforamoment
***Food source - As it stands right now, I would be consuming beans and canned raviolis. I have no food growing skills (only flowers). I have limited sun on my property - am going to look into growing some fruit trees in pots (don't even know if that's a thing) - but that would only feed me in Spring and Summer.
Then you should abandon the property lest you become food for others after others take all the food you do have.
You might wanna consider networking to find like-minded people in your area.
Quote:
Originally Posted by considerforamoment
***Heat - I live in California, so no freezing weather - I have two very small generators but would have no idea how to hook anything up to my gas heater, which is behind a fake fireplace wall of glass. Guess I'd just have to bundle up and hope for the best.
A sweater is bundling up?
Quote:
Originally Posted by considerforamoment
***Hygiene - I'm a clean freak, ...
No groups would want you and they'd probably kick you out because they won't let precious water be used for silliness.
Quote:
Originally Posted by considerforamoment
***Communication - I live within walking distance of a library, so hopefully that would help with something. One of my grown kids lives a couple of miles away. I'm going to be writing down everyone's phone # (not sure why - someone suggested this would be helpful - I guess it could be if the other party has access to their phone).
If the grid goes down you will not have cell phone service or internet service.
Quote:
Originally Posted by considerforamoment
***WiFi: I would like to be educated on how to deal with the lack of this.
It's called AM Radio.
Quote:
Originally Posted by considerforamoment
***Cash: I have some, but don't know the amount that's recommended or where is best to store it (besides safe).
If the grid goes down for several weeks or longer cash will be irrelevant because there will be nothing to buy.
All the grocery and convenient stores will be sold out or have been looted already.
***If the grid goes down, how do you pay your bills if all of your bills are online? (I don't get paper statements anymore). The worry is that I wouldn't be able to pay my mortgages and banks could then foreclose on properties. How do you work-around this?
***Food source - As it stands right now, I would be consuming beans and canned raviolis. I have no food growing skills (only flowers). I have limited sun on my property - am going to look into growing some fruit trees in pots (don't even know if that's a thing) - but that would only feed me in Spring and Summer.
***Heat - I live in California, so no freezing weather - I have two very small generators but would have no idea how to hook anything up to my gas heater, which is behind a fake fireplace wall of glass. Guess I'd just have to bundle up and hope for the best.
***Hygiene - I'm a clean freak, so this one would be difficult. Wipes and dry shampoo. and I could light gas stove for hot water, but I don't trust myself to be safe in handling.
***Communication - I live within walking distance of a library, so hopefully that would help with something. One of my grown kids lives a couple of miles away. I'm going to be writing down everyone's phone # (not sure why - someone suggested this would be helpful - I guess it could be if the other party has access to their phone).
***WiFi: I would like to be educated on how to deal with the lack of this.
***Cash: I have some, but don't know the amount that's recommended or where is best to store it (besides safe).
They have a basic checklist and then you can tailor it to your specific needs. This is the time of year we get our totes ready for wildfire season. We place them in the garage and know where they go in the vehicles for a quick exit.
1. "Cash: I have some, but don't know the amount that's recommended or where is best to store it (besides safe)."
store $20's in the refrigerator or freezer (cold cash?). we put ours in empty Metamucil containers.
2. "What are the "others?""....water, for one. lots and lots and lots of it.
we have found that reused milk jugs are not for long-term storage, but 2-liter bottles are really sturdy.
Meanwhile, where do people get these can openers that break?
I use nothing but manual can openers, and have for 40 years.
I have worn a couple of them out (the little saw-toothed wheel, eventually, would not grip the can), but don't recall ever having one break.
Yeah, I was amazed when my can opener broke. I learned my lesson. The kitchenaid can openers are better built.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mircea
If the grid goes down for several weeks or longer cash will be irrelevant because there will be nothing to buy.
All the grocery and convenient stores will be sold out or have been looted already.
It's true, but for the first week or so, cash is king.
When our town lost power so did the local gas stations and the ATM. Our local Panera had a backup generator which made it the most popular place in town. Heat, food and the ability to charge cellphones. However, it was a cash only business. Never underestimate your need for cash.
Last edited by YorktownGal; 07-11-2023 at 07:28 AM..
For can openers, I usually use the one on my Swiss Army knife, but I do have one of the little cheapos that have the windup style handle but isn't the bigger one with the long handles, it's just a little blade that flips up when engaged with the can as you turn the handle.
I can say, I've never had one break on me although they can be a pain in the butt to get engaged sometimes.
One thing that's always valuable, disaster or not is skills. Learn first aid or how to fix things, that's something that will always have value no matter what the situation is.
I'd add learning some skills to my disaster checklist. I've had to patch myself up quite a few times and found that knowing how to clean and disinfect wounds and how to properly bandage them is very valuable, and how to stock a real first aid kit for practical use.
That obviously doesn't include your family because you don't have a rally point.
A technique I used in planning combat operations is Backwards Planning (intended to be used with other techniques). Where do you want to be? Okay, how do you get there, and work backwards to Time Point Zero.
Never assume family members will be with you when something happens and you need to be able to get them to safety. That means going to the rally point and then moving your family to the primary rally point with others.
Even if you have no family of your own, you should be assisting others and their families.
You will not survive alone and are likely to end up as food for someone else unless you're in a group of 60-120 people.
Our planned group has 2,565 people. Everyone of them has a line number on the TO&E.
The grid could be down for weeks, months, or years depending on the cause.
You must operate on the assumption that you may never know the cause. You will need to rely on AM Radio and also Short Wave Radio for whatever details might be available and always consider that early news reports are likely to be unreliable, and then weigh that against government justification for lying in order to avert wide-spread panic and chaos.
A group member is a Duke employee in a supervisory capacity and has an electrical engineering degree. He volunteered info and was interviewed at length. The transformer, main, sub, and switching (sometimes called relay) stations are a mix of technology from the 1920s to present depending on when the station was built. Think of it in terms of analog, transistor, digital, and microprocessor. Regardless, they are controlled by computer software much in the same way a cell-phone base station tower routes calls and collects data for billing purposes.
There is no showroom for those components. You can't go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy them. An analysis is required to assess the component failure which can take several days. It may be necessary to design a replacement component depending on the type of technology. That could take days or weeks even though the engineers will likely have what they need to do that (CAD programs etc) from generator-supplied electricity.
Then it has to be built which could take 12-24 months. Most components are made by Siemens and other Euro-companies. If the event also results in damage to transformers -- the things you see on telephone poles -- that's also a problem. Most power companies keep a half-dozen to dozen on hand in centrally located storage facilities as replaces for damage due to traffic accidents, storm damage, or failure. But, if all the transformers or large numbers need to be repaired, they take 6-12 months to make Would Duke send transformers to California? Probably not unless ordered by the government because they would need them in their own operating areas. It may or may not be possible to do a band-aid patch until there's a permanent fix.
If that's your primary concern, I don't think you have good odds of making it. For anything mid-to-long term, the various State legislatures or federal government will put a moratorium in place. Most likely it would require federal since mortgage lenders are governed by federal banking laws and are required as a matter of law to foreclose when 120 days past due (180 days for unsecured debts).
I don't suppose it occurred to you if you cannot pay bills online your mortgage lender cannot bill you, either, and wouldn't know if you paid it or not and without electricity, couldn't contact a law firm who couldn't write up the complaint without electricity to be filed in a court without electricity.
Then you should abandon the property lest you become food for others after others take all the food you do have.
You might wanna consider networking to find like-minded people in your area.
A sweater is bundling up?
No groups would want you and they'd probably kick you out because they won't let precious water be used for silliness.
If the grid goes down you will not have cell phone service or internet service.
It's called AM Radio.
If the grid goes down for several weeks or longer cash will be irrelevant because there will be nothing to buy.
All the grocery and convenient stores will be sold out or have been looted already.
If the only people left will be those with your attitude, I'm definitely better off dead.
And I think I said early on I realized I will probably not survive.
Just have to hope whatever happens wipes me out on the first strike.
I think the OP may have lost interest.
Meanwhile, where do people get these can openers that break?
I use nothing but manual can openers, and have for 40 years.
I have worn a couple of them out (the little saw-toothed wheel, eventually, would not grip the can), but don't recall ever having one break.
Quote:
Originally Posted by L00k4ward
You could open it with the knife: plunge into the top to make a slit; use a rocking motion.
In desperation people grind the lid on concrete or a solid rock
You obviously missed the point of my last post. My can openers are just fine, I was looking at something other people might need warned about, like some substandard brand on the market, that you shouldn't buy.
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