HAVING RECENTLY MADE A PHYSICAL RELOCATION AND ENCOUNTERED SEVERAL MAJOR INCIDENTS THAT DETRACTED FROM A SMOOTH TRANSITION, I LEARNED JUST HOW PREPARED I WAS FOR A COMPLETE SHUTOFF OF ALL THE 'CIVILIZED' SERVICES THAT WE ALL ASSUME WILL BE AVAILABLE.
ONE OF THE PEOPLE NECESSARY FOR MOVING MY EQUIPMENT HAD AN EMERGENCY SURGERY WHICH STOPPED EVERYTHING.
THEN, AN EARLIER THAN USUAL, AND HEAVY, SNOWSTORM HIT AND HAS LEFT ABOUT THREE FEET OF SNOW EVERYWHERE WHICH IS NOW TURNING TO PACKED SNOW AND ICE MAKING ALL MOVEMENT VERY DIFFICULT.
WE HAD A FOUR HOUR POWER OUTAGE AT 4AM JUST TWO DAYS AGO. MY ELECTRIC BLANKET STOPPED WORKING BUT I HAD PROPANE HEAT. IF IT HAD CONTINUED I COULD HAVE PUT MY PERISHABLE FOOD OUTDOORS IN THE SNOW.
I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT ALL OF YOU RUN A PRACTICE SCENARIO FOR AT LEAST ONE WEEKEND WHERE YOU SHUT OFF YOUR ELECTRICITY, WATER, AND NATURAL GAS FOR TWO DAYS.
THIS WILL IMMEDIATELY SHOW YOU WHAT TOOLS YOU NEED TO PROVIDE ALL THE THINGS YOU TAKE FOR GRANTED.
YOU MAY LEAVE YOUR REFRIGERATOR AND FREEZER SUPPLIED WITH ELECTRICITY, BUT SHOULD TAKE OUT WHAT FOODS YOU THINK YOU WILL NEED FOR THE TWO DAYS AND STORE THEM OUTSIDE THE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE.
YOU MUST NOT USE ELECTRICITY OR NATURAL GAS FOR HEATING OR COOKING UNLESS THE ELECTRICITY IS PRODUCED BY YOUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM OR SOME OTHER FORM OF 'SELF-PRODUCED' ELECTRICITY (WIND POWER, SOLAR, HUMAN POWERED GENERATOR, ETC.).
IF YOU HAVE A GENERATOR, YOU CAN ONLY USE WHAT FUELS YOU HAVE ALREADY STORED FOR THAT PURPOSE. BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT STORED GASOLINE AND DIESEL FUEL AS IT GOES BAD AFTER ONLY A SHORT TIME AND WILL FOUL CARBURETORS WHICH WILL REQUIRE TAKING THEM APART AND CLEANING THEM, LABOR YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IF YOU CAN PREVENT IT.
I WOULD NOT TRUST STORED GASOLINE MORE THAN THREE MONTHS, ESPECIALLY IF IT IS MIXED WITH ETHANOL.
YOU MAY ONLY STAY IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE WORLD BY BATTERY POWERED RADIO, TV, ETC. IF YOU HAVE A CB, OR HAM RADIO, YOU CAN ONLY USE THEM IN BATTERY POWERED MODE.
I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU LEAVE YOUR TV TURNED OFF FOR THE DURATION OF THE EXERCISE TO SIMULATE THE LOSS OF INFORMATION OR TIME FILLING ENTERTAINMENT. YOU WILL QUICKLY SEE WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR 'EXTRA' TIME.
CELL PHONES MUST BE SHUT OFF. THEIR POWER SHOULD BE RESERVED FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY. CONSIDER THAT THEY MAY BE USELESS OR ALL CIRCUITS BUSY IN A MAJOR CATASTROPE.
WATER HAS TO BE OBTAINED OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE'S INDOOR PLUMBING. THIS MEANS YOU HAVE TO GET THE WATER OUTSIDE AND CARRY IT IN.
THINK ABOUT WATER PURIFICATION IF YOU ARE NOT ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE THAT IT IS NOT CONTAMINATED.
NOTICE WHAT TYPE OF CONTAINERS YOU HAVE. I SUGGEST FIVE GALLON CONTAINERS WITH SPOUTS FOR DISPENSING THE WATER OVER YOUR SINK.
BATHING CAN ONLY BE DONE WITH THIS WATER. I SUGGEST 'SPIT' BATHS, BUT IF YOU WANT TO HEAT THE WATER USING PROPANE TO TAKE A TUB BATH, YOU WILL LEARN MUCH.
NO SHOWERS UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME TYPE OF 'CAMPING' TYPE SHOWER THAT YOU CAN HANG IN YOUR BATHTUB/SHOWER.
COOKING CAN ONLY BE DONE WITH PROPANE OR WOOD FIRE OR A PROPANE OR BRIQUET BARBQUE.
TOILETS CAN ONLY BE FLUSHED WITH WATER YOU BRING INTO THE HOUSE FROM OUTSIDE, SO TURN OFF YOUR WATER SUPPLY TO THE TOILET.
YOU CAN ASSUME THAT DISPOSAL OF TRASH BY GARBAGE TRUCKS IS NOT AVAILABLE, SO NOTICE HOW MUCH TRASH YOU PRODUCE, AND WHAT KIND IT IS, AND ASSUME YOU WILL NO LONGER HAVE A TRASH PICKUP SERVICE.
IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN OF ANY AGE, THEY MAY NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE OR IT'S SURROUNDING PROPERTY DURING THE EXERCISE EXCEPT TO OBTAIN NEEDED SUPPLIES FROM THE IMMEDIATE AREA SURROUNDING THE RESIDENCE.
FOR CITY DWELLERS, YOU MAY NOT LEAVE YOUR APARTMENT BUILDINGS, OR YOUR HOUSES.
FOR COUNTRY DWELLERS, YOU MAY EXPLORE YOU OWN LAND, BUT NOT THAT OF OTHER PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS.
ONLY IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT STATE, OR FEDERAL FOREST LAND IF PERMITTED, OBEYING ALL LAWS ABOUT REMOVING WOOD OR OTHER NATURAL SUBSTANCES. ESPECIALLY OBEYING ALL HUNTING LAWS (FOR NOW!)
DO NOT LET THE CHILDREN'S COMPLAINTS DISSUADE YOU FROM THIS EXERCISE.
IF THE OLDER CHILDREN LEAVE THE HOUSE IN REVOLT. DO NOT LET THEM COME BACK UNTIL THE EXERCISE IS THROUGH. YOU MAY WANT TO NOTIFY THE LOCAL POLICE OF YOUR EXERCISE IF YOU HAVE PARTICULARLY REBELLIOUS CHILDREN TO PREVENT THEM FROM ACCUSING YOU OF CHILD ABUSE.
DO THIS BEFORE THE EXERCISE BEGINS TO KNOW HOW THE POLICE WOULD TREAT THE SITUATION. BE SURE TO GET CONFIRMATION FROM A HIGH LEVEL POLICE OFFICIAL...NOT JUST SOME RANK AND FILE OFFICER.
IN A 'REAL' SCENARIO, YOUR CHILDREN WILL NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND HOW TO ACT, AND THAT THERE WILL BE NO ESCAPE FROM THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
YOU ARE NOT BEING 'CRUEL' TO THEM. YOU ARE PREPARING THEM FOR THE INEVITABLE OUTAGES THAT WILL OCCUR EVEN IN THE BEST OF TIMES.
HERE IN IDAHO, WE HAVE HAD ICE STORMS THAT LASTED FOR WEEKS (1996) AND KNOCKED OUT POWER FOR DAYS. EARTHQUAKES, TORNADOES, ETC ARE COMMONPLACE EVENTS.
YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO SURVIVE WITHOUT THE HOPE OF ANYONE ELSE COMING TO YOUR RESCUE.
THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH FOOD YOU HAVE STORED.
THINK ABOUT HOW TO WASH YOUR CLOTHES AS YOU SOIL THEM.
DO THIS EXERCISE AND DO IT NOW, BEFORE IT IS THE REAL THING AND YOU FIND OUT YOU ARE UNPREPARED.
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