Are You Ready For a Complete Power Grid Blackout? - Ben Swann

[DamianTV]

http://benswann.com/are-you-ready-for-a-complete-power-grid-blackout/

NOT a quote from the article.

As some of you might have noticed, I took a break from the Forums for about a week. Burnout. Like watching more than 15 minutes of Alex Jones at a time. Or a whole cheesecake. Just overload. So I went out earlier with my gf and she starts pulling my typical routine. Usually she kind of blows me off. She is aware, but I think I overload her the same way as AJ overloads me. We wanted to go out and do something fun while we still have it, but when I went over and picked her up, she was a lot more stressed than normal. I had to find out what was going on. So she starts telling me how she isnt as worried about Syria as she is about the PLANNED 3 DAY BLACKOUT where purportedly, Martial Law will be declared. Then we start going back and forth trying to determine the credibility of said plan. Other things that came up were on how far "they" were willing to go. We both knew about kids getting Iris Scanned and RFID Chipped and that was Conditioning, the educational system is there to teach Obedience, the Missing Nukes and how at one point our own Govt planned to detonate one of them in a major metropolitan area, and since it is now apparent that the planned attack on Syria is falling apart due to lack of public support, they are turning their gaze again to the states. They are desparately looking for False Flags to Fly. She picked up on this one and I missed it. Good on her! Well, time to put my game face back on.

Lets talk Credibility. Ben Swann has earned the respect of most of the members of this forum. I started checking around my standard news sites, and of course, just come across this. If she tells me one of her friends said something, I dont buy it completely until I can validate the sources. And yeah, I dont always do that, lazy, human nature, bla bla bla. But when I came across this on Ben's site, well fuck me runnin'.

Many of their tactics have failed because we have been able to expose their plans before theyve happened. Much of this is thanks to true heroes like Edward Snowden who have made great personal sacrifices to protect the lives of the innocents. Syria is a Scam. Just posted a video debunking our govts supposed evidence on the Assad Regime being the ones that launched the Sarin Gas Attacks. We've done our work, we've spread the right information, and the Govt has lost the support of the Public and the Military in regards to any military action on Syria. We may have dodged a very very big bullet there, but we are not out of the woods.

Accordingly, the next plan is to "allow" a "hacker" to break in to the US Power Grid and shut down as much of the East Coast as they possibly can. During which time, there will probably be civil unrest in many areas, and due to the scope of the "Emergency", Martial Law will be declared. The next stage is to "go after the Enemy". Probably bypass Syria since that has failed, but it is still an option, and take out some of their other targets like Iran. We all know damn good and well that Iran has been the goal for many many years. And its thanks to people lik us on this very forum that Public Opinion has been heavily influenced.

tangent4ronpaul also just posted a Video Thread for Revolution: An Instruction Manual (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?428732-Revolution-An-Instruction-Manual)

I'll try to summarize

Step 1: Information
Step 2: Passive Resistance and Civil Disobedience
Step 3: Violence - Avoid at all possible costs.

Every active member of this forum is taking part in at least the First Step of a Revolution. Some of us have found it necessary to commit Civil Disobedience. I am quite guilty of this, especially when I have to deal with Corporations and their Idiot Employees. Hmm, I wonder if thats why I cant find a job. I dont think anyone will advocate Violence. And even Ghandi said that Passive Resistance does not mean you can not Defend Yourself. Just dont be the Aggressor.

By actively participating in Sharing of Information, you are now a Rebel! Of course, it depends on your point of view. How many of us are on the NO FLY / NO LEAVE THE COUNTRY Secret Blacklists which are not limited to the ones expressed? How many of us are there because we support the Principles that Ron Paul holds most dear? The goal of the Real Powers that be is nothing short of Absolute Tyranny, by ANY means necessary. So to combat the repeated attempts to impose their Tyrannical Will over the people, we must first understand who the Real Traitors of Humanity are. Until everyone understands who the real traitors are, revealing their next possible False Flag operation will have to suffice.

The Truth will set you Free.

But it is useless unless others know the Truth as well. Time to starts some brushfires in the minds of your friends.

[liberalnurse]

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?428351-FBI-calls-half-of-populace-with-9-11-doubts-potential-terrorists

Drill to take place Nov. 13 & 14.

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2013/0...us-government/


Power grid vulnerabilities are finally garnering some attention by government officials.

An electrical grid joint drill simulation is being planned in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Thousands of utility workers, FBI agents, anti-terrorism experts, governmental agencies, and more than 150 private businesses are involved in the November power grid drill.

The downed power grid simulation will reportedly focus on both physical and cyber attacks. The antiquated electrical system in the United States has been one of the most neglected pieces of integral infrastructure.
The EMP Commission, created by Congress, released a report in 2008 calling for increased planning and testing, and a stockpiling of needed repair items.

The SHIELD Act, which is stalled in Congress, is the first serious piece of legislation in many years to attempt to address the vulnerabilities of the power grid in. As previously reported by Off The Grid News, a recent American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) report gave the power grid a “D+” when grading various pieces of infrastructure and public services in the United States.

The disaster drill is being described as a crisis practice unlike anything the real power grid has ever experienced. The GridEX II drill Nov. 13-14 will focus primarily on how governments will react if the electrical grid fails and, for instance, the food supply chain collapses.

:(

[DamianTV]

Oh.

And I guess the drill where some planes flew into buildings on the same day that planes flew into buildings was just a coincidence?

Point being dont think that these warmongers wont try anything that they think they can get away with. Personally, I still question the validity of a planned attack statement, but as you quotes, theres no mention of that in there. People are just putting two and two together.

[TonySutton]

I already lived through the power outage in the Northeast in 2003. This was a major catalyst in why I started keeping a certain amount of cash in my pocket and also locked away in my home.

[Barrex]

I already lived through the power outage in the Northeast in 2003. This was a major catalyst in why I started keeping a certain amount of cash in my pocket and also locked away in my home.

Withour your adress this information is completely useless to me.

[EBounding]

I already lived through the power outage in the Northeast in 2003. This was a major catalyst in why I started keeping a certain amount of cash in my pocket and also locked away in my home.


The freeways were jammed that weekend with people trying to drive 70 miles away to get gas. A lot of people had to turn around. That's why I always keep half a tank of gas now too.

But it's amazing that people still rely on their credit cards and carry little to no cash. And a blackout isn't the only reason to keep cash anymore. There's going to come a day where your withdrawals are going to be "rationed". It's already here with ATM restrictions and the need to file paperwork for $10K+ withdrawals. Plus, what if the IRS "accidentally" debits everything in your account? Even if it's a mistake, should do we really believe they'll promptly correct it?

[Uriel999]

3 days! LOL, back home during Opal we went 3 weeks before power was restored. A few days won't be a big deal.

[Christian Liberty]

I dont think anyone will advocate Violence.

Not here, at any rate.

I certainly don't advocate aggressive violence, but we should be ready for the inevitable day they force us to defend ourselves.

[69360]

3 days? Meh, life would go on as usual here. Even 3 weeks wouldn't really be a big deal.

[donnay]

3 days? Meh, life would go on as usual here. Even 3 weeks wouldn't really be a big deal.

3 days nothing...what if it was a EMP strike, or a major solar flare? Are you prepared for a Jericho-type scenario?


Most people don’t realize how important the grid is to almost everything in today’s world. We take these things for granted, unfortunately.

[liberalnurse]

The antiquated electrical system in the United States has been one of the most neglected pieces of integral infrastructure.

And why do you think that is? :mad: We give billions to other countries but can't update our grid. Bullshit.


3 days nothing...what if it was a EMP strike, or a major solar flare? Are you prepared for a Jericho-type scenario?


Most people don’t realize how important the grid is to almost everything in today’s world. We take these things for granted, unfortunately.

+rep

[tod evans]

3 days nothing...what if it was a EMP strike, or a major solar flare? Are you prepared for a Jericho-type scenario?


Yup!:D

[ClydeCoulter]

Why does anyone put critical infrastructure and data on the internet? I don't even connect my CNC computer to the internet (or even a local net).

[Constitutional Paulicy]

All I can say is if I'm without my internet connection I'm lost. Lol. :o

[HOLLYWOOD]

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?428351-FBI-calls-half-of-populace-with-9-11-doubts-potential-terrorists

Drill to take place Nov. 13 & 14.

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2013/0...us-government/


Power grid vulnerabilities are finally garnering some attention by government officials.

An electrical grid joint drill simulation is being planned in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Thousands of utility workers, FBI agents, anti-terrorism experts, governmental agencies, and more than 150 private businesses are involved in the November power grid drill.

The downed power grid simulation will reportedly focus on both physical and cyber attacks. The antiquated electrical system in the United States has been one of the most neglected pieces of integral infrastructure.
The EMP Commission, created by Congress, released a report in 2008 calling for increased planning and testing, and a stockpiling of needed repair items.

The SHIELD Act, which is stalled in Congress, is the first serious piece of legislation in many years to attempt to address the vulnerabilities of the power grid in. As previously reported by Off The Grid News, a recent American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) report gave the power grid a “D+” when grading various pieces of infrastructure and public services in the United States.

The disaster drill is being described as a crisis practice unlike anything the real power grid has ever experienced. The GridEX II drill Nov. 13-14 will focus primarily on how governments will react if the electrical grid fails and, for instance, the food supply chain collapses.

:(Never forget the Washington DC lobbies... lobbying for huge sums of taxpayer cash for contracts to "fortify" all electronic/electrical infrastructure across multiple industries. This is billions in funds for those government contractors and campaign donations for the prostitutes inside DC beltway. This may also be for the possibility of an Sun's CME event too.


My opinion, watch the politicians/elitists, to see what they do... see who leaves town, moves out of area/region, or preps to stick it out for the test and following duration of mayhem. That will let you know who's on the inside, being informed and taken care of, in causing any "inconvenience".

[Danke]

http://www.ready.gov/citizen-corps

[tod evans]

All I can say is if I'm without my internet connection I'm lost. Lol. :o

I'd get a hell of a lot more done w/o internet...

[JK/SEA]

yes.

[ClydeCoulter]

I'd get a hell of a lot more done w/o internet...

You and me, both. :)

[thoughtomator]

Like watching more than 15 minutes of Alex Jones at a time.

I always start to hallucinate by minute seven...

[69360]

3 days nothing...what if it was a EMP strike, or a major solar flare? Are you prepared for a Jericho-type scenario?


Most people don’t realize how important the grid is to almost everything in today’s world. We take these things for granted, unfortunately.

I'd be fine yeah. I don't live in a city. Plenty of wood for heat, farmers for food and I have a truck that is old enough to be emp proof.

[donnay]

I'd be fine yeah. I don't live in a city. Plenty of wood for heat, farmers for food and I have a truck that is old enough to be emp proof.


Good for you. I hope you have guns and ammo to protect what you have.

[Miss Annie]

Anyone heard of all the strange preparations ( for what is anyone's guess ) going on with Fema for region 3? Look it up!

[HOLLYWOOD]

Anyone heard of all the strange preparations ( for what is anyone's guess ) going on with Fema for region 3? Look it up!Earliest I can fine is August 18th, 2013.

ALERT!... FEMA Region III... Is FEMA Preparing for 'Something' BIG?

Submitted by SadInAmerica on Sun, 08/18/2013 - 10:50pm. link: http://www.knowthelies.com/node/9301
(http://www.knowthelies.com/node/9301) http://knowthelies.com/files/images/2/map-fema-region3-districts.jpg

[Miss Annie]

I have been seeing more come out in bits here and there....... But haven't kept track of the links and videos.
http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/fema-preparing-major-event-region-iii/#

http://www.dailyunconstitutional.com/fema-preparing-for-something-major-in-region-3-while-nukes-transported-to-s-carolina/

[DamianTV]

I think we need to have a Thought Experiment.

Power Outages can occur for many reasons and vary in scope and duration. Lets start small then go bigger.

THe smallest power outage I could consider is one where the power is shut off because a person did not pay their bill. For the individual or family, no power means no power, but not necessarily no internet. Phone service is a different bill, and typically many people use smart phones to browse. Some Food might spoil, but water is still there, phone is still there, internet is still there. People can still put gasoline in their car if they have money to do so.

Next up on the scale would be some sort of small malfunction on the Power Grid. Usually very localized to only several houses. This would be as similar to the smallest case scenario as you can get. This would be the result of a blown transformer. Either by malfunction or damage from natural causes like a storm, or an idiot taking out a telephone pole.

Next up is a local power station. Not a central power station but a local one. It could affect many homes and small neighborhoods. Internet and cell service is not guaranteed in this situation because internet and cell phones require power, although there are backup systems in place for these services, they dont last forever. Also affected would be local gas stations. No power means no power to pump your gas with. Stores and supermarkets in the area would also be affected. Even during an extended blackout, this situation is not a worst case scenario as people can travel to where the power is still on to get gas and food and other necessities, but are not guaranteed to continue working long term.

A step up might be a city wide blackout. Now we are talking potential problems. The severity of the problems will be directly proportional to the duration of the blackout. If you have a city wide blackout for 10 seconds, no major problems arise. A couple of computers reboot, tv's turn off, people reconnect and continue with their business despite the momentary interruption. Now, taking this situation up to a couple of minutes and you'll start having more issues. One will be Traffic. Traffic Lights are also dependant on power. The longer the power is out, the more that Traffic Lights are off. People are expected to treat a malfunctioning Traffic Signal as a Stop Sign, but lets face it, there are a lot of dumb people who just think they have the right of way and do not bother to stop despite other people being at the light. You'll get several accidents but most notably congestion. Traffic Congestion during periods of heavy traffic hinders the ability of emergency services to be rendered to those in need. The emergency service providers have redundant backup systems so they'll be alright, for as long as those backup systems can provide power. Typically no internet and no phones once the backup systems for those systems start to run out of gas. They only provide backup power for internet and cell phones for short periods of time. Internet and Cell Service backups would last several minutes to several hours.

So in a city wide blackout, and we're talking relatively large area, a medium sized population, and with a duration of several weeks. Larger problems start to arise from scenarios like this. This would typically occur from a major storm. For the first couple of hours, people are inconvenienced. They are alright even with limited ammts of food and fuel in their cars. After several days, those supplies start to dwindle. They'll typically be alright by assistance provided by neighbors or non perishable goods. But several days is what it takes before people start to consider how to survive long term without power and find they are unprepared for such a situation. Panic Mindet is not commonplace, but is starting to enter everyones minds. This is survivable with neighboring cities providing assistance, provided they are able to do so.

Long term in a mid sized city is usually when additional supplies are brought in to supplement the needs of those in need. Most notably would be emergency medical care, food, water, and other necessities. There might be a slight uptick in crime where people steal their necessities, but is mostly averted by assistance from neighbors and neighboring communities. Many people consider leaving the area temporarily until power is restored.

Lets continue to escalate the severity of a Long Term Power Outage in this Thought Experiment. Major Metropolitan Area where neighboring cities are also affected. Typically a State of Emergency is declared. Imagine half of New York State without power for several weeks. We're talking major problems as people become desperate for essencials, they turn on each other. Looting and Scavenging become commonplace. People are strongly considering leaving the entire area until power can be restored. When Katrina hit, a lot of people were completely displaced from the State. Now other major services like water are affected. Sanitation, Garbage Removal, Local Emergency Services, Internet, TV including both Cable TV and Satellite based services unable to transmit their signals, small Fires can not be put out, damage to property through either natural disaster or human causation becomes more common. Transportation is severely comprimised. This is a very bad situation.

In order to effectively conclude this Thought Experiment, we have to move Sideways instead of trying to escalate to a Nationwide Several Month Power Outage. Instead, we're gonig to shift to a Nationwide 3 Day Power Outage. The several day power outage is the point where a few people start running into major problems but typically the rest are averted by the intervention of neighboring communities. When ALL of the Neighboring Communities are in the same situation, their backup plans for providing assistance to their neighbors becomes essencial to their own survival. No one is able to receive any assistance other than what their neighbors are willing to provide or they have stocked up on for themselves. Due to the lack of assistance, things escalate much more quickly because the resources provided by assistance are spread so thin. This is where people realize the severity of their situations. Emergency Services are provided only to those that most desparately need it, and even then, there is no guarantee that it can be provided. Looting and Scavenging become commonplace much more quickly. Cops and Military (National Guard) mostly ignore these smaller offenses due to being focused on the survival of entire communities as a whole.

There is very little Gasoline. Water is not guaranteed. Probably no internet, cell phone service. Land Lines, TV and Radio would typically be available from several hours to several days. A few people might be able to hear the Emergency Broadcast Service declare a State of Emergency, but most do not have power to the devices they need to hear it. Cell Phone batteries begin to die en Masse. The problems can be further agrivated depending on the time of year and weather. Those who are reliant on Natural Gas or Electricity will be unable to heat or cool their homes. Regionalized sections could be affected by Floods, but that wouldnt be able to take out the entire nation. It does put those communities into an even more desparate situation. Food supplies dwindle very quickly as Looting of local Stores and Supermarkets transpires. This problem is further aggravated by no replacement food being brought in. Anywhere. Some people start to go hungry, but Panic sets in like wildfire. Some people will assault other people in order to acquire necessities or just commit flat out theft because they can get away with it. Other people are dying off because of the lack of ability to provide Emergency Medical Services. Heat Stroke, Freezing to Death, Drowning from a Flood, all of these escalate the situation even further. The elevated risk does not directly affect everyone, but due to increases in looting, the people that were prepared for such a situation become targets for those who were unprepared. Those that prepared may feel that the time is right to keep their supplies for themselves and let everyone else tough it out. Those that are made to tough it out are not the only ones that panic. Some people turn on each other by resorting to sacrificing their morals in favor of survival. Total Panic and Total Chaos set in for an ever increasing number of people and they turn on those who are best suited to provide assistance. And this is only after a few days. Too many people have already turned on each other, and those who are prepared to survive for longer periods are now at the greatest risk.

The problems escalate so far and so fast that Martial Law is declared. The length of time it takes to declare Martial Law is influenced by many factors. Weather has a tremendous level of influence in this situation. But we can not control the weather, we can only react to it. What will have more influence than the Weather is how the people react, en Masse, all at once. The faster they panic, the faster they turn on each other. There are influencing factors on how quickly people panic. Expecting that power will be out nationwide for a specific period of time will cause most people to not go into a state of panic, depending on how long the power is expected to be out for. This also requires people be informed as to a Planned Event. For example, look at how many people were unprepared for when all TV stations turned off their Low Definition TV Signals permanently. We still had a good 10% of the population that were fully unaware that TV stations were replacing Low Definition with High Definition, and by doing so caused them to panic. They were uninformed.

Now lets talk Worst Case Scenario. The Power goes out. Permanently. Because people have no information, they panic much more quickly. The power grid is damaged in such a way that it would take literally YEARS to restore power. And this could very easily be a Natural Phenomenon. In 1859, we experienced this Worst Case Scenario. It was called the Carrington Event. A Coronal Mass Ejection hit the earth and fried nearly every bit of electronic equipment we had on the Planet. At the time, we were limited to having Telegraphs and very very few people were dependant on Electricity. The problems that were created by that were very limited in scope because although we had electricity, very few people were affected in any way shape or form by having a lack of electricity. But our society has become completely and hopelessly dependant on electricity for our entire way of life. If we had a situation like the Carrington Event today, you wouldnt even be able to Start your Car, even if it had a Full Tank of Gas. A CME that hits the earth would cause massive damage to every shred of electronic and computerized equipment on the Planet. The computer in your car: Fried beyond Repair. Cell Phone, I'd say put it in the Toaster, but your Toaster wouldnt work either. Refrigerator: Useless. Communication would completely cease. That includes Civil Services and Military. Cop cars wont start either because their chips are all fried. They cant communicate and neither can we. Electronic Medical Equipment does not function. Manufacturing Processes for Food shut down. Hell even Pacemakers could be affected depending on the power of the Coronal Mass Ejection. No Power means No Food, No Cars even with Gasoline, No Water, No Heat, No Communication, No Repair, period.

The problems are always amplified by other conditions. Our biggest problem is that as a result of our entire Manufacturing System shutting down entirely, we have no means or methods to create replacement parts. We cant even get our factories running again even if we could replace the damaged parts because Electricity is unavailable. If we ever experience another Carrington Event without being prepared for it, we go back to the REAL Carrington Event. We go back at least a Hundred Fifty Years. Every person who is unable to provide for themselves is at severe risk of Starvation. No Medical save a few drugs we have stockpiled, but those wont last a hundred years to rebuild the grid. People start dying off en Masse. And we are talking very high percentages of the Population of the World. The more dependant a population is on Power, the harder they are hit. We can not control the Weather. Even Global Warming has only influenced our weather, but lets face it, we can not control the Weather. If we can not control the Weather, we absolutely can not control the Sun, or when it decides its time to whack the earth with a CME. And CME's are a pretty regular natural phenomenon that we are completely unprepared for.

Unbelievably, a repeat occurence of the Carrington Event is NOT a Worst Case Scenario. My final goal was for the Worst Case Scenario, and the Carrington Event did not meet the qualifications as Worst. Bad? Yes. Worst? No. We can do worse.

We do not have the power to control the Sun. This goes two ways. First is that we can not Stop a Coronal Mass Ejection if it were to occur. The second is our Upside. We can NOT cause a Coronal Mass Ejection either, even if we wanted to. Hopefully. But, it isnt the CME itself that is the biggest threat. Our biggest threat comes from our utter dependance on the Power Grid. Think for a second of the TV Show Revolution. Now, what if one person had the ability to Damage the Power Grid as severely as the Carrington Event did. That person would have the ability to hold the world hostage. Dependancy on something makes people controllable to the point that they can be made to do practically anything, even things that are against their best moral judgement. Control with Dependancy also does not care who is in control, only that people respond to it. So if you have a person that has selfish desires that can only be satisfied at the expense of the innocent, you have an even bigger problem than the Carrington Event. You have all of the potential problems of a modern day Carrington Event but within the power of One Person to purposefully cause, at will.

This is a True Worst Case Scenario. The power to cause the Power to go out. It may require a Team Effort to accomplish, but at the very end, it is one person pressing just one button or key. A power so great that it is typically only given to the highest Puppets in Power. And even then, it is usually only reseved for One Person, and many many safeguards are in place against the Power of the President to push that Button. Due to the situation in Syria having the potential to erupt into WWIII, we should be well aware that someone is ready to push that button. The President and the Power of Nukes could only be matched by a person with the power to cause the Effects of a Modern Day Carrington Event. This may be a goal because Nukes damage the entire enviornment for everyone. Nuclear War would damage many modern cities to the point where some cities would not be left standing. A Modern Day Carrington Event implemented by control over the Power Grid would not cause such widespread damage. Most buildings would be left standing and the people uninjured directly by the event itself. In that situation, it is the People that would cause the majority of the Damage. The Planet would be spared from the long term effects of Thermonuclear War.

As a result of this, I believe that targetting a Power Grid would be more of a Goal than launching Nuclear Warheads. On 9/11 a lot of people died because of planes flying into buildings. That is not much different than launching Bombs at an Enemy Country. People die as a result. Taking out an entire countries Power Grid would cause Damage only by the People themselves bringing about the Damage themselves. It would probably be Politically Preferable because the People are not directly injured, but are indirectly injured. The other big problem with Nuclear Warheads is that they are pretty damn big and it gives you a target, and a good indication as to the Level of Destruction that can be caused by knowing the number of Nuclear Warheads a country has. Compare that to the Level of Damage attacking a Power Grid could cause. There are no Bombs to count, there are no real indicators as to the Level of Threat that a person with that kind of power can cause. There is not much equipment needed other than a computer. Imagine the Level of Damage that can be caused with no Bombs, no Military and no real way to know this kind of Enemy of Humanity. Imagine having the power of a Nuclear Warhead with nothing more than a Computer and a Keystroke. The power to hold the World Hostage.

Who might have this kind of power? The NSA? They probably have the ability. A team of hackers? Also a possibility. They might even be able to find a way to get in using the very same back doors that the NSA would have implemented so they can spy on their own people. And that puts the people the NSA is expected to protect at risk because of their Methods opening the way for someone else to have their same level of power. But it goes both ways. If the US wanted to launch an Attack on Iran, they may very well use the NSA to destroy their Power Grid. It gives them Plausible Deniability. There would not be any Military Action, but the Level of Devestation to any Country could easily be the same as a Military War.

It all depends on who is considered to be the Enemy and what their Objective is. If the Govt decided to make it a Goal to implement Martial Law because of what ever reason they cook up, they could easily target the US Power Grid itself. They wouldnt go for Total Devestation, they'd aim for Minimal Damage, but succeed in having a reason to Declare Martial Law. They could then easily point the finger at someone else. Iran, Syria, China, Russia, you name it. There are some very powerful opponents of the US in that list. It would be a lot easier to to cripple their ability to communicate and thus respond to a US Military Solution by first taking out say Russia's Power Grid.

The Power to take out the Power Grid is, by its very nature, a Weapon of Mass Destruction that doesnt show up on anyones radar, and all with the power of no hardware for added stealth, and just a single Keystroke.

[CaptUSA]

So much ignorance about this "grid"... Don't know where to start. Why even bother?

[Danke]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WvOm0qHyv8

[Mani]

I think we need to have a Thought Experiment.

Power Outages can occur for many reasons and vary in scope and duration. Lets start small then go bigger.

THe smallest power outage I could consider is one where the power is shut off because a person did not pay their bill. For the individual or family, no power means no power, but not necessarily no internet. Phone service is a different bill, and typically many people use smart phones to browse. Some Food might spoil, but water is still there, phone is still there, internet is still there. People can still put gasoline in their car if they have money to do so.

Next up on the scale would be some sort of small malfunction on the Power Grid. Usually very localized to only several houses. This would be as similar to the smallest case scenario as you can get. This would be the result of a blown transformer. Either by malfunction or damage from natural causes like a storm, or an idiot taking out a telephone pole.

Next up is a local power station. Not a central power station but a local one. It could affect many homes and small neighborhoods. Internet and cell service is not guaranteed in this situation because internet and cell phones require power, although there are backup systems in place for these services, they dont last forever. Also affected would be local gas stations. No power means no power to pump your gas with. Stores and supermarkets in the area would also be affected. Even during an extended blackout, this situation is not a worst case scenario as people can travel to where the power is still on to get gas and food and other necessities, but are not guaranteed to continue working long term.

A step up might be a city wide blackout. Now we are talking potential problems. The severity of the problems will be directly proportional to the duration of the blackout. If you have a city wide blackout for 10 seconds, no major problems arise. A couple of computers reboot, tv's turn off, people reconnect and continue with their business despite the momentary interruption. Now, taking this situation up to a couple of minutes and you'll start having more issues. One will be Traffic. Traffic Lights are also dependant on power. The longer the power is out, the more that Traffic Lights are off. People are expected to treat a malfunctioning Traffic Signal as a Stop Sign, but lets face it, there are a lot of dumb people who just think they have the right of way and do not bother to stop despite other people being at the light. You'll get several accidents but most notably congestion. Traffic Congestion during periods of heavy traffic hinders the ability of emergency services to be rendered to those in need. The emergency service providers have redundant backup systems so they'll be alright, for as long as those backup systems can provide power. Typically no internet and no phones once the backup systems for those systems start to run out of gas. They only provide backup power for internet and cell phones for short periods of time. Internet and Cell Service backups would last several minutes to several hours.

So in a city wide blackout, and we're talking relatively large area, a medium sized population, and with a duration of several weeks. Larger problems start to arise from scenarios like this. This would typically occur from a major storm. For the first couple of hours, people are inconvenienced. They are alright even with limited ammts of food and fuel in their cars. After several days, those supplies start to dwindle. They'll typically be alright by assistance provided by neighbors or non perishable goods. But several days is what it takes before people start to consider how to survive long term without power and find they are unprepared for such a situation. Panic Mindet is not commonplace, but is starting to enter everyones minds. This is survivable with neighboring cities providing assistance, provided they are able to do so.

Long term in a mid sized city is usually when additional supplies are brought in to supplement the needs of those in need. Most notably would be emergency medical care, food, water, and other necessities. There might be a slight uptick in crime where people steal their necessities, but is mostly averted by assistance from neighbors and neighboring communities. Many people consider leaving the area temporarily until power is restored.



I've experienced the city wide blackout several times, living in Hurricane Alley South Florida.

It's not a fun experience, quite miserable actually. Thankfully for the most part the it was only 1 or 2 days. Some people lost power for a week, a few lost power for weeks.

The cellphone towers have backup batteries that last 6-12 hours. On busy intersections they have a couple of cops helping with traffic. The smaller intersections just go through carefully. You treat it like a stop sign but there's assholes or idiots that don't know better.

A FEW of the stores/restaurants/gas stations have generators, and are powered. BUT YOU NEED CASH. The funniest thing is I remember a fast food joint had power and 200 people showed up, and the manager is freaking out, because the prices are all $3.99 and all those weird amounts, and only enough power, to power up SOME of the kitchen, and How the FUCK to you calculate SALES TAX???

Finally after a while of asking his cashiers to take 5 minutes to make one transaction he got smart. He wrote down on a paper with a sign and taped it up high:

Hamburger $5, chicken strips $4 fish sandwich $5. *BOOM* line started moving. Fuck sales tax,and fuck the rest of the menu, keep the basics and that's it.

The lines at the gas station are EVEN WORSE. Before and AFTER the storm. People are angry and honking and ready to kill each other. They are waiting sometimes an hour or two in line to get gas. Remember there's only a couple of gas station owners smart enough to have a generator, so they had lines a mile long. (Which is why I would fill up all the cars, and even 4-5 plastic containers, 2-3 days in advance).

I finally got a generator and as murphy's law would predict, no more storms after that. I had a feeling that would happen, which is why I bought a cheap one that would only power a few things. Mainly you want the fridge a couple fans or if you have a big one the fridge and water heater. Those ice cold showers in the pitch black bathroom are tough. You also learned how to flush a toilet by dumping a bucket of water, so I used to keep both tubs in the house full of water during the storm.

My neighbor was cool, he let me use his fridge so I could save a few important stuff. he had a fair sized generator The rest of the time we just grilled the food that's thawing out. But you needed to get the gas cans before the storm, after good luck. And I always stocked up on the canned stuff and plenty of bottled war.

I also used to crank up the A/C to absolute FREEZING temperatures in my room during the storm, so that at least 1 room in the house would stay cool before that god awful humidity starts to wear you down. If I was a good door Nazi, I could keep the room at pleasant temperature even 10+ hours after the storm. It would be the sanctuary room.

So besides loading up on tons canned goods, tons of bottled water, tubs full of water, gas grill with two to three canisters, cars full of gas with 4-5 extra spare gallons, tons of batteries for flashlights or other electronics like a radio or whatever, (filled up the coolers with as much as as possible before the storm hits), a wad of cash to buy stuff....I was still probably OK for a few days. OK meaning not horribly inconvenienced, besides the terrible humidity...But a family of 4 goes through a lot of water and canned food taste like crap after a while. In terms of survival I'm probably still OK for a week to 10 days, unless we realize this is a long term problem and we are carefully rationing stuff.

For the most part the cities implemented a "curfew" just asking people to stay home after dark. There were relief centers where trucks full of water and ice showed up at a park or something. But I would hear stories you'd wait 2 hours in line to get 2 bags of ice and a 12pk of water and then by the third hour they ran out and there's still another couple hundred people in line. I never relied on the "assistance" I felt the lines were too painful.

The point is, even if you take SOME preparations, it wouldn't take long before things got out of control. And if it was long term, it would be pretty fucking easy to know who's a prepper. Those generators are friggin loud, you can hear them miles away. Just follow the sound and you will find it without too much difficulty. And if they have a generator they probably have cold water or good food or who knows what else. Now you need to be armed? I could see small neighbors defending each other. I was close to 2-3 of our neighbors we could support each other...But if it's a large mob...damn...

I wouldn't call myself a prepper, but maybe a short term prepper. I did enough to keep my family and myself comfortable for a few days, but long term....That's another story.

[MRK]

a recent American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) report gave the power grid a “D+” when grading various pieces of infrastructure and public services in the United States.

Of course the ASCE gave a grade of D+ to the power grid. What's the solution to the D+ grade? To hire the Society's members.

[Carson]

This kind of reminds me of being a kid.

Did the rest of you have a to-do list running for the times you might find yourself alone with the house all to yourself?:D

No power means no cameras and lots of other things. I'm sort of remember riots in the past just because the power went out.

Maybe they have new toys to play with and can't wait for an actual power outage. ?

[Mani]

During the storm we have hurricane shutters blocking all the windows so its literally pitch black inside the house for hours and hours. My favorite past time was reading a book by candle light, as we would hear debris crashing into the shutters every so often.


This kind of reminds me of being a kid.

Did the rest of you have a to-do list running for the times you might find yourself alone with the house all to yourself?:D

No power means no cameras and lots of other things. I'm sort of remember riots in the past just because the power went out.

Maybe they have new toys to play with and can't wait for an actual power outage. ?

[samforpaul]

I have a truck that is old enough to be emp proof.


How old does a vehicle need to be to be "emp proof"?
Thanks in advance to any replies.

[69360]

How old does a vehicle need to be to be "emp proof"?
Thanks in advance to any replies.

To be totally sure 60's to early 70's or older. Points and a carburetor.

If you have a later car with a carburetor and electronic ignition, just keep a points distributor around to swap in case of emp.

If you want to keep your more recent car running, you can buy a spare ecu and keep it in a faraday cage. This will work on most stuff from the 90's to early 2000's before they started getting too complex with multiple interconnected ecus running the whole car.

[Miss Annie]

I don't know about ya'll...... But I am heading for some candles and some TP. Running out of TP is NOT an option!
Anyone heard the new twist that there are supposed to be Chinese troops on the ground in Hawaii on Tuesday for this?

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/59113

http://freepatriot.org/2013/11/08/communist-chinese-troops-boots-on-the-ground-in-hawaii-next-tuesday/

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/58909

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2013/08/28/power-grid-down-drill-to-be-conducted-by-us-government/

http://politicalblindspot.com/blackout-why-havent-you-heard-of-the-gridex2-power-grid-failure-drill/

[Carson]

During the storm we have hurricane shutters blocking all the windows so its literally pitch black inside the house for hours and hours. My favorite past time was reading a book by candle light, as we would hear debris crashing into the shutters every so often.


That reminds me of listening to the re-runs (?) of the old radio shows in bed with the lights out. I can't remember what they were all about. I think mostly mystery's and scary stuff.

I don't know if you ever listened to any. They had a whole cast of people act out all of the sounds and stuff.

Recently a group re imagined, "The War of the World's" on Halloween. I'm thinking the station that aired it might even replay some of the old radio shows. I never really checked back.

http://kryptonradio.com/2013/10/26/this-halloween-war-of-the-worlds-reimagined/

[angelatc]

the manager is freaking out, because the prices are all $3.99 and all those weird amounts, and only enough power, to power up SOME of the kitchen, and How the FUCK to you calculate SALES TAX???

That last part there is just really sad.

[Danke]

I don't know about ya'll...... But I am heading for some candles and some TP. Running out of TP is NOT an option!
Anyone heard the new twist that there are supposed to be Chinese troops on the ground in Hawaii on Tuesday for this?

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/59113

http://freepatriot.org/2013/11/08/communist-chinese-troops-boots-on-the-ground-in-hawaii-next-tuesday/

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/58909

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2013/08/28/power-grid-down-drill-to-be-conducted-by-us-government/

http://politicalblindspot.com/blackout-why-havent-you-heard-of-the-gridex2-power-grid-failure-drill/

Amy can recommend a really good bidet so you don't need so much TP.

[FindLiberty]

...so you don't need so much TP. OK, that's an EZ fix and it will save a lot of $$ regarding that TP "bottom line"... Read/heed all warnings! Try this at your own risk and, of course check with your doctor first... Be careful and only take applicable doses of psyllium husk fiber FOR YOUR BODY! It's not expensive in bulk sized bags!. In my case, I Stir quickly and chug fast followed by drinking lots of H2O (FOR ME, I GRADUALLY WORKED UP TO A MAXIMUM OF ~3 level tbl spoons into ~6oz H20 with another ~12 oz of washdown H20 - twice per day - that's a total of 6 lvl tbl sp and 30+ oz water per day for MY "dose". YOU might need a lot less, be careful or you'll end up in a hospital or the morgue! More than you need to know, butt Poop floats and TP is clean, always, confirming proper dosage! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyllium_seed_husks
Psyllium seed husk are indigestible and are a source of soluble dietary fiber (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietary_fiber). They are used to relieve constipation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constipation), irritable bowel syndrome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irritable_bowel_syndrome), and diarrhea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diarrhea). They are also used as a regular dietary supplement (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietary_supplement) to improve and maintain regular GI transit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_gastrointestinal_tract#Transit_time). The inert bulk of the husks helps provide a constant volume of solid material irrespective of other aspects of the diet or any disease condition of the gut. Some recent research is also showing them to be promising in lowering cholesterol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholesterol) and controlling diabetes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes) BTW, TP may be worth more than gold at some point after TSHTF.

[amy31416]

Amy can recommend a really good bidet so you don't need so much TP.

This is true. Takes no electricity (unless you get fancy), soothing on the parts.

[oyarde]

Anyone heard of all the strange preparations ( for what is anyone's guess ) going on with Fema for region 3? Look it up!

Fema 3? Those are zombies :)

[wgadget]

//////:::::///////////

[Danke]

This is true. Takes no electricity (unless you get fancy), soothing on the parts.

Ya, I have a used one I'd send for just shipping cost. Needs a little work.

[Miss Annie]

Wow......... Thanks. I guess now I know what it really means to be the butt of the joke huh? ( Yea, pun intended ) :p

[Mani]

That last part there is just really sad.[/COLOR]


It was interesting to see...There are 200 hungry people in line who are overall miserable for losing all the normal 1st world comforts they are used to having...and seeing some kids and adult cashiers scratching their head trying to figure out sales tax...Probably not even sure how to place the order considering most of those electric cash registers are just pictures of menu items anyway. They were a mix of deer in headlights looks and kids looking like they were stuck taking a high school algebra test or something.

[bolil]

I'll find out when it comes to it and I find myself in a place that was sold as a night lit paradise, now in the blackest brand of darkness. I believe I will make it, hell I'll be shouting Ron Paul as I cross the border into the land previously known as Kentucky. If south east doesn't work, Ill go north into Wisconsin. Shit, if it hits the fan my one mission will be finding country folk of a similar turn of mind.

[FindLiberty]

This electric corn cob can still be used even after you cut off the power cord!
http://thetrashcollector.com/Novelties/NoveltyElectricToiletTissue.jpg

Unfortunately, this 2006 Idiocracy chair needs BOTH a power supply AND a water supply!
http://cdn2.holytaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/recliner-toilet-idiocracy.png

After TSHTF, even creature comforts may simply Tapir off and change our lifestyle forever...
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01395/Licking-baby-tapir_1395145i.jpg

[mrsat_98]

All good here unless the intertubez goes down.

[pcosmar]

It would be hard to pull off here. But this is an exception to the rule.
There is a non profit (Member owned) Electric Co-Op. and power is supplied by Hydroelectric.

They would have a hard time selling a total shutdown. We are our own "grid".

[Henry Rogue]

That last part there is just really sad.[/COLOR]
5.5% sales tax in my neck of the woods. sale 19.99 Sales tax .055 19.99 times .055 = 1.099 rounded up =1.10
:D Did I win your respect.

[angelatc]

This is true. Takes no electricity (unless you get fancy), soothing on the parts.

Having recently gone 3 days with no power, I now know you need a pump for the water.

[angelatc]

5.5% sales tax in my neck of the woods. sale 19.99 Sales tax .055 19.99 times .055 = 1.099 rounded up =1.10
:D Did I win your respect.


It only yours to lose.

I think most people who have run a register know what the post-tax total is anyway. After you ring it up about 100 times, it sinks in.

I think the bigger issue would be counting change. That is a lost art.

[pcosmar]

Having recently gone 3 days with no power, I now know you need a pump for the water.

I have a second well, and a bucket.

[Uriel999]

I recommend stocking up people even though this is more than likely a non event being prepared for an emergency is always good. If you think you have enough water, I assure you that you do not. If it is cold you still need just as much if not more water than when it is hot. You can forgo showers, and dig cat holes for going relieving yourself, but food preparation often uses lots of water and you will never even realize it until you must treat water as the precious resource it is.

[amy31416]

Having recently gone 3 days with no power, I now know you need a pump for the water.

Same here--I was just explaining for the typical household.

[oyarde]

It was interesting to see...There are 200 hungry people in line who are overall miserable for losing all the normal 1st world comforts they are used to having...and seeing some kids and adult cashiers scratching their head trying to figure out sales tax...Probably not even sure how to place the order considering most of those electric cash registers are just pictures of menu items anyway. They were a mix of deer in headlights looks and kids looking like they were stuck taking a high school algebra test or something. I did not like algebra, but power out means sales tax holiday ! :)