What would you do if the electrical grid went down?

Imagine life without electricity, cell phones, television, internet, technologically advanced medicine and machines in hospitals, etc.

Our key infrastructure, including the Internet and the power grid, is far more vulnerable than most people would dare to imagine. These days, most people simply take for granted that the lights will always be on and that the Internet will always function properly. But what if all that changed someday in the blink of an eye? According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s latest report, all it would take to plunge the entire nation into darkness for more than a year would be to knock out a transformer manufacturer and just 9 of our 55,000 electrical substations on a really hot summer day. The reality of the matter is that our power grid is in desperate need of updating, and there is very little or no physical security at most of these substations. If terrorists, or saboteurs, or special operations forces wanted to take down our power grid, it would not be very difficult.

From what I understand, if we were hit with a large enough solar flare, or coronal mass ejection, it could do the same thing.

theeconomiccollapseblog.com...

A repeat of the 1859 Carrington Event would devastate the modern world if it were to happen today.

What would you do if we lost everything modern and had to live like we were back in the 19th century?

a reply to: LSU0408

Well im in the sticks so we would be alright.

But all the city folks are gonna have it bad, because when they come for what we have out here.....their gonna have it really bad.

Us country folks can get by, I live in central Indiana, every winter we go without electricity for at least a week or 2 at a time most winters because of downed lines.

We know how to get by.

I often wonder how would anyone really know if it went down? What I mean is how many days would pass before anyone figured out what happened?

a reply to: LSU0408

Personally, I'd love it.

I'm rural enough that most crime won't be an issue. I'm an avid hunter and outdoorsman so that's covered. The hardest part will be life without ATS.

Three days to anarchy if the lights go out. The U.S. is probably the least protected of the modern nations regarding our electrical grid.

www.abovetopsecret.com...
www.abovetopsecret.com...
www.abovetopsecret.com...
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Sure doesn't seem to be a big priority for our government though.

ETA: What I'd do is kick on the wind generator and hope the food we grow in the summer lasts through the winter, Probably pick up some new skills and dust off some old ones right quick.

a reply to: forkedtongue

Yeah I'm on the outskirts of a small town in Northwest Louisiana. Population out here is 800 and I've got land to hunt, ponds to fish, and a garden down the road. I guess my biggest thorn would be poachers or people trying to fish in my ponds. Only other problem I'd have is that my house can't pull a breeze if its foundation depended on it so I'd have to improvise.

Hate to keep saying this, but read "One Second After". It's about an EMP strike, all power is gone and it describes how quickly we would loose our minds and society would break down. It's a bit frighteningly realistic, and you can see how it could happen.

I don't read, but I read this one twice. And I stock up on .22lr bullets now.

originally posted by: VincentVicious
I often wonder how would anyone really know if it went down? What I mean is how many days would pass before anyone figured out what happened?

Very good point. To most of us, it'd just be like a power surge and we'd be waiting to get our electricity restored.

I, personally, would welcome it. My partner and I have talked about this pretty extensively actually, because sometimes I get into these moods where I want us to move to a typical secluded cabin in the middle of no-where and live with nothing modern. Although, living in Australia, I suppose I'd be pretty miffed that I couldn't turn my air conditioning on. Ugh.

a reply to: KawRider9

So would I. I's feel for the elderly people in the cities and those that can't defend themselves against the gangs.

Yes, this is one of the hand-wringing OMG events that have more than a little chance of happening in our lifetimes... due to the variety of ways it could happen... either by way of the sun or people.

The precautions to safeguard the grid are known and not too expensive, considering the alternative... but the knowledge and will to do it are, obviously, lacking.

If (or rather when) this happens, other people's reactions would be far more worrying than the lack of electricity itself... and I imagine any number of nightmarish scenarios as a result of no communication or transportation.

The global network of food distribution would be gone... water pumps, too, would stop... so would all modern transportation... and no matter how fast or efficiently the grid was fixed, there would still be death and panic.

I'd hope that as awareness of this likelihood spreads, people would pressure their local government representatives to budget for these fixes... as it's one of the more preventable SHTF scenarios.

originally posted by: KawRider9
a reply to: LSU0408

Personally, I'd love it.

I'm rural enough that most crime won't be an issue. I'm an avid hunter and outdoorsman so that's covered. The hardest part will be life without ATS.

I agree, no internet would be the biggest hit for me.

a reply to: ~Lucidity

Yeah I was reading that. I'm really surprised that it's not more protected considering the damage to civilization that would occur.

a reply to: LSU0408

What would you do if the electrical grid went down?

You mean before or after I go into convulsions from internet withdrawal ?

Psychiatrist organizations should propose Electricity Withdrawal Disorder lol
On a serious note, I saw many people going crazy even after 5 min without electricity.
I'm one of them
But I wouldn't know to tell what would I do to be honest.

We'd be screwed. Anyone who is even remotely close to a major city is screwed royally. The vast majority of people have no clue how to fend for themselves. It won't take but a few days without groceries for all hell to break loose.

This is something that has often bothered me. I kind of wish I could move far enough out into the boonies and be somewhat self-sufficient. Unfortunately, my career and family is tied to the city.

a reply to: network dude

I think there is a series about something similar. If I'm not mistaken, one of the characters loses her mind because she lost her family and the only pictures she had of them were on her cell phone, which of course doesn't work anymore, so she doesn't even have the memories to look back on.

originally posted by: LSU0408
a reply to: forkedtongue

Yeah I'm on the outskirts of a small town in Northwest Louisiana. Population out here is 800 and I've got land to hunt, ponds to fish, and a garden down the road. I guess my biggest thorn would be poachers or people trying to fish in my ponds. Only other problem I'd have is that my house can't pull a breeze if its foundation depended on it so I'd have to improvise.

Yup, and when the quickie marts don't have any more moonpies, the city folk will start to wander towards you.

I have a few like minded friends around and we talk about having several alternative plans and keeping together being really important. I try not to sound like a paranoid prepper, but you kind of have to discuss this stuff. It's a reality nobody wants, but everyone will/may have to face.

I think ATSers should try to look out for each other if times like that happen. (even the democrats) Not that we are any more trustworthy than strangers, but we were all a bit nuts before anything weird happened, so there is that.

I'd sit in the dark and wait until the power was turned back on.

What's the point in living without electricity? There, I couldn't ask that question to you, without it.