What do you do?

Drinkthekoolaid said:

Hypothetical

Right now, wherever you are reading this the power suddenly goes out. There are zero communications available, cell phones are down and no internet. Vehicles don't seem to be affected and function as normal but gas stations are down not operating.

This all happened suddenly and with no warning , there is no communication with anyone outside your immediate visual range. I'll assume HAM radios still work if you have one but. For this scenario assume only the grid and all communications are down for an undetermined timeframe. It could be an hour, it could be a year or longer, you don't know.


Disclaimer,
(But due to many signs, such as personal electronics still turned on, commercial airplanes still flying, cars still working we will assume it's not an EMP attack but some form of very elaborate grid down scenario possible from a hostile nation but unknown)

What do you do, where do you go, and why? Do you bug out? Bug in? Party?


Just curious. Trying to learn from others thought process.

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your responses will depend on the weather, wouldn't it AND where you are at the time of the outage? are you at work? at a friends house?

if it's 5° outside, all our responses will be different. If it's 80° out?

either way, I get the generator out, run the 6-2/grd extension cord to my panel box and back feed my panel. I run the fridge, freezer and furnace. I have five, 5 gallon gas can ( all 90+ ethenol free, with marine grade Sta-bil) . I can go at least two weeks without power if Im careful what I run and how long I run it.

if the power goes out on a weekend and Im at my cabin, there is nothing I can do until I get home? My cabin is completely off grid, so I could stay there indefinitely, i can hunt and fish for food and we have a Berkey 2 gal water filter system for drinkable water.

I’d do what I always do. Busy out the generator, the charcoal grill, and load up with some weapons Incase some one tried to steal my things. I’d be plenty fine. I have enough supplies to outlast my neighbors. My network would hopefully get the idea and come over. However my parents would likely try to bring my sisters useless ass, her husband, and her kids. They are not in my plan so that could be a problem. They wouldn’t last a week in their own.

Power is out, cell phones are not working, cars are. First off, check the radio. Most radio stations have generators. The scenario given is nearly impossible. If cars were working, radio station would be working unless someone figured out how to disrupt radio signals as well while not taking out electronics on cars. But, let go with the scenario as presented. Checking the radio revels no signal. This would indicate something more than a typical power outage. I would immediately head home. Assuming I am able to get home and saw nothing out of the ordinary on the way, I would put up a drone to get a visual of the area around me. Again, assuming nothing out of the ordinary (no fires, smoke plums, military activity, godzilla, etc). I would visit my neighbors to see if they knew anything. Assuming they are "all in the dark" about what is going on, I would again, sit tight for a couple hours after which I would start up the generator, fill the tub with water and go on living. From there, it would all depend on what happened next.... Is it winter, summer? Is this prolonged? The direction from here depends on so many factors that it is impossible to really go explore further. I could survive at home for a very long time.

If bugging in, run the generator 2 hours on followed by 2 hours off. This will extend your fuel by double while allowing to keep freezer foods frozen. Eat your frozen food first. If you know how, prepare perishable foods for non refrigerated storage, canning, jerky, etc. Once freezer foods are gone, be smart about using any stored foods. Start thinking about how you will secure more food. If indicators are that you will be without power for a long period of time, consider a trip to the store for food and other needed supplies. Have cash on hand. Be sure to refill your water storage each time you run the generator if possible. Also, flush toilets when running water is available. Assuming vehicles are working, pack your vehicle for departure at a moments notice. Keep a low profile. Cook by propane. Avoid fires that produce smoke. If you must light a fire with smoke, do so at night. Stay out of sight. Keep things quiet. If you have guns and other ways to defend yourself, split them up, hiding them in multiple locations. Keep monitoring radios or other sources of information. The list of things to do is long from here.

Drinkthekoolaid said:

Ok

Apparently I suck writing up hypothetical scenarios.


Since I confused the majority of people in this thread, let's just say it's different than a normal blackout. However you determine that to be. It could be a few small things you notice.

For example
When you turn your vehicle on you only get one or 2 very distant radio stations from far away with a lot of static. Nothing local at all. You can also hear them mention sudden cascading power failures and a possible attack of some sort.

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A few distant radio stations likely means a regional not national or global event.

I've seen cascading power failures before, basically a sit tight and wait situation.

Look outside to see if a truck hit the telephone poll. Turn on the crank powered radio and listen for an EMS broadcast. If there is one then get ready to start moving to our safe place. If it really goes south and there is mass panic lock down the house as much as I can collect the family and then get out.

Doc8404 said:

Thought about a whole house NG

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I don't use NG, do their back up generators tap into the NG supply? Maybe that's a dumb ass question lol.
I'm eventually going to get a milsurp diesel generator.

My most immediate concern would be getting my children home - 2 college and one graduated. Without comms don’t know how I would reconnect. My gut would be to go get them as soon as possible. 2 in NYC and one upstate. NYC would be first priority - get them out before law enforcement decides to stay home and protect own families. Then a high speed run upstate and back. Hunker down and see what develops. Likely that my extended family will end up at my door. They better show up with supplies or I will immediately take on the moniker “Governor.”

I would announce that " The time to panic has arrivrd and that we may have to resort to cannibalism within the hour." Then I would look at everyone and ask each of them who they thought would taste best.

Well, I knew where you were going with the OP from the start.

Out of the ordinary blackout. Not just in one area but everywhere.

From the start, I would be concerned. I would ensure I knew where all family members were. I would reach out to my two sons and have them come to the house.

I would ensure all firearms/magazines were loaded. I would bring said firearms to the main floors of the house. I would begin to prepare all frozen foods to be cooked as they thawed.

I would check my stocks and ensure I have all that is needed. I would probably go to the stores and load up on more of needed items.

I would sit back and wait to see if things got really bad, if so, deeper plans would come into play.

GOPerfect said:

I would probably go to the stores and load up on more of needed items.

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With the way sheep empty shelves for threat of a bad storm, you think you'd find much? If the store even had a back up generator. I would think during an event like this they would just shut the doors if they don't have power seems the employees now don't know how to count change back.

FrankenCub said:

With the way sheep empty shelves for threat of a bad storm, you think you'd find much? If the store even had a back up generator. I would think during an event like this they would just shut the doors if they don't have power seems the employees now don't know how to count change back.

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I think many stores, first day of an event , would stay open with a cash only policy. Too greedy to close.

GOPerfect said:

I think many stores, first day of an event , would stay open with a cash only policy. Too greedy to close.

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Maybe if they had calculators to use, and a quick training seminar for the cashiers. Their registers won't do them any good. Our local family owned store closes down when the power goes out from a storm. Can't say I've been to a bigger store when the power is out, cold be greed would prevail.

Drinkthekoolaid said:

Ok let me rephrase the scenario.

At what point in a blackout do you realize it's more than just a blackout and it's a cyber attack/solar storm etc

At what point do you get concerned

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Blackouts from more pedestrian causes can last for weeks. In the case of the 2014 "Snovember" storm in the Buffalo area numerous communities were without power for weeks or even more. If something exceptionally out the ordinary is going on you are going to know about it pretty soon. Like I say keep your ears tonthe ground see what the rumors are. You can learn a lot from rumors if you pay attention to where disparate patches of information intersect. You gotta talk to people.
Some of y'all sound so paranoid it seems as if you'd end up like the silly folks that thought Orson Wells' War of the Worlds broadcast was real.
Scuttlebutt is always a good source of info in my experience. I guess it requires an ability to schmooze, something I am actually pretty good at believe it or not.

Are emergency coms down? Fire and police? If not, I have my radio pager on me which covers fire/ems in my immediate area and am usually always listening. Check the scanner in the truck that has most area frequencies in it. Then head to the Firehall. Others would likely show up there as well. Gather info and go from there.

Drinkthekoolaid said:

Ok let me rephrase the scenario.

At what point in a blackout do you realize it's more than just a blackout and it's a cyber attack/solar storm etc

At what point do you get concerned

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When the natives start getting restless, it's time to be GONE not start packing! I'd hate to walk away from my home because there's just so much I can take with me, but if the powers out for an extended time and riots/looting start I'm outa here.

FrankenCub said:

With the way sheep empty shelves for threat of a bad storm, you think you'd find much? If the store even had a back up generator. I would think during an event like this they would just shut the doors if they don't have power seems the employees now don't know how to count change back.

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Don’t forget the pet store. You can live off of dry kibble and water if the supermarket runs out.

Marine Cpl said:

Don’t forget the pet store. You can live off of dry kibble and water if the supermarket runs out.

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Yep. I've tried dog food in the past out of curiosity, some isn't too bad really. I have more than enough wildlife around me though. No need to go that far.

I would fire up one of the generators.. IF it lasts for a week or more we will start canning all we could from the freezer..

Finish my drink and go to bed.

FrankenCub said:

Yep. I've tried dog food in the past out of curiosity, some isn't too bad really. I have more than enough wildlife around me though. No need to go that far.

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cat food ??

mom said when i was little i ate the cats food . but no memory of it grrr lol

Acer-m14 said:

cat food ??

mom said when i was little i ate the cats food . but no memory of it grrr lol

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How many times on a hunt do you come back empty handed? Now add hundreds trying to do the same as you. Buy the dog food just in case.

Marine Cpl said:

How many times on a hunt do you come back empty handed? Now add hundreds trying to do the same as you. Buy the dog food just in case.

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what if the Cat food is better tasting ? ...

shit if i shoot this damn chuck here i'm cooking it .. he/she is a sly one .. and i can only snipe it .. in a trailer park
got permission from neighbors

Marine Cpl said:

Don’t forget the pet store. You can live off of dry kibble and water if the supermarket runs out.

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FrankenCub said:

Yep. I've tried dog food in the past out of curiosity, some isn't too bad really. I have more than enough wildlife around me though. No need to go that far.

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Apparently this is true. Though probably not a long term solution:
Having hauled a lot of pet food in the past I can attest to the fact that the facilities the pet food is processed in take sanitary practices very seriously.
However something like this:

Is sure to be far more appetizing.

Acer-m14 said:

cat food ??

mom said when i was little i ate the cats food . but no memory of it grrr lol

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Yeah I remember trying dry cat food too when I was young. I don't remember what brand it was but it was pretty good lmao. We couldn't keep cats around much, my mom's hybrid wolf dog would kill them all.

Marine Cpl said:

How many times on a hunt do you come back empty handed? Now add hundreds trying to do the same as you. Buy the dog food just in case.

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Unless I'm targeting a single species or being picky, I won't come home empty handed. The only time I don't bring anything home is if I'm letting small rabbits or squirrels by or being picky about what deer I take. There are rabbits, squirrels, and birds (grouse/pheasants/turkeys) everywhere. And honestly, there isn't hundreds of people around me. All of the property around me is owned by a few people and they watch over their property pretty good. My chances of bringing home dinner are extremely high. If I needed to I'd be picking off rabbits from my yard with my pellet rifle. There's a ton of them, I just like watching them so I leave them alone and hunt them other places.

I had a friend collect dead animals for rendering plant ... Folks no way I am eating any cat or dog food .. .. Just saying.

$1.98
VS
$9.17 / 12
A good incentive to hours a few hours overtime ... or moonlighting as a lyft drive ...

Punt!
Robin Lombardi

livingston said:

I had a friend collect dead animals for rendering plant ... Folks no way I am eating any cat or dog food .. .. Just saying.

$1.98
VS
View attachment 51517 $9.17 / 12
A good incentive to hours a few hours overtime ... or moonlighting as a lyft drive ...

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Those would be completely wiped from the store shelves in days. The next thing to go would be dog food once people figure out the it's still available. Get yours before it gone!

Marine Cpl said:

Those would be completely wiped from the store shelves in days. The next thing to go would be dog food once people figure out the it's still available. Get yours before it gone!

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So buy some cans now. It lasts for a year or so don't they?