"Unprotected Power Grids: A Ticking Time Bomb"
- Thread starter livingston
- Start date
It's only a matter of time before someone or group (terrorists, state sponsored) take down the grid for a while.
The sheep have no idea how dependent we are on the internet and power grid for EVERYTHING.
Taking the grid down probably wouldn't kill anyone directly, but would start a series of chains of events which people will die from and be very inconvencied.
The sheep have no idea how dependent we are on the internet and power grid for EVERYTHING.
Taking the grid down probably wouldn't kill anyone directly, but would start a series of chains of events which people will die from and be very inconvencied.
Deplorable Me
.700 Nitro Express
What's so special about the electric grid? Natural gas, water and telecommunications failures could cripple us just the same.
Take down grid you take all that too.
And the internet goes with it.
Logistics activities stop. No more store resupply, no more supplies, food, gas stations, no banking transactions, no atms, etc...
Deplorable Me
.700 Nitro Express
No 4473 background checks. Oh the humanity .
Jackalope
.45 acp
I see it as more of a threat to urban areas than rural areas. If it occurs during the winter on a widespread basis; it could be deadly.
Deplorable Me
.700 Nitro Express
Things are only as good as the fuel holds out if you're dependent on a generator. If you can hole up in your house with a woodburner without electric then you have a shot at long distance survival.
If gas stations close, your fuel cans are your limit. If natural gas runs your generator then where does that gas come from? If propane is your rural fuel source then you may be good for one winter.
Wood is a good fuel if you have a fuel efficient stove.
If gas stations close, your fuel cans are your limit. If natural gas runs your generator then where does that gas come from? If propane is your rural fuel source then you may be good for one winter.
Wood is a good fuel if you have a fuel efficient stove.
Deplorable Me
.700 Nitro Express
PS: Solar and wind are good if you can store it locally and disconnect from a dead grid.
Think in terms of plan A, plan B, plan C .... and never run out of new ideas no matter how crazy. Never give up.
Think in terms of plan A, plan B, plan C .... and never run out of new ideas no matter how crazy. Never give up.
yeah people don't realize the importance of power. Overnight you go back to the 1800s. No internet, No furnace, no AC, no refrigeration, no traffic lights, no water, public services like sewer would be shut down, within a few days anyone relaying on medical devices for breathing, cooling for meds ect would be dead or at grave risks. Yes there are generators and solar but like anything else gas pumps wont work so soon fuel would become scarce. Look At home depot or lowes. They sell out instantly when it snows of snow blowers, we get a bad storm they sell out of generators. IF you don't go something by the time you need it its too late. Its why I started prepping. Not to prepare for War,Zombies or some huge disaster but to be self sufficient in the event something does happen. Look at stores, they predict 6 inches of snow and boom no milk or bread. Its 2016 whens the last time you were snowed in ??? Less you live in buffalo and got a few feet the roads are pretty much clear 2 hours after it stops snowing. Fact is when everyone panics your going to be caught with your pants down.
carpediem
.338 Win Mag
My money is on ZOMBIES!!!!
Not really. But being prepared for unknown events is a good idea that too few practice. Plans with back-up plans.
Rethin
.38 Special
Even worse, you don't have the technology that made the 1800's work without power. Our modern day tech has made our world into a trap. We can't live without it.
James Burke explains it much better than I can
carpediem
.338 Win Mag
And the people who had the 1800s technology knew HOW to live in the 1800s. We don't. Any of you know how to build a barn with wooden pins? I have an idea, but they knew from centuries of trial and error. We would actually be back in the middle ages, having to progress to get to the level of knowledge they had in the 1800s.
James Burke had some cool shows back in the day.
Also no CCTV, phones, security alarms, or lights.
Local news channel ran an interesting story regarding grid down comms. Surprised they covered a topic like this to be honest.
Amateur radio provides critical communications when all else fails
Amateur radio provides critical communications when all else fails
nfernaays
.45 acp
As stated above, the grid is essential to our lifestyle. The scary thing is how fragile the grid is. There are components on the grid that supply power to literally millions that if they get taken out take over a year to replace. With transformers at a million dollars + a piece, they do not have spares waiting to replace a critically damaged unit. Very scary.
Deplorable Me
.700 Nitro Express
Substations are just plain vulnerable to a miscreant with evil intentions.
spat
.950 JDJ
It should read unprotectable, not unprotected.
Harder to defend a high voltage transmission line than a national border, and there are a lot more miles of it.
Harder to defend a high voltage transmission line than a national border, and there are a lot more miles of it.
If anyone doubts this do your own research. I think it was the Metcalf substation in the San Jose bay area that was attacked.
Do that to a handful of substations simultaneously and kaboom goes the grid. It would cause cascading failures trying to route current and overloading the system.
This is from natgeo hardly a fear mongering fringe prepper site
carpediem
.338 Win Mag
I remember that. They never did catch anyone. Possibly a test run for a larger operation. When you have as unprotected an infrastructure as we do, letting in tens of thousands of people who may or may not want to kill Americans makes absolutely zero sense, which explains why the idiot liberals are so in favor of it.
Steal2B
.700 Nitro Express
The three interconnections and microgrids are less vulnerable to issues than the hype. In fact a common cause mother nature event has the potential for greater impact than planned attacks. I am not trying to downplay the risk from a planned attack but just laying down the informed perspective that mother nature has been and will be the greatest threat to continuous reliable electrical service.
capitalcrew
.44 mag
Us country boys will be alright. Refrigeration is the single thing I could see being an issue but if it happened in winter I'd get through that easily enough at least. I've probably got about at minimum 250 gallons of diesel on hand at all times, with a max of over 1k. I've got enough food on hand, a good wood stove, lots of ammo, and I know how to shit outside. City people who've never swung an ax or been elbow deep in a deer would be in trouble though.
Blimey
.450/400 Nitro Ex
I do think widespread power outages are the most likely source of catastrophe, and they need not be from terrorism (e.g. Carrington event). These wouldn't be end-country events, but would be very uncomfortable and it would be (as usual during a catastrophe) preferable to not be in the city. I have enough food (and I can cook it) on hand to keep us going for a month. With waterways and above ground pools realistically none of us would have water problems around here.
That attack he references I saw stuff about it recently. It really was quite strange and the idea it was a test is pretty reasonable.
That attack he references I saw stuff about it recently. It really was quite strange and the idea it was a test is pretty reasonable.
nfernaays
.45 acp
Attacks on the grid have happened as recently as a few months ago:
Sniper attack on Utah substation highlights grid vulnerability
In this case not a lot of customers were affected but when you see the service area of one substation reality sets in.
Sniper attack on Utah substation highlights grid vulnerability
In this case not a lot of customers were affected but when you see the service area of one substation reality sets in.
Thanks for sharing. I had not heard of this before now.
spat
.950 JDJ
Not too worried about a single attack, even if it a used something as catastrophic as the cascade failure of the North east that happened a decade (or was it 2) ago.
But a coordinated attack could be very bad. Imagine If something like that cascade failure were engineered, then while all the HV transmission gear were deenergized, it was being sabotaged. Sabotage could amount to a single .308 projectile.
There are a small number of the really big transformers in reserve, and the lead time for new ones can be very long.
If the power were already out, someone could destroy one and nobody would know it until they attempted to energize it. That could mean that they could run around getting dozens or more of them before anyone even knew what was going on.
So, yes, we are vulnerable to a terrorist attack. Imagine if instead of hijacking 4 aircraft, the 9/11 attackers had 20 guys all over the country sabotaging the electrical grid. What if they went after a few pipelines too ? The chaos they could cause, and the actual effect on everyday Americans would have been exponentially greater.
Day444
.223 Rem
Scary stuff, if you start to dwell on it!
The scary part is it's near an inevitability the grid will be damaged in a significant way at some point in the future. Either by man with intent to harm or through negligence and incompetence or by mother nature.