Power Failures and Other Freaks of Nature

by Michele

Last night the lights went out in my little town.  It was a warm, wet, blustery evening, so you can imagine the scenario.  Power line.  Wayward tree branch.  Everything goes dark.  The only surprise is that it doesn't happen more often.

                                                         

At the time, my husband and I were in a restaurant the next town over having dinner with our neighbors.  My older son was out at a concert.  And my younger one, who's eight, was home with a babysitter.  He'd just gotten out of the shower and was trying to stick his wet legs into his pajama bottoms.  He lost his balance, fell over and bumped into the wall pretty hard, and the next thing he knew, the lights went out.  He actually thought it was his fault.  He called out to the babysitter, and by the light of her cell phone, they found the closet where we keep our camping equipment.  Pretty soon they were reading by lantern light and having a grand old time.  A while later the rest of us got home, and we all ate cookies in the kitchen, surrounded by candles.  There was nothing I wanted to do that I couldn't accomplish, including reading for half an hour before bed.  (I used a flashlight.)  It was all a lovely adventure, and when I woke up in the morning, the power was back on.   

Life without electricity can be cozy and romantic . . . as long as you're prepared, and you know it'll end soon.  I enjoy camping.  We've spent as much as two days in cabins with no electricity or running water, cooking on a wood stove and eating by candlelight.  I love it for a while, but two days of that once every six months is plenty for me.

 

Some people are looking for utopia, god bless 'em, and they genuinely prefer life like it was lived two hundred years ago, close to the land, with no modern amenities.  Me -- I've never had to go without electricity and all that it brings (toilets that flush, refrigerated food, working telephones, my computer, this blog) for long, and I'd like to keep it that way.  But what if I had no choice in the matter?

No question, the world is rife with disasters on a grand scale.  The tsunami.  Hurricane Katrina.  Wildfires in California.  The cyclone in Myanmar.  The earthquake in China.  For a long time, my personal belief was that such things would happen in far-off lands.  This expectation seemed to be borne out by the facts, until eventually disasters visited places that I lived, because, well, it was time.  Even then, I was lucky, and my personal belief morphed into: disasters may strike close to home, but they won't affect me.  That big earthquake the year I lived in San Francisco?  I was in Alabama on a business trip.  9/11?  I lived uptown.

9/11 affected me psychologically, of course.  Being trapped on an island with millions of terrified people (all the bridges and tunnels were sealed so we couldn't leave) while buildings burned and food supplies dwindled will give rise to a certain level of paranoia.  For a while I had tape around my windows in case of a chemical attack.  (Don't laugh -- an anthrax letter came through the mailroom of the building where my husband worked.)  Eventually we took the tape off, but we still kept one of those escape bags.  You know, medical supplies, important documents, contact lens solution.  You wouldn't want to have to wear your glasses while fleeing a mass disaster.  Even years later, I had a habit of keeping non-perishable food around past the expiration date.  An old bag of Pepperidge Farm stuffing?  It might come in handy in the event of nuclear attack. 

Lately, though, I got nothing.  I'm complacent, I'm unprepared.  The batteries in the flashlights are old, and the only emergency supplies in my basement are a couple of cases of wine that need to be stored in a cool place.  I have no idea how I would react if I had to contend with true hardship.  But then, who does?  In light of all that, the best thing I can think of to do is say a prayer for those poor people in Myanmar and China.   

Comments

[Tom Barclay]

Your idea of a family Emergency Go Bag is a good one. I need to complete a kit for us. It's hard for a family to live in a condition of permanent emergency preparedness.

So take a look at this - Macdonald's his name, emergency survival's his game:
http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/009176.html
Jim lives and works as an EMT - in New Hampshire, if I'm not mistaken. The short articles linked at the end of the stroke story are terrifically useful.

[Susan]

We once were without power as the result of a storm for nearly a week, which wasn't really all that terrible because we could drive to places that did have power. We did lose the contents of our refrigerator/freezer, and my daughter did go nearly insane from lack of computer access but, as I recall, it was not a big deal. It was, however, a stark reminder of how much we rely upon simple things like the lights being on. Whenever I read a story about how the Iraqi people still don't have dependable electric service, I think about that week without power. Perhaps it didn't seem like a big deal because I knew it was a temporary situation. Eventually the power company got around to fixing the situation, and all went quickly back to normal. For many people around the globe, there is no normal and no assurance that there will ever be a normal again.

I think as a relatively affluent and comfortable American, it is difficult for me to imagine life in the margins. Tragic events don't strike too close to home. Thus, it is easy to imagine nothing bad can happen or, if it does, we have the resources to get back to normal quickly. That was the lesson of Katrina, I think. Hurricanes affect everyone, but those with the resources can get back to normal. Those without are the ones most vulnerable. As a culture, we are very big on praising those who are "prepared." All the people who had the foresight to get out of New Orleans were the smart people. As for the rest, well, they were just stupid or stubborn or unprepared. So hell with 'em.

I don't have an emergency box or bag or stash of stuff. I guess I should, but there's a part of me who just doesn't want to give in to the notion that if I only do all the right things, my family is forever safe. I have chosen, perhaps unconsciously, to live by grace and not by fear. That may be really foolish or naive, but it feels right to me. If we ever get to the Darwinian situation in which only the "strong" or "prepared" survive, I am not sure I'd want to survive that.

[Joyce Tremel]

When I was a kid, every Wednesday night during the summer, the power in our neighborhood would go out (always when we were getting ready to watch Medical Center on TV). So, instead of watching TV we'd all gather on the front porch and all the neighbors did the same.

I loved it when the power would go out for a few hours when my kids were younger. We'd gather up some candles and play board games by candlelight.

I don't have any type of emergency kit either, other than a few flashlights and some candles. I don't even keep bottled water. Chances are during an emergency, I'd end up at work anyway and I could get anything we needed there.

[Kathy Sweeney]

I hope you have room at work Joyce, because I'm coming to find you. hah.

My sister lives in Tampa, Florida and she always has emergency stuff ready to go.

I am beyond distraught thinking of all the victims in China - for some reason the rescue workers tragedy just seemed even more awful - so I am going to try to lighten things up with a 9/11 story about my nephew - who lives in Florida.

Just to put it in context - my brother's office was in the second tower - he got out in time, but we didn't know that until mid-day. In the interim, we tried to do what we always do in tough situations - we try to make eachother laugh. So it's not that we weren't upset, like everyone else - we just tend to deal differently.

My nephew was two years old on 9/11. My sister was checking her emergency bags and putting them in the cars, just in case, when she noticed a pile of toys by the front door. Not just any toys - but the McDonald's Happy Meal Toys. (For those of you who don't know, these things cannot be destroyed - I often suggest that we ought to use them to pave the PA Turnpike, but I digress).

My sister is a little peeved because she's trying to stay organized, so she puts them back in the toy bin. Ten minutes later, the toys are back. This time, my nephew is standing next to the pile.

He explained to his Mom that the toys were there for protection, in case one of the bad guys tried to get in the house. When she asked how he had chosen them, he informed her "Because when you throw them, these are the ones that REALLY hurt."

P.S. If anyone in Pittsburgh knows of a prayer vigil tonight for the victims, please let me know.

[michele]

Great story, Kathy! Thanks for all the thoughtful posts, everybody.

I have to say, I agree with Susan. At some level, the emergency preparedness stuff is just a way to make ourselves feel better. Unless you're one of those crazoids with a fully stocked bunker somewhere like in Tom's link. All of them will survive, and then what will the world be like?

Joyce, why did the power go out every Wednesday? That reminds me of an island I visited off the coast of Portugal when I was doing the post-college bumming around Europe thing. They had electricity only at night, and all the locals would gather at the one bar to watch to the one tv. It was incredibly charming.

[michele]

PS -- I'm also feeling deeply moved by what's going on in China. The most terrible aspect is that all the children died because the schools were so poorly constructed. And did anybody read the article about how, because of the one-child policy, for many families, they've lost their one and only? I get tears in my eyes just thinking about it.

[Anna C.]

Even if you don't have an emergency bag, you could have a mental list of what to grab. Having grown up in tornado country, and living in tornado country now, I have a bare minimum mental checklist of what to grab on the way downstairs (wallet, keys, flashlight, blanket, cellphone and - people often forget, but glass is the first thing to go - good footgear and coats). Furthermore, the kids have done this several times now, so they have internalized the checklist. If you run through this every time the lights go out your kids will be much better prepared.

That being said, my-in-laws gave us a wedding reception (in a tent, outdoors) in Rhode Island about a week after Hurricane Bob roared through. We had been married a few weeks earlier in Kansas - no tornados. Anyway, we spent that week clearing the backyard with chainsaws. There was no power, so no refrigeration (and no hot showers), although we were able to buy ice and we had lots of coolers. We worked really, really, hard. The cake was being brought by someone who did have power, thank goodness! Anyway, miracle of miracles, the power came on about 2 hours before the reception. It was a lovely day.

[Harley]

I have a thing taking up space in the back of the car marked "Emergency Box." No matter how many times I restock it, it ends up containing a bunch of band-aid wrappings, a jar of peanut butter, that stuff you drink if you've accidentally poisoned yourself, a flashlight, some tiny plastic thing that claims to be a blanket, a tiny radio, some batteries and 5 novels.

[ArkansasCyndi]

We were without electricity for a week during an ice storm. Husband had bought a generator a couple of years before "just in case". It came in handy. We would alternate what we ran (the refrigerator, then the fan for the heater-it was gas--, etc. But we had a gas fireplace that made a difference. It was amazing how much light we got from clocks, "on-lights" from the internet router and the shedder, the fire alarm, etc.

China earthquake is sad. When the news superimposed the Chinese quake area over a map of the US, the scope of the area involved was daunting. And Michele, I agree with you about the one-child couples. So sad.

[mome]

I wonder if we can ever really be prepared for disaster? It can come from so many directions that I really wonder if doing anything more than having some extra water and an escape plan is really worth it? I have been through several hurricans w/o power and I can say, while I miss it, I can be without electricity but life with out water is the pits!!!!! When we lived in NC we had to run the bathtub every time it thundered in case the electricity went out because we were on a well that had an electric pump - so you had to have water so you could flush the toilets! Such fun....

[Lorraine Bartlett]

Here we are in the 21st Century and we're still dealing with 19th Century technology: electrical lines ABOVE GROUND ON POLES.

Most of Europe has their lines underground. That way when there's a big wind (or ice storm--or whatever), their power grids aren't as much as risk.

The US is supposed to be the best place in the world to live.

Ha--pull the other one, it's got bells on it.

[michele]

I agree, it's crazy that the electric lines are still above ground! We pity the Chinese for their poorly constructed buildings, but how much better off are we, really? You have this sense of crumbling infrastructure everywhere.

[Anna C.]

Of course, 5 novels would be part of my emergency kit, too, if I had one. Those little emergency radios make great presents, by the way.

[Mary Storyteller]

After the bridge collapse in Minneapolis, I bought a ResQMe glass-breaking, seatbelt-cutting talisman for my keychain, mostly to keep paranoia at bay.
I remember our custodians telling me that our school wasn't all that well built and to be prepared to exit fast in an earthquake. (Procedure said to wait with injured students until help came; I told my scholars that no matter how big they were, I was going to bring them with me, no way were we waiting).
Now about that basement/tornado thing, my sister reminded me that my daddy said no to the basement -- I'm not sure why (maybe he just didn't like it). Would the garage (no windows) be acceptable? Here in the second-floor condo, I just stay in bed and hope for the best, but with options, I figure I could put a lawn chair and that wind-up radio and such wherever I should hole up. BTW, there are now electrical wires and plumbing in the house, and an ETA of early July!!

[michele]

Sounds great, Mary!

I have lived in earthqueake zones but never in a tornado zone. Tornadoes probably scare me more than anything because it seems like they're everywhere these days. The earthquake thing never really bothered me. We would feel them now and then but it was just like a big truck driving by outside. I guess I never believed a big one would strike.

[hollygee]

I live here on Tomales Bay. A bay that is formed by the San Andreas fault and, at the head of the bay, is the epicenter of the 1906 earthquake. There is even a little general store in the town called the Epicenter.

I was a guest at a Thanksgiving dinner during a storm one year, the power would go off periodically. The poor turkey was wrestled from the house electric oven to the propane oven in the RV and back and forth five or six times. Dinner was delayed quite late, but the family and guests played charades throughout it all -- we all had a great time.

I have found that I feel ready to take on anything if I have access to water and some way of heating that water for coffee/tea. If I can get a cup of tea, it is all a matter of degrees of comfort after that.

[Karen in Ohio]

In the absence of a basement, Mary, the next best thing is the bathroom, especially in a tub, and if you can pull something protective over your head, like a mattress, even better. A windowless closet can work, too, if it's in the center of the house.

My sister-in-law passed away a few years ago, but she always, always had an emergency kit in the trunk of her car, and her daughters did, too. It was in one of those milk crates, and contained a gallon or two of water (that they emptied and replaced periodically), a real blanket, first aid supplies, and food like those bars you buy in the health food store. Clif bars would work well, as they have a lot of nutrition, but also enough carbs for energy. That could be important if you or a family member go into shock; sugar is good for shock (which is why the English drink tea for such things, I've been told).

We live in a tornado-prone area, so I have always had bottled water, blankets and candles in the basement. Fortunately, we've never really had to use them, although we did head down there a couple of times in the last 23 years. My youngest daughter lives in Charleston, SC. In the first month she was there, a hurricane came very close to coming ashore, so she got a good grounding in what kind of emergency tactics to use, right away. Most of Charleston is barely above sea level, so it's very vulnerable to hurricanes.

I've been hanging around on rural farms a lot lately, and have come to appreciate the finer points of city living, including clean water readily available, good reliable plumbing, and electricity that does not require a gas generator.

[Anna C.]

I think basements are still recommended for tornados. Other than that, they used to recommend a ground floor interior bathroom with no windows, or a hallway (somewhere where the walls are close together so they have a better chance of protecting you from a falling roof). You want to be away from windows. But the vast majority of tornados are really, really local (I mean, the actual damage trail is a couple of yards wide and not very long) and are not really anything to worry about. Like most earthquakes, I suppose ...

Another piece of emergency equipment to remember is a regular old phone with a cord - cell phones and cordless don't do so well when the power goes out, but the phone service seems to survive fairly well.

I had no idea I had so many opinions on survival issues - I'll shut up now. Thought-provoking blog, thank you!

[Maryann Mercer]

I have a fear of tornadoes...hence we have a basement.I have a road kit in the car and an emergency food and med stash in a Rubbermaid container, complete with cat food! Cath and Kip are the ones who taught me that even before their sojourn in New Orleans. Stuff like peanut butter and RyKrisp and bottled water can get you through a few days just about anywhere. Believe it or not, I even have battery operated candles :o)to add to the lighting situation...we can never find matches around this place!
All things considered, we're in much better shape than those in China and Myanmar...

[michele]

Yes, it's definitely important to keep your emergency supplies refreshed and up to date. In NYC post 9/11, we bought a bunch of water to keep in our apartment. Plastic gallon containers of Poland Spring water which I lined up on top of a book shelf in my office. I kind of forgot about them until one day I went searching for a book, and discovered that its pages were wavy and musty from water damage. I looked up and wouldn't you know several of those bottles had sprung leaks!

[Karen in Ohio]

My oldest daughter is a nurse, Michele, and after 9/11 the hospital sent every employee to first responder classes. That's where I found out about refilling the water bottles every six months.

We also keep a couple of gallons of water handy for flushing the toilets in an emergency. That has come in handy!

[Tom Barclay]

"one of those crazoids with a fully stocked bunker somewhere like in Tom's link"

Just for the record, Jim Macdonald could hardly be described as a bunker-dwelling crazoid. He's a paramedic. He deals with physical emergencies every day. Quite the good writer and teacher, too.

There's no conspiracy-nut garbage or Tarzan fantasy in those links. I offer them in hope they'll be helpful if any Tartly Friends ever need such knowledge.

[michele]

Oops, sorry Tom. No offense meant. But there is some odd stuff in there, don't you think? I mean, he talks about ambushes and killing zones and stuff. It reminded me of World War Z! But then again I was just skimming it. Lots of it looked helpful, too.

[William Simon]

In this area, during Katrina and Rita, people had their trucks stolen, not for the vehicle, but for the plywood sheets and tools in the truck bed. A woman in Beaumont (where Rita hit) was coming out of the grocery store when she was approached by two men. Both were very polite to her, but one pulled a gun, explained he was sorry, and loaded the groceries into his own SUV (the license plates missing, accidentally I'm sure) and took off. She was screaming and crying, and NOT ONE person stopped to help or even calm her down. Stories I heard from friends who went through Andrew in Miami were even more horrifying.

A recent conversation with The Boss opened her eyes. For reasons I won't go into here, I no longer leave the house without a weapon. We were meeting some friends for dinner at a "Family Fun House", and she asked if I was going to carry. I said no, we would be in a situation where I could not control it 100% of the time (bowling was involved), there would be children in the building, so no, I was hiding it in the car. This lead to a discussion of whether or not I would use a weapon to prevent a car-jacking. I laughed and said "Hell, no, I'd toss the keys to them. But they are NOT going to take you with them." Oddly enough, she got real quiet after that, and no longer asks.

Sorry, but I've got to go with Tom and Jim McD here. Human Kindness and Civility goes out the window when it comes to survival. A lot of the things Jim McD talked about have to be taken into consideration simply to protect your family.

It's an ugly world out there; the veneer of "Civilization" is thinner than onion skin on a good day. Take away power, take away food, water, clean clothing, all the things we take for granted, and you're right, Michele, it would be something out of World War Z....

[Rita Scott]

save your freezer food! i've lined the bottom and sides of chest freezer with frozen bottles of water. if the power goes out, wrap it up with every blanket, quilt and comforter you have, it will stay solid for a week.
sorry for typing, broke my right elbow friday night.