Analyst's note:  An aging infrastructure coupled with a rise in natural and man-made disasters threatens our entire modern day digital infrastructure. How do we prepare for a breakdown?  Extreme natural disasters, terrorist acts, or just the failure of an ailing power grid itself represent real problems to this nation -- think return to "horse & buggy" days.  If you think this is still just a distant worry, then know that studies indicate that "[....] within a year 9 out of 10 Americans would be dead ^[4] from starvation, disease and violence." 

While these very real scenarios continue to threaten our very individual and national survival, those in Washington D.C. continue to "fiddle."  I recommend an internal site search on "Electromagnetic Pulse" for additional insight.  You will also want to read We are in the Midst of an Iranian Terror Offensive

It is a fact that our country is more reliant on electrical power today than at any time in its history. Our way of life – from everyday conveniences and the security of local emergency services to commerce and communications – is contingent upon an always on, always available flow of electricity. But an aging infrastructure coupled with a rise in natural and man-made disasters threatens our entire modern day digital infrastructure. According to many experts from the private and public sector, we’re just one major catastrophic event away from a complete meltdown of life in America as we know it today.

[....] A wide-spread emergency, such as a massive power surge, solar flare or rogue electromagnetic pulse (EMP) detonation have the capacity to render our entire power infrastructure useless. Transformers and other key elements on which the grid depends could be permanently damaged as a result of massive electric surges.

In an event such as this our immediate problem will be finding a way to order, manufacture and take delivery of the components needed to replace the faulty ones. Most of the parts made for our electrical grid are made in China – and many are decades old. According to Congressman Roscoe Bartlett, who recently warned people to get their families out of major cities ^[3] because of concerns about the stability of the grid, it would take months to get the parts shipped to this country and replaced.

During the outage, millions would be adversely affected, with some like Frank Gaffney, president of the Center for Security Policy, suggesting that within a year 9 out of 10 Americans would be dead ^[4] from starvation, disease and violence. 

Ladies and gentleman, if there’s one thing that can cause the veritable “S” to hit the fan, this is it.

So how do we remedy and/or prepare for a grid down scenario? Think retro – like pioneer retro- and by that we have to go way back to when we were not so dependent on the luxury of on-demand energy in its various forms. When preparing for a grid-down scenario, we must comprise different contingency plans for short-term and longer-term issues. That being the case, we have to admit to ourselves that it could last longer than we expect and much more than just a minor inconvenience. Therefore, the best way to prepare is to start with your basic needs. That is the need for light, heat, water, and food. Some preparedness items to stock up on are:

• Alternative fuel sources ^[5] such as solar and diesel, wood for burning.

• Food preservation supplies – dehydrators, canners, smokers, fermenting/pickling supplies. To learn more, click here ^[6].

• Bulk food – Canned, freeze-dried, dehydrated or dry goods.

• Water filtration supplies ^[7], rain harvesting supplies ^[8] and large quantities of stored water.

• Light sources: Lanterns, flashlights, candles and matches and alternative light sources ^[9]

• Batteries and chargers

• Emergency stove – solar oven, rocket stove, camping stoves, etc.

• Wood burning fire place – Central air heating systems, even if they use natural gas or propane, depend on electricity for the blower that will circulate the heated air. When the grid is down, this system will not work. Having a wood burning fire place is an alternative to central heating systems.

• Cash money and/or silver or gold currency.

The vulnerability of our grid is nothing new to preppers. Some have seen this problem coming for a long time and changed their entire ways of life by going off-grid. They have found alternative sources such as solar, wind and diesel to power their homes and machinery. A majority of us, who have not gone off-grid, are making a concerted effort to avoid dependence on this ailing infrastructure and preparing for life without it. That being said, all we can do is stay the course, prepare accordingly and continue on.