When your cell battery dies and a hurricane destroys the local power plant, how will you call for help? Or worse: In the case of a collapse of the modern power systems due to an massive explosion in our solar system, how will you navigate the world without a means of computerized communication, survival, and navigation systems?
US Safe Room is here to help you survive whatever terrible storm or electrical disaster comes your way. In the aftermath of a major storm, when all usable electricity is gone from your area, and for all you know- the entire world too- you’ll only have your own preparedness to rely on. To be ready for electrical disasters, You’ll need a mix of basic supplies for the short term and self-sustainable tools for the long term. This article will get you prepped for any short or long term power outage, whether a result of natural causes or military attacks.
Storm Shelters: Generating Electricity for a Short Term Power Outage
In the aftermath of hurricane Sandy, many residents didn’t have power back for 2 weeks or more! A generator in this situation would’ve been extremely helpful.
Getting a back-up Electrical Generator will ensure that you can get the necessities up and running in the aftermath of a storm. When picking a generator that’s right for you, make sure it’s:
- Portable
- Has Good Fuel Economy: Whether running on L.P., Natural Gas, gasoline, diesel, water, steam, or solar energy. In the case of a long term loss of electricity, a gas powered generator might not be the best option. Read why power outage gas generators will only be useful for an outage that lasts a few weeks, rather than in the long term, when a solar powered generator would last you for ages.
- Runs DC or AC current: Depending on which kind of generator you have and the kind of electrical current your appliances need, you may need to purchase a converter. Most American cities use AC current as the standard source of power, but contact a local expert to make sure.
- (Optional) Has a manual Hand Crank Generator: While these will give you a workout to get running, they are the most versatile generator and are recommended, along with solar generators, for prepping for long term disasters. After gasoline runs out and the sun is blocked out, the ability to generate power could give you a major advantage against the forces you will face in a tumultuous, collapsed modern world.
Storm Shelters: Preparing for a Long Term Global Power Outage
Unfortunately, power outrages from weather on earth aren’t the only unpredictable events that we’ll have to watch out for in the coming years. The weather in space, in particular, that which revolves around our sun, has the potential to disrupt and to completely dissipate our modern world on a mass scale. Coronal Mass Ejections, or CMEs, are massive solar explosions that occur on the sun, some with a comparable power to 11 hydrogen bombs. This force can reach earth via electromagnetic waves, causing irregular solar wind and magnetic field patterns above our atmosphere. CMEs are similar to solar flares, except that they so violently disrupt the order of things that they send a shock wave powerful enough to blast out electrical equipment and conducive metals all across the planet.
Realize that humans have been dependent on electrical power for a century or so. We don’t even know the range of Electro magnetic forces that could disrupt the systems that we rely upon daily for travel, communication, and basic survival. What happens when all that goes away?
You can prepare for global CME disasters and other scenarios where an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) knocks out modern means of communication and survival by making a faraday box. All you have to do is wrap a box in metal, insulated with cardboard. Whatever electronics you store in a faraday box will not fall to the same fate as all other modern technology will in the event of a CME from the sun or an EMP bast from a nuclear weapon.
Another great way to stay prepared and to learn more about potential electrical disturbances is to monitor the weather outside of earth. The site, https://spaceweather.com/does a particularly good job of monitoring future and past weather events, giving you an omniscient view of earth and an alert on any imminent solar disasters.
List of Neccessities to Stock Up in Storm Shelters in case of an Electrical Catastrophe
- An AM/FM Radio: For monitoring news updates.
- An NOAA Weather Radio: A radio specially outfitted to alert you of imminent disasters and accurate forecasts. These can be programmed even to wake you in the middle of the night of an oncoming tornado or severe storm.
- Matches: For lighting fires, cooking, keeping warm, and lighting lamps or candles.
- Compass and topographical / city map: After a storm, you may need to navigate and evacuate your area. Knowing the basis of map and compass navigation will lead you out safe and sound. Also, who’s to say they’ll have Google maps up and running after a severe disaster? Satellites may be down, destroyed by asteroids or wrongly oriented due to a major shift in the earth’s magnetic field. You’ll need to have the skills to find your own way through this new world.
- Walkie-talkies: To stay in touch with your family and friends during evacuation and search and rescue missions.
- Flashlights: While these won’t be much use in the event of a global EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) crisis, they will be highly useful after and during majro storms. Always have one on your bedside table in case of a midnight disaster.
- Glow-Sticks: Signal for help at night, and use as an alternative to oil or gas lamps in the case of a worldwide power outage.
- Candles: A great source of light in absence of electrical means, but don’t forget, these are also fire hazards. Money Saving Tip: Make a DIY Crisco Candle for Power Outage Emergencies
- Tools for Signalling Help: These include air horns, whistles, a rescue mirror for reflecting light across long distances, and safety flares, preferably the roadside assistance variety.
- Fuel: Backup gasoline containers for cars and generators, back up batteries for radios and flashlights, and back-up propane for cooking stoves or gas lamps. Always make sure to store fuel in a safe place and according to the recommended safety guidelines outlined for the specific material.
- Gas Lamps or Oil Lamps: Keep flashlights and batteries aren’t as reliable or versatile for all disaster scenarios.
- Food and Water Supplies: See these articles for details – Storm Shelter Food Provisions – Above Ground Safe Room Water Supplies
