If power grid failed....

[CHCRandy]

If a person had deep pockets (Like Doc deep) we could put a solar roof on our house with it's own powerwall......but who really has $50,000 to eliminate an electric bill and have a fridge in case of EMP attack? I wanted to start installing these for Tesla....but I don't know if it will ever catch on, very expensive. The way they present it you are paying the same as a shingled roof, but they are also figuring in your electric bill for the next 30 years. You figure a new 50 year shingle costs you $3 per foot, solar roof costs $30 per foot, but then you have no electric bill and a tax credit.

 

[avboiler11]

...people worry about EMPs when the most likely "long-term SHTF" threat is the New Madrid Fault...

 

[Alpo]

Or Yellowstone getting angry.

 

[bobzilla]

Or Yellowstone getting angry.

and a lot of good solar panels will be at that point.

 

[DRob]

...people worry about EMPs when the most likely "long-term SHTF" threat is the New Madrid Fault...

For most of IN that is the #1 threat. Indy and further north, there's the Democrats but that's a different issue. Lately, flooding has been on the radar screen. Maybe a little less potential for large scale issues but more likely and there's little understanding of it's capacity for damage. For example, we did a exercise based on the catastrophic failure of the Geist Reservoir dam at full flood. That would flood downtown Indpls about 3' deep which most people just can't fathom. Every hospital has a backup generator, right. We found that all but one in the immediate downtown area ( including the IU med center) had their generators in the basement. City/County Building also has their's in the basement.

As for generators, they're great but are still a short term solution because they require fuel. What you have when the event occurs is likely all you're going to have. Those pumps at the gas station run on......what's that stuff? Oh yeah, electricity!

An auto accident knocked out the power at my pharmacy a while back. I couldn't get a prescription refilled because they couldn't run the register. They were at a complete standstill and that's what we should expect about everywhere. Life, as we know it, is so dependent upon electricity that most people, especially youngsters, will just sit at their desks with a dumb look on their faces trying to figure out why they can't whine about it on Facebook.

 

[Leadeye]

Long term outages over large areas may be less likely but isolated long term power outages are not unheard of even without large scale power grid disruption. A friend lives in western KY. An ice storm knocked out most of the county where he lives for 2-3 months a few years ago. Many roads were closed by downed trees and some people were isolated for a couple of weeks. Granted, it is a pretty rural area and that does limit the number of people impacted. Makes no difference if you're one of them.

I remember Frankfort Indiana losing power for weeks after an ice storm. This is the type of problem we try to stay prepared for, bad, but local. Folks I knew who lived there could drive half an hour and find gasoline and other supplies.

 

[churchmouse]

For most of IN that is the #1 threat. Indy and further north, there's the Democrats but that's a different issue. Lately, flooding has been on the radar screen. Maybe a little less potential for large scale issues but more likely and there's little understanding of it's capacity for damage. For example, we did a exercise based on the catastrophic failure of the Geist Reservoir dam at full flood. That would flood downtown Indpls about 3' deep which most people just can't fathom. Every hospital has a backup generator, right. We found that all but one in the immediate downtown area ( including the IU med center) had their generators in the basement. City/County Building also has their's in the basement.

As for generators, they're great but are still a short term solution because they require fuel. What you have when the event occurs is likely all you're going to have. Those pumps at the gas station run on......what's that stuff? Oh yeah, electricity!

An auto accident knocked out the power at my pharmacy a while back. I couldn't get a prescription refilled because they couldn't run the register. They were at a complete standstill and that's what we should expect about everywhere. Life, as we know it, is so dependent upon electricity that most people, especially youngsters, will just sit at their desks with a dumb look on their faces trying to figure out why they can't whine about it on Facebook.

You win the internet today.

In our preps we have the ability to get fuel. Thing is you might get shot getting it.

 

[churchmouse]

I remember Frankfort Indiana losing power for weeks after an ice storm. This is the type of problem we try to stay prepared for, bad, but local. Folks I knew who lived there could drive half an hour and find gasoline and other supplies.

Remember the black out I mentioned up thread.

 

[Leadeye]

I remember that one in the northeast. What was laughable was mayor bloomie in nyc holding a televised news conference telling people the power would be back on soon and they had nothing to worry about. I had to ask who he thought he was talking to as there was no power for televisions.

 

[churchmouse]

I remember that one in the northeast. What was laughable was mayor bloomie in nyc holding a televised news conference telling people the power would be back on soon and they had nothing to worry about. I had to ask who he thought he was talking to as there was no power for televisions.

I remember that.
We had planned a long motorcycle trip that would have taken us right through the black out right as it happened.

By the grace of a higher power we had to cancel. The other couples that went were stuck with no fuel in Podunk New York state for days.

 

[Leadeye]

That would be tough. As widespread as that blackout was even a bike would have had a hard time riding out of it.

Out of curiosity, how much mileage can you squeeze out of a bike? I've always heard max range speed on a car is around 30-40 mph.

 

[churchmouse]

That would be tough. As widespread as that blackout was even a bike would have had a hard time riding out of it.

Out of curiosity, how much mileage can you squeeze out of a bike? I've always heard max range speed on a car is around 30-40 mph.

Depends on the bike. How it is loaded etc.
Look at my profile pic. That is the bike we used on long hauls. Loaded up like a prospectors mule. Never kept track of the mileage on it. Not loaded 1 up in the saddle 3.9 gallon tank maybe 190/220 per tank. Just guessing.

 

[Thor]

Definitely depends on the bike. My 106cc Gilera from 1965 tops out at about 60mph but gets 108mpg. It's got a magneto ignition so I'm guessing no EMP is going to bother it. You could strap on a couple 5 gal gas tanks and putter off over the horizon if that was your intention; of course that would require leaving a lot behind.

 

[bobzilla]

Depends on the bike. How it is loaded etc.
Look at my profile pic. That is the bike we used on long hauls. Loaded up like a prospectors mule. Never kept track of the mileage on it. Not loaded 1 up in the saddle 3.9 gallon tank maybe 190/220 per tank. Just guessing.

I'm limited to about 150 mpt with the FZ. 50mpg and only a 3.2 gallon tank

 

[2A_Tom]

On the subject of battery banks, There are a lot of options for 12v LED lighting, cordless tool chargers and electronics chargers.

Oh and Rhino, that is exactally where I learned that. There is a plethore of good information in those books.

One thing I liked about Charles was his attitude toward neighbors. He moved from the big woods behcause it got too crowded "there were non reletives within three miles". Ih moved to Indiana believing the gubment was going to renig on the present treaty, sooner than they did. One of the several times he lost everything and had to start over.

 

[indyjohn]

Or Yellowstone getting angry.

True.

and a lot of good solar panels will be at that point.

Very true. Then you fall back on wind power.

Every hospital has a backup generator, right. We found that all but one in the immediate downtown area ( including the IU med center) had their generators in the basement. City/County Building also has their's in the basement.

As for generators, they're great but are still a short term solution because they require fuel. What you have when the event occurs is likely all you're going to have. Those pumps at the gas station run on......what's that stuff? Oh yeah, electricity!

An auto accident knocked out the power at my pharmacy a while back. I couldn't get a prescription refilled because they couldn't run the register. They were at a complete standstill and that's what we should expect about everywhere. Life, as we know it, is so dependent upon electricity that most people, especially youngsters, will just sit at their desks with a dumb look on their faces trying to figure out why they can't whine about it on Facebook.

I might know which hospital in the downtown area that has their 3 locomotive diesel generators 25 ft. above ground level (good enough for the 500 year flood through the White River basin). But besides that, 90 hours of diesel fuel (stored at ground level, not sure if it's a closed system) doesn't solve the long term problem of no electricity.

 

[churchmouse]

True.



Very true. Then you fall back on wind power.



I might know which hospital in the downtown area that has their 3 locomotive diesel generators 25 ft. above ground level (good enough for the 500 year flood through the White River basin). But besides that, 90 hours of diesel fuel (stored at ground level, not sure if it's a closed system) doesn't solve the long term problem of no electricity.

Like I mentioned up-thread.......all good until the tanks run dry.

 

[indyjohn]

Do not do that. It is an air cooled machine. It needs air.
Find a way to get a more efficient muffler on it. I had one of the genny's we sold off last year running pretty quite with a motorcycle muffler. It just needed some refinement.

Noted.

 

[churchmouse]

Noted.

If you need some help with this just let me know.

 

[indyjohn]

So, the brown truck brought this today....