Hooked on Fenix
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2007
- Messages
- 3,137
I think we've had enough huge disasters recently that we should compile some advice and specific information that would help others prepare for one such disaster. I'm not talking about a little earthquake or a one day blackout. Here are some such disasters that come to mind and what made them so terrible:
9.0 Japan earthquake: Followed by massive tsunami that melted down a nuclear power plant. Countrywide blackouts, earthquakes, and water contamination followed far into the future. Entire villages were washed out to sea. Many of the nation's crops were lost. Areas were contaminated long term from radiation so no humans could live in them.
7.0 Haiti earthquake: Poor building construction, no trees, poor sanitation, a poor nation, and a high body count from the collapsed buildings. No clean water, little help from the government, and little to no electricity.
Witch Fire of Southern California: Millions displaced, many homes burned, widespread power lines burned to the ground, distribution of water interupted, alternative sources of power/heat destroyed (melted solar panels, blown up fuel supplies, etc.), water pipes to wells and water tanks melted leaving even those on well water or with stored water without supplies of water, hurricane force winds and smoke making it difficult to impossible to sleep in a tent.
Superstorm Sandy: Hit a highly populated metropolitan city head on, covered the entire east coast of the U.S. making evacuation near impossible, widespread power outages followed by several other winter storms that caused more sustained power outages, laws preventing linesmen from fixing power lines from bucket trucks when wind is above 40 m.p.h., no water without electrical pumps above the 6th floor of skyscrapers, huge dependency on electricity for heating during winter, fires from using candles were widespread, large number of people dependent on public transportation (don't own cars), red tape preventing nonunion workers from repairing power lines in some states.
Typhoon Hayian- Peaked at 195 m.p.h. sustained winds and gusts up to 235 m.p.h.. Fastest land striking typhoon in known history. Thousands or more were living in tent cities due to an earthquake that made them homeless about a month ago. Strained national emergency resources due to that same previous earthquake. Evacuation from these islands is now impossible during the storm.
Carrington Event- A C.M.E. caused by a massive X class solar flare from the sun causes widespread power outages, blows up transformers, and melts high voltage power lines. Water and food distribution grinds to a halt. Communications are down. Replacement transformers have to be shipped from China or a few other third world countries and the U.S. is last in line for getting them. Without replacements of the infrastructure (power lines and transformers), electrical generation in the U.S. is impossible except at the smallest scale. Many die from a breakdown of our just in time delivery system of food and lack of potable water transported to homes.
Cyber attack on the U.S. Electric Grid (use your imagination)
E.M.P. devices detonated over the U.S. from North Korea or Iran
I realize that each of these events is different and may require different advice to survive so you can take your pick or give advice for all these situations. While I realize that this is a flashlight forum and dealing with blackouts would be part of all of these situations, please don't limit yourselves to talking about flashlights and batteries. I want this to be a place for useful information for those that may have to deal with any of these types of situations in the future. Please don't turn this thread into what to do during a zombie apocalypse or anything crazy like that. We have enough realistic situations to give advice on that we don't need to get into the wacky what ifs.
Edit
I wanted to add another possible massive disaster that has come to my attention that we may have to prepare for. The #4 Reactor at the Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima, Japan is damaged and all it would take is a 7.0 or above earthquake to basically cause a meltdown that would irradiate the Northern Hemisphere. The odds of a 7.0 or above earthquake occurring in the next 3 years in that area are said to be around 95%. To combat this threat, the power company has decided to somehow move the 1,534 fuel rods to a safer location (different pool of water, I guess). This has to be done using a crane to lift one fuel rod at a time without touching any of the fuel rods together, not touching the earthquake debris in the pool, and not letting any of the fuel rods come into contact with the air. If any of the rods are damaged or broken when lifted and drop, they could touch another fuel rod causing a meltdown or break the pool and drain the water causing a meltdown. This process of moving the fuel rods is estimated to take at least 18 months and is scheduled to start this month. With a 95% chance that a 7.0 earthquake will occur within 3 years and break the pool (causing a meltdown), timing is critical to do this proceedure. Did I mention that if there is a meltdown with these 1,534 fuel rods, the 6,375 additional fuel rods in the common pool that need to be constantly cooled would melt down as well (no one would be able to get close enough to cool them off with water). Fukushima has about 4,000 tons of fuel rods with the potential to melt down. Oh yeah, before Tepco tries this delicate and costly game of pick up sticks, they decided to practice first. Here is the website with further information: http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2013-11-08/we’re-most-dangerous-moment-cuban-missile-crisis What can we do about this potential disaster?
9.0 Japan earthquake: Followed by massive tsunami that melted down a nuclear power plant. Countrywide blackouts, earthquakes, and water contamination followed far into the future. Entire villages were washed out to sea. Many of the nation's crops were lost. Areas were contaminated long term from radiation so no humans could live in them.
7.0 Haiti earthquake: Poor building construction, no trees, poor sanitation, a poor nation, and a high body count from the collapsed buildings. No clean water, little help from the government, and little to no electricity.
Witch Fire of Southern California: Millions displaced, many homes burned, widespread power lines burned to the ground, distribution of water interupted, alternative sources of power/heat destroyed (melted solar panels, blown up fuel supplies, etc.), water pipes to wells and water tanks melted leaving even those on well water or with stored water without supplies of water, hurricane force winds and smoke making it difficult to impossible to sleep in a tent.
Superstorm Sandy: Hit a highly populated metropolitan city head on, covered the entire east coast of the U.S. making evacuation near impossible, widespread power outages followed by several other winter storms that caused more sustained power outages, laws preventing linesmen from fixing power lines from bucket trucks when wind is above 40 m.p.h., no water without electrical pumps above the 6th floor of skyscrapers, huge dependency on electricity for heating during winter, fires from using candles were widespread, large number of people dependent on public transportation (don't own cars), red tape preventing nonunion workers from repairing power lines in some states.
Typhoon Hayian- Peaked at 195 m.p.h. sustained winds and gusts up to 235 m.p.h.. Fastest land striking typhoon in known history. Thousands or more were living in tent cities due to an earthquake that made them homeless about a month ago. Strained national emergency resources due to that same previous earthquake. Evacuation from these islands is now impossible during the storm.
Carrington Event- A C.M.E. caused by a massive X class solar flare from the sun causes widespread power outages, blows up transformers, and melts high voltage power lines. Water and food distribution grinds to a halt. Communications are down. Replacement transformers have to be shipped from China or a few other third world countries and the U.S. is last in line for getting them. Without replacements of the infrastructure (power lines and transformers), electrical generation in the U.S. is impossible except at the smallest scale. Many die from a breakdown of our just in time delivery system of food and lack of potable water transported to homes.
Cyber attack on the U.S. Electric Grid (use your imagination)
E.M.P. devices detonated over the U.S. from North Korea or Iran
I realize that each of these events is different and may require different advice to survive so you can take your pick or give advice for all these situations. While I realize that this is a flashlight forum and dealing with blackouts would be part of all of these situations, please don't limit yourselves to talking about flashlights and batteries. I want this to be a place for useful information for those that may have to deal with any of these types of situations in the future. Please don't turn this thread into what to do during a zombie apocalypse or anything crazy like that. We have enough realistic situations to give advice on that we don't need to get into the wacky what ifs.
Edit
I wanted to add another possible massive disaster that has come to my attention that we may have to prepare for. The #4 Reactor at the Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima, Japan is damaged and all it would take is a 7.0 or above earthquake to basically cause a meltdown that would irradiate the Northern Hemisphere. The odds of a 7.0 or above earthquake occurring in the next 3 years in that area are said to be around 95%. To combat this threat, the power company has decided to somehow move the 1,534 fuel rods to a safer location (different pool of water, I guess). This has to be done using a crane to lift one fuel rod at a time without touching any of the fuel rods together, not touching the earthquake debris in the pool, and not letting any of the fuel rods come into contact with the air. If any of the rods are damaged or broken when lifted and drop, they could touch another fuel rod causing a meltdown or break the pool and drain the water causing a meltdown. This process of moving the fuel rods is estimated to take at least 18 months and is scheduled to start this month. With a 95% chance that a 7.0 earthquake will occur within 3 years and break the pool (causing a meltdown), timing is critical to do this proceedure. Did I mention that if there is a meltdown with these 1,534 fuel rods, the 6,375 additional fuel rods in the common pool that need to be constantly cooled would melt down as well (no one would be able to get close enough to cool them off with water). Fukushima has about 4,000 tons of fuel rods with the potential to melt down. Oh yeah, before Tepco tries this delicate and costly game of pick up sticks, they decided to practice first. Here is the website with further information: http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2013-11-08/we’re-most-dangerous-moment-cuban-missile-crisis What can we do about this potential disaster?
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