Grid Failure
A grid outage may disrupt utilities and hinder access to resources and transportation. Your stockpile list for a grid outage should allow you to safely and comfortably remain home in all climates.
Power grid failures can be a primary or downstream result of cyber-attacks, hurricanes, solar storms and more. However, they are a stand-alone scenario to consider when stockpiling.
Global infrastructure is increasingly dependent on the power grid. Automobiles are rapidly switching to electric just as the dawn of self-driving vehicles arrives with an inherent reliance on GPS satellite communications. Even our supply chains reliant on just-in-time delivery and overseas inputs have traded in their resilience for cost and convenience.
As our reliance on the grid grows, so do our vulnerabilities.
Depending on the origin and breadth of a grid failure, along with our collective ability to effectively respond, the systems we rely on may not recover for weeks or even months.
There are few places in the world truly off-grid. Though even those off-grid may experience civil unrest and supply chain failures if any system (e.g. solar) breaks and requires replacement parts.
A Note on Solar: While installing solar panels on the roof of your home may help offset your electricity bill, most solar paneled homes are still tied to the grid, and rely on external power to store the power generated by the panels. Investing in a generator and onsite battery to store the power generated by the panels may enable you to disconnect from the grid entirely, but in most cases you would no longer have access to any grid-supplied power.
Grid Failure Stockpiles Should Include:
The Basics
Refer to the Basic Stockpile List, including all items for Sheltering-In-Place.
Take special note of the following items: Flashlight, cash, cyberwallet, backup charging devices, carbon monoxide detector, generators, portable heater, portable/backup hard drive, cordless landline telephone, solar charge bank, surge protectors
