We felt pretty good about our emergency plan and gear. Outages were trending less frequent than when we first moved in. Then our area had an ice storm to remind us anything was possible - but we only lost power for some hours. House gen picked up the slack. Friend however - lives further out into country - lost power and thus heat for a week. Stayed with us.
Was a solid reminder that though we rarely see that kind of weather, having a plan is still worthwhile - even if only candles and a campstove. Friend had zero failback plan. Still doesn't. We are their fallback. And that is fine - if I can reach them b/c they are too old to walk out in those conditions. And we don't mind.
All it takes is switching on the evening news to see reasons to have a plan - even basic, even if it is money and vehicle enough to "GTFO" before the storm arrives. I don't want to rely on the feds or charity groups to provide for us if we can provide for ourselves. Let them focus on the many low income people who might not have resources.
Good to have a big portable battery on wheels that can help if the generator fails for some reason.
Agreed. It doesn’t take a lot to have a contingency plan, and it doesn’t have to involve going full prepped.
My EV can power my fridge, freezer, and other small devices for over a week. Alternatively, it could power a space heater (and nothing else) for a couple days.
For cooking, I could use my induction cooktop, my propane bbq, or my backpacking stove.
I’m knowledgeable enough to get most of the water from my water heater. I also have a backpacking water filter and live close enough to a small urban stream.
I don’t specifically have food stockpiled, but my pantry always has enough in it to last for a while, even if it’s odd cooking.
We live in a storm-prone area. Flooding is common. High winds are also common, and while our electricity usually only suffers short outages, sometimes they can be days or longer. So when I hear people talking about being fully electrified and using their EV for back-up, I have to worry a bit for them.
Over years of events, I’ve learned that good back-up contains many different options. Passive solar, fireplace wood, and extra blankets to stay warm? Yes, please. Generator, extra gas, and solar for power generation? Yes, please. Flashlights, extra batteries, gas lanterns, extra gas, and candles for light? Yes, please. Propane BBQ, propane camp stove, charcoal grill, and wood fire grill for cooking? Yes please. Bottled water, filtered stream water, and rain water for water? Yes please. Gravity for sewer and rain drains? Yes please, and no back-up needed for gravity!
The EV solution could be very helpful for a few days of outage, but if it’s going to be longer than that, you’ve just consumed your energy for transportation out of the area to buy a few days of cooking, heat, and charging your phone.
Topic: Electric Cars: Can they finally become popular in the United States? (Read 810668 times)
