American Blackout: This Is Why I Prep

[Lightyear68]

This video shows what National Geographic predicts could happen after 10 days with the power grid down across America. Think it's far fetched?

My neighbor's a cyber security expert with the feds and he has convinced me that this is a very real scenario. A whacky neighbor you say? I thought that at first.

Then I attended his military retirement and listened to high level brass and government officials saying he was among the best cyber security experts in the country.

And by the way...he's a prepper.

 

[Boxtop]

This video shows what National Geographic predicts could happen after 10 days with the power grid down across America. Think it's far fetched?

My neighbor's a cyber security expert with the feds and he has convinced me that this is a very real scenario. A whacky neighbor you say? I thought that at first.

Then I attended his military retirement and listened to high level brass and government officials saying he was among the best cyber security experts in the country.

And by the way...he's a prepper.

But could the power grid really be taken down across the country at the same time? I mean it isn't totally connected is it? I guess it could go out for a whole city or maybe even a region but country wide all at once? That would take a bit of coordination wouldn't it?

 

[dfens42]

It could be taken down pretty easily.

That being said, this thread probably belongs somewhere other than the MD 2A Issues subforum.

 

[Boxtop]

It could be taken down pretty easily.

Well it's settled then.

 

[dfens42]

I have direct work experience in cyber security and telcom/utilities. Trust me, it wouldn't be hard. The infrastructure is not hardened to any great extent, both in physical terms and cyber/network terms. And yes, the grid is interconnected, although there are some smaller groupings, Eastern, Western and Texas.

 

[Boxtop]

I have direct work experience in cyber security and telcom/utilities. Trust me, it wouldn't be hard. The infrastructure is not hardened to any great extent, both in physical terms and cyber/network terms. And yes, the grid is interconnected, although there are some smaller groupings, Eastern, Western and Texas.

I see.

Thanks.

 

[dfens42]

Texas would probably stand the best chance of staying up on it's own, The Western Interconnect has so much space to cover and not enough infrastructure, and the Eastern Interconnect is a mishmash of new and old. A high altitude EMP will take it most or all the way down in a hurry. Beyond that, the best hope for the future is compartmentalizing, or microgridding.

 

[Mark75H]

The grid is supposed to have numerous disconnects to stop a widespread blackout ... but over and over we see that it often doesn't work, but still I cannot see anything short of a major sophisticated enemy attack bringing down the entire grid from more than 4 or 5 days before "normalcy" started to return across most of the country.

They might be able to hack a region for a week, but more than a region and more than a week I doubt.

 

[ground chuck]

Didn't a tree take down part of the grid coming in from Canada back in say 2009ish

 

[Tman68]

Solar panels

 

[dfens42]

Didn't a tree take down part of the grid coming in from Canada back in say 2009ish

I forget the exact date, but yes, it was the one that blacked out NYC. Cascading failure is what it is called, and it is a very real threat.

The newer equipment has safety mechanisms built in to just shut down in that sort of case, but the older crap just gets zorched.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304071004579409631825984744

Read that, it talks about how it could take 2 years plus to replace the transformers in certain instances. That's what should scare you.

Get a generator, or better yet a home backup system that runs on propane or natural gas. Supplement it with solar or wind, and you'll be in better shape than 99.99999% of the population.

 

[ground chuck]

Yeah, those transformers aren't laying around. It's a serious issue that isn't getting the proper atrention or if it is the public is literally in the dark about it.

 

[MikeTF]

How long does it take to 'rebuild'? Not that long.

 

[rmiddle]

How long does it take to 'rebuild'? Not that long.

Depends on what is taken down. A local 500 amp will be replaced by the next day. One of the huge ones could take years to get a replacement.

Thanks
Robert

 

[MikeTF]

Depends on what is taken down. A local 500 amp will be replaced by the next day. One of the huge ones could take years to get a replacement.

Thanks
Robert

Assuming no 'design' changes based on available materials, I would have to agree with you.

 

[Lightyear68]

That being said, this thread probably belongs somewhere other than the MD 2A Issues subforum.

Read below.

Get a generator, or better yet a home backup system that runs on propane or natural gas. Supplement it with solar or wind, and you'll be in better shape than 99.99999% of the population.

How are we going to protect our generator, solar panels, food, and water?

Yep, that's why this thread is in the 2A forum.

 

[Bolts Rock]

But could the power grid really be taken down across the country at the same time? I mean it isn't totally connected is it? I guess it could go out for a whole city or maybe even a region but country wide all at once? That would take a bit of coordination wouldn't it?

Lights Out by Ted Koppel

One Second After by William Forstchen

Read them. The answer is yes via several methods.

 

[Bolts Rock]

The grid is supposed to have numerous disconnects to stop a widespread blackout ... but over and over we see that it often doesn't work, but still I cannot see anything short of a major sophisticated enemy attack bringing down the entire grid from more than 4 or 5 days before "normalcy" started to return across most of the country.

They might be able to hack a region for a week, but more than a region and more than a week I doubt.

Wrong. The system can be made to melt itself down and physically destroy itself.

 

[Bolts Rock]

How long does it take to 'rebuild'? Not that long.

18+ month lead times on major components. Assuming of course China wasn't the attacker.

 

[Mark75H]

So China sneaks in 20 expert mortar teams as grad school students and ferries the equipment across the Canadian border via snowmobile in late winter and waits until the hottest day in August to have them destroy the 20 largest most critical substations ... the Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers are called back to supply power and desaled water to Los Angeles and Seattle ... China then procedes to play Hokie Pokie on Taiwan while half the US is sweating for the first time in their spoiled lives and complaining that their AC and internet doesn't work.