All parts of the United States and world experience storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and more recently made made disasters related to riots, looting and arson. When these events occur, it is very possible that you could be without electricity and even natural gas for hours, days or even weeks. Are you prepared to deal with a natural or man made disaster. I suspect the answer for most people is probably not.
Everything we depend on is predicated on electricity. This is why we cannot rely on wind and solar alone. There has to be carbon and or nuclear energy somewhere in the picture to guarantee a stable source of electricity. It may be that all new homes should come with generators. And, or in older homes maybe it makes sense to add a generator powered by either natural gas and or propane. Most people probably cannot afford the $10,000 or more it would cost for a generator; but there are other things you can do to get you through a power outage.
The easiest thing involves battery powered lighting, rather than candles that could cause fires. There is nothing worse than being in the dark for hours at a time. Obviously stocking up on canned goods is a good idea. Having a gas cook top is better than electric because you can start the flame with a match if the electricity is off that would normally provide the spark to start the flame. This assumes that natural gas is still working, which may not be true. It could be a good plan to have a little camper cook top powered by propane. And, if you have a wood burning fireplace, having fire wood on hand is a good idea to provide for heat during winter months.
Water, Water, Water. Stocking up on bottled water is really important. The number of gallons needed depends on family size; but assume that you will have no water for some period of time. Anybody with a swimming pool can use pool water to flush toilets; but not for drinking. Otherwise, if the water is off, using the toilet will be a problem. You may have to resort to a camper porta potty.
Clearly, preparing for a natural or man made disaster requires some planning. But do the what if's. What if, we have no electricity, water or natural gas for hours, days or even weeks. Odds are pretty good that if the event goes on for weeks, you will leave your home assuming you can get gasoline to drive away. So let's just assume you are planning for hours or days in order to survive in your home. Check the boxes related to the things you would need to at least get by. You won't be comfortable; but at least you will be able to manage for a short amount of time.
