In the event of a power outage like Spain.......

MouldyOldDough

Shop shutters were unable to be lowered and mobile phone masts stopped working 
Freezers on stores were off so lots of food thawed 
There's big implications everywhere if this ever happened in uk

booneruk

I think there'd be big implications anywhere across the developed world if a similar event happened

Silvertabby

Some years ago, we woke up on Christmas morning to a local power black out (overhead power lines downed by high winds).  The forecast was that the boys were doing their best to repair the lines, but it would take some hours.

Like most people on our (newish then) estate we had an electric oven but a gas hob and fire (and matches).  But you would have thought it was then of the world, the way some people carried on!  

I just hacked lumps off the turkey and did a huge stir fry for ourselves and a couple of friends - but some people still bang on about the year "Christmas was ruined!".  

mmmmikey

Yes, huge implications.

A useful reminder for people to make sure they know where the manual winding handle is for any roller shutters they have.

A good idea for anyone who's life depends on 24 hour access to mobile communications to have a backup plan (which could be as simple of getting to know your neighbours).

And if your life or livelihood depends on a working freezer, again a backup plan is a good idea. Most modern freezers (in the UK) will cope with being switched off for a day without the contents being spoiled - but a good idea to eat anything more likely to be effected first.

My point isn't to downplay the impact of a widespread power outage, I'm really just trying to make the point that it's easy to get carried away with thinking about the risks and get unnecessarily anxious.

All that is needed is a bit of thought and a few sensible precautions and life will go on.

MouldyOldDough

MWT said:

mark_cycling00 said:

I created my 3-5 day emergency box a few weeks ago. There can be a "weakest link" in every aspect of infrastructure so I assume that everything might fail. 

Similar mind-set here but different solution, we have 27kWh of Tesla Powerwalls and another 40-80kWh available via V2L from one of our EVs.

So MWT will be in a brightly illuminated home with music blaring out of their HiFi - living on fresh roast beef from their freezer, cooked in their electric oven - whilst the rest of the local residents are fighting over dead rats for sustenance - I am sure that they will all be standing around your property congratulating you for your foresight ...
Do you have a gun and a panic room ?

debitcardmayhem

Our friends are in Spain on holiday, my male mate says it’s been generally ok, but his wife was moaning that the bar ran out of ice for her G&T . Such are the small things that make you smile

GingerTim

MouldyOldDough said:

MWT said:

mark_cycling00 said:

I created my 3-5 day emergency box a few weeks ago. There can be a "weakest link" in every aspect of infrastructure so I assume that everything might fail. 

Similar mind-set here but different solution, we have 27kWh of Tesla Powerwalls and another 40-80kWh available via V2L from one of our EVs.

So MWT will be in a brightly illuminated home with music blaring out of their HiFi - living on fresh roast beef from their freezer, cooked in their electric oven - whilst the rest of the local residents are fighting over dead rats for sustenance - I am sure that they will all be standing around your property congratulating you for your foresight ...
Do you have a gun and a panic room ?

The power going off for 24 hours will lead to 'local residents fighting over dead rats for sustenance'? Give over.

MouldyOldDough

booneruk said:

I think there'd be big implications anywhere across the developed world if a similar event happened

In the event of a war - it would be considerably worse, with fuel and food shortages - with repeated power outages - for many days/weeks/permanently....... I have often wondered what would happen in a war situation - would the government really show it's initiative and help us all or would they simply look after themselves / London ?

What about prescriptions - would they continue unabated - because many of us rely on drugs for survival - not only pain killers but heart meds and similar - some of which are sourced from abroad - obviously they would have to change - but how many would die / be in pain from that ?

booneruk

If you want to start worrying about disaster situations how about meteor strikes, rogue states with biological weapons, Yellowstone erupting, a nuclear disaster, huge solar flares etc etc. There's too much to worry about if you care to think about it - best keep a positive mindset and deal with things as they come.

MattMattMattUK

MouldyOldDough said:

Shop shutters were unable to be lowered and mobile phone masts stopped working 

Spanish infrastructure is a lot less well maintained than even our crumbling infrastructure. 

MouldyOldDough said:

Freezers on stores were off so lots of food thawed 

Shut the doors and the freezers will be good for many hours, the problem is when people keep opening doors. 

MouldyOldDough said:

There's big implications everywhere if this ever happened in uk

The biggest issue would be panic, practically there are not really any issues that cannot be dealt with.

MouldyOldDough said:

booneruk said:

I think there'd be big implications anywhere across the developed world if a similar event happened

In the event of a war - it would be considerably worse, with fuel and food shortages - with repeated power outages - for many days/weeks/permanently....... I have often wondered what would happen in a war situation - would the government really show it's initiative and help us all or would they simply look after themselves / London ?

What makes you think the government would look after London? In the event of a major ware there is unlikely to be much of London left anyway, so very little to look after. 

MouldyOldDough said:

What about prescriptions - would they continue unabated - because many of us rely on drugs for survival - not only pain killers but heart meds and similar - some of which are sourced from abroad - obviously they would have to change - but how many would die / be in pain from that ?

That depends on the war, but the only likely scenario for a war where that seriously impacts us would be a global war, in which case everyone who relies on medicine would die and we would have to fight each other for food. Any war involving major powers would likely escalate to civilisation ending event fairly quickly, it goes back to the quote "I do not know what weapons world war three will be fought with, but I know the war after will be fought with sticks and stones".