History
Even
though we live in a rural location, we've generally enjoyed relatively stable
availability of food, water, energy, sanitation, medical support, and fuel, but
in recent years, some emergencies several of these services and resources:
-
Floods damaged bridges, stranded residents, and compromised water and sanitation
systems.
- Severe
cold resulted in shortages of natural gas, damage to many homes, and significant
losses to water reserves.
- Fires
damaged and destroyed many homes, leaving many homeless, and related road closures
left those most affected with little or no access to relief supplies.
- Communication
disruptions left many without electronic access to their money to purchase needed
gasoline and food and isolated many with no ability to contact family members,
police, or medical support.
Future
Concerns
Electricity: America's electrical grid is very old and at risk of significant
regional failures, and current federal policies are eliminating coal power plants,
which once provided over 40% of America's electricity. Additionally, we are approaching
solar maximums, which could produce large solar flares, causing damage to the
grid and many critical electrical devices.
Food & Water: Extended
drought conditions are causing shortages of food crops and animal feed, forcing
ranchers to reduce herd sizes and driving prices across the board higher and higher.
Domestic wells and municipal water sources are are drying up in some areas.
Fuel:
International relationships and lack of domestic production are putting our fuel
supplies at increasing risk. So far, only prices have been affected, but we may
see serious shortages in our rural area in the future.
Data
& Communication: Cyber attacks, proposed legislation, malware, and power
grid vulnerabilities are likely to adversely affect nearly all of us in one way
or another. During extended power failures or rationing, anything with a battery
could be rendered useless in a matter of hours or days. Communication by cell
phones or the internet may not be an option. When power is out or if bank databases
are corrupted, reliance on ATM and credit cards could result in the inability
to purchase needed resources, such as food, medication, or fuel.
Solutions
As the
weak economy drives incomes down, and prices of food, fuel, and utilities continue
to increase, we face the probability of personal shortages of many resources and
services that we depend on. When combined, risks of natural, government, and personal
emergencies can lead to significant stress, relationship conflicts, and erosion
of confidence.
By being personally accountable for preparedness within
your means and networking with others in the community for exchange of information,
goods, and services, we can mitigate negative outcomes. We all have something
to share or contribute, whether it be expertise, services, resources, financial
aid, or labor. Building preparedness relationships is fun and rewarding, and being
prepared relieves stress and builds confidence.
To better understand your
personal risk points, take a look at the What
Would You Do? page. Please consider devoting a bit of time to attend Able
Lincoln Network meetings, share your needs and expertise with others, and contribute
links and data for posting on the Resource pages.
