Unless you have been living under a rock and without WiFi, you will have undoubtedly noticed the mounting concern surrounding the date December 21, 2012. In fairness this date has been determined to be the final day of one of the Mayan long count calendars. Additionally, it has been determined by scholars to also be the date that the planets of our solar system will be perfectly aligned within our own solar system within the Milky Way galaxy. It is known that our solar flare activity from our star (the sun) waxes and wanes in a 9 year cycle. At the end of this 9 year solar cycle, solar flares become more intense and more frequent. The end of the current solar cycle will be in 2012.
Other speculation exists suggesting that the planet will complete a 26,000 year wobble in 2012, leading some to believe that our magnetic poles will shift. A pole shift or outright reversal would likely cause widespread damage. We can only speculate as to what significance a pole shift might have because humans weren’t around the last time it happened. In sort, a lot of people are making a lot of predictions about 2012. Some predictions pose a realistic view of what may happen, and some predictions are just flat out paranoia.
Surviving an event such as super-volcano eruption or super-hurricane is largely a matter of luck and being in the right place at the right time. Scenarios involving some of the more horrific (if unsubstantiated) predictions such as a planetary collision bare no possibility for survival for humans. Luckily, these pseudoscientific predictions are “beyond worst case” scenarios and despite what internet fringe says, they aren’t likely anytime soon.
The fact of the matter is that survival of any sort is simple if you have taken some precautions prior to the event itself. It’s the people who wait until after a disaster and expect others to come charging to the rescue who are the least likely to survive. Of all of the scenarios outlined above, the most realistic threat seems to be from our own star. Solar flares can disrupt power grids and communications; they can knock out satellites and even damage sensitive electronics.
Scientists around the world are quietly concerned about the recent lack of significant solar flare activity, the fear is that the sun is storing energy and as the end of the current solar cycle approaches solar activity will erupt violently possibly causing widespread damage to power grids and satellites. What does this mean for you? Well consider how your life is affected when you lose power during a storm. Most of us have experienced power outages at some point but solar induced power grid disruption has the ability to knock out power across multiple states or regions causing massive blackouts that can last for weeks.
We have all been without power for hours, some for days at a time but how will your life change if you and your community are without power for weeks? How would you heat your home? How would you get your news? How would your job be affected? If you work for the power company, you may be pulled away from home indefinitely. If communications are disrupted, cell phones would be rendered useless. How would you check on your elderly parents or your kids stuck at college? Would you simply drive around and check on people? Not if you didn’t have gasoline and with widespread power outages, gas cannot be pumped or purchased. We are addicted and rely on energy to an extent that it would cripple us to have to deal with life sans electricity. Our lives would change in an instant.
Lots of people would sit around waiting for the power to be restored, believing that the outage is local and power will be restored within hours. People will have no idea that half of the country is without power. While it is likely that public safety agencies and the National Guard would be mobilized to move people to temporary shelters, frustration levels would mount without word on how long the outage might last. People deprived of their normal way of life and deprived of information might get violent, some will take extreme measures and simply take what they need from others, be it firewood, food or fuel. Chaos could very quickly ensue.
So how would you survive a massive power outage? Be prepared ahead of time. Have a gas powered generator and plenty of gas. Have battery powered radios and plenty of fresh batteries. Have non perishable foods and a way to cook food. You will need plenty of fresh water and it would not be wise to assume that it will always be available from the tap. How would you keep your family warm? Do you have plenty of firewood or fuel for your furnace? You may well have to ration the supplies you do have. Life will change. If you don’t believe me, try shutting off the power to your home and living for one week.
Only those who are strong, smart and prepared will be able to survive on their own. Others will have to depend on the government to mobilize and help the and we saw how that went when hurricane Katrina hit land in New Orleans. You must have a family plan in place before the event happens. For instance, if the power is off for more than 6 hours and communications are down, everyone comes to dad’s house. Everyone brings all of the life sustaining supplies they have to be pooled; batteries, cans of food, candles, fuel, firewood, radios, generators, blankets, water, etc. It sounds like overkill and if the lights come back on within 24 hours, it will have been. But if the grid is down for a week, you will be glad you had a plan.
Other things to consider are medications and health care needs. Most of us aren’t allowed an extra month’s worth of medications; the insurance company won’t pay for it. But if you can work it out with your doctor, it’s never a bad idea to have extra medications for just such an emergency. Perhaps the doctor can give you samples ahead of time. Without electricity, the pharmacy won’t be able to fill your prescriptions. Most hospitals have emergency generators and will likely be up and running during even the worst of disasters unless they have had to evacuate. Understand however that in times of crisis, hospitals tend to be short staffed and over-run with patients. Unless it is a matter of life or limb, don’t head to the hospital. With communications disrupted, calling 911 won’t do anything for you. Learning some basic lifesaving measures can come in very handy during times of crisis. You can take First Aid and CPR classes at just about any hospital or local fire department to prepare you for the worst.
We all hope that 2012 comes and goes without the foretold calamity predicted by the thousands of books and websites out there. The fact of the matter is that we come to the end of a calendar cycle each year on December 31, and the stars don’t fall from the sky. I’d be willing to bet that December 21, 2012 will come and go without so much as a few snow flakes but like surviving any potential disaster, it’s best to be prepared. Take care of yourselves and take care of each other and I’ll see you on 12/22/2012.
