The last time the world was in complete blackout, dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Okay, that was a bit of a stretch but you do get the picture, right? We have electricity, and the people behind its discovery, to thank for now that we don’t have to worry about the dark anymore.
A kite-flying Benjamin Franklin is often erroneously credited with the discovery of electricity in 1752 but there are at least two other people, Thales of Miletus and William Gilbert, who beat him to it. Thales discovered static electricity in 600 B.C. after rubbing fur on amber while Gilbert did experiments and made up the word “electricus” in 1600. Franklin, in fact, just wanted to prove that lightning was electricity thus his famous experiment of flying a kite with a key during a thunderstorm.
The brilliant work of these three, along with other important figures in history, led to innumerable electrical inventions that have made life a lot easier and brighter. There was the carbon arc lamp by Pavel Yablochkov, Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone, and the phonograph by Thomas Alba Edison. In 1877, the first ever electrical street lighting was installed in Paris. Each invention opened the doors to this and that invention, which led us to now – a world dependent on electricity.
The question now is what would happen if the planet is hit with a worldwide power blackout.
1977 New York Blackout
Something similar to this actually happened on July 13, 1977. New York went completely dark after lightning strikes damaged transmission lines at the Indian Point nuclear plant caused a city-wide a power blackout. If that incident would be used as a gauge of what may happen in a worldwide power blackout, we’re going to be in a whole lot of trouble.
The 1977 blackout lasted for only a couple of days but the city was in complete chaos. People from the poorer areas in Brooklyn were out on the streets directing traffic. Businesses were looted forcing the owners set their own stores on fire to maximize insurance claims.
The experience left a bad taste and the country surely made preparations in case such a disaster happens again. However, more than 40 years since then, the world has gotten more modern with computers and the internet playing a major part in just about everything. It’s pretty scary just imagining what would happen if there was a worldwide power blackout.
Will A Massive Power Blackout Happen Again?
A power blackout covering a wide area or maybe even worldwide is possible because of the sun. Solar flares or the eruptions on the surface of the sun can disrupt electrical … in the planet. It’s been known to happen. In 1972, long-distance telephone communication went down in Illinois because of a solar flare. In 1989, another solar flare caused geomagnetic storms, which affected electric power transmission in Canada resulting to 9 hours of darkness.
A massive solar storm, however, is capable of causing a worldwide power blackout. It happened in 1859 when the world was yet to fully envelope the electrical era. There’s no way to predict when the next big one will happen but limited data points to its occurrence every 500 years.
What to Do During A Worldwide Power Blackout
As much as we want to believe the figure above, there is no assurance that a massive power blackout will not occur during our lifetime. With that in mind, below are some tips on what to do in case of a global blackout.
It all begins with preparation. It doesn’t matter if you’re preparing for an earthquake, a super typhoon, or an alien invasion. What matters is that you are taking the necessary steps to be ready for the unknown. In fact, you shouldn’t focus on one specific disaster to prepare for. Be ready for anything, including a worldwide power blackout and its aftereffects.
Food and Water
In prepping, one major point of focus is sustenance. Simply put, you need food and water to survive. A worldwide power blackout means food companies will no longer be able to manufacture food. Grocery stores will no longer be able to sell food and other products. You need to watch out for yourself.
Hoard as much as you can in your home, in your car, and in your bug out shelter or the place you go to if you have to evacuate your home. Choose foods that have a long shelf life. When it comes to water, you must consider that an average person needs about half a gallon each day. That’s for drinking alone. You also need water for cooking and cleaning.
Grow your own produce and raise animals such as chickens and quails in your backyard. You should also learn how to preserve and can different foods, and make your own bread from grains and other ingredients you have in your prepper pantry. If you don’t know how to fish or hunt, start learning now.
Survival Gear
Perhaps one of the most important piece of survival gear during a blackout is a light source. Keep some flashlights, lanterns, and headlamps handy. Make sure you have enough extra batteries to last you for a while.
You will also need candles, waterproof matches and other fire starters. Just be careful in using these items inside your home. Place candles away from anything flammable.
The 1977 blackout saw establishments being set on fire by the owners no less. There’s a chance fire will erupt somewhere during a global power blackout since many will likely build bonfires. Be ready in case a fire goes wild and starts engulfing communities. Make sure you have fire extinguishers and other fire suppressants at home. Garden hoses will also prove useful during a fire so you better own at least one.
If you live in an apartment building or a house with a second floor, you should have a way to escape if there is a fire. You must have glass breakers, ladders, and even an axe for breaking down doors and wooden walls.
Self Defense
As evidenced by the New York blackout, crime and violence eventually will erupt in such a scenario. Some people who are not in the right state of mind will take advantage of the confusion and darkness to do some bad deeds. You need to be able to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Aside from learning martial arts and various self defense tactics, you may want to arm yourself. Purchase guns and ammunition legally and get the necessary permits. If guns are not for you, opt for less lethal weapons such as survival knives, crossbows, hatchets, and bolos. You can also go for even less lethal ones such as stun guns, pepper sprays, and melee weapons like baseball bats and brass knuckles.
Another way to defend yourself is to fortify your home. Make your house impenetrable by securing the locks to all possible entryways. Deadbolts and other such devices will help keep your doors locked. Install grills on our windows and change the glass panes into bulletproof ones. Your security system will not function anymore due to the absence of electricity but you should still install one to keep your home safe while no global blackouts have yet to happen. For more tips on how to secure your home, check here.
Power Source
In the event of a global blackout, you can still generate energy through numerous ways. However, these alternative energy sources may be limited, especially if you’re dealing with a prolonged power outage.
The most popular alternative energy source is, ironically, the sun. Ordinary systems may not be advisable during massive blackouts unless you have special inverters.
Wind and water can also be sources of energy through windmills and watermills. Generators will also work until you run out of fuel. The lack of electricity will prevent gas stations from pumping fuel. It will also eventually make it difficult to process gasoline and other liquid fuels. You’ll need to learn how to make fuel out of crude oil.
A worldwide power blackout has the potential to revert the world back to the days when people cooked over actual fire instead of a microwave oven, traveled on horses or coal-powered trains, and passed the time watching actors on a makeshift stage and not in a flat screen LED TV. There will definitely be a huge change resulting from the prolonged loss of power but man, being the resourceful beings they are, will find a way to survive.
There are other ways man can cope with a worldwide power blackout, however difficult it may be at the start. If you know of other possible ways for man to survive this disaster, go ahead and share them in the comment section below. The Gentleman Pirate also showcases different emergency situations aside from a power outage and provides tips on how to survive them.
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