By gosh we are all so very vulnerable.

There was a power outage in my neighbourhood yesterday morning.  It lasted for about two hours.

I’d already had my regular early morning cups of coffee when the electricity was cut.  

That was good.

 

Despite this I felt so very discombobulated.

I turned a fan on, forgetting for the while that electric fans need electricity!  

I stumbled around in the darkness and found my emergency flashlight/torch.

  It worked, but with a very dim beam.  

Why was I surprised at this?   After all I had not used the flashlight/torch for more than three years, and the huge #9 battery had simply run down.

All this reminded me to get a new battery for the flash-light, and to check my Coleman campers’ gas rings, and all the other items I have in my “emergency box”, which I set up four years ago in order to be prepared for a hurricane.

I found that I need to restock it with instant coffee, with cash, with a battery operated radio, with wet wipes, with “etc. etc.”, – all of the stuff which I might well need or want in a four to five day emergency. 

I suspect that many of us are no more than seven days’ away from the ability to survive in a great emergency.

Well, the power was restored in due time, enabling me to take care of a few chores and then head over to St. Petersburg for the “Pride” event.

On the way home I ran into a “father and mother” of rain/thunderstorms on the Interstate.

I was aware of the dangers of hydroplaning.  I knew that my visibility was severely limited.

This was a dangerous situation. 

I moved to the right hand lane; reduced my speed to about 35 mph; and turned on the car’s flashers. It was heartening to see that many other drivers opted for similar safety measures.  

 I breathed a sigh of relief when I arrived home – “safe and sound”.

Electrical power cuts and massive thunderstorms:   by gosh we are all so very vulnerable.