As a resident of California, not currently impacted by the Public
Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), I am in the enviable position of turning on my
lights and opening my refrigerator without fear of food spoiling. I am aware of
this luxury given that close to 500,000 PG&E customers are
either in the dark or wondering if / when their lights will go out.
While the power outage is causing consternation and
frustration due to school closures, a lack of traffic lights, no gas, and a
general inability to mindlessly scroll through Instagram, this should be seen
an opportunity to test of our preparedness without having to go through the
catastrophic pre-cursor associated with widespread power loss and
infrastructure challenges.
California is reeling from 2 years of fire. Fires that
claimed lives, destroyed businesses, and decimated towns. Recovery in most of
the areas is just getting underway, and for the residents of Paradise, CA many
are still dealing with the uncertainty of what happens next, almost a year
later.
However, even with the memories of our recent catastrophes
raw, many still remain unaware or unprepared for the realities that come with
living in our hazard-prone state. Fires are just one of a slew of hazards that
have the potential to re-shape our landscape and our lives, with the July 4th
Earthquakes in Trona, CA as the most recent example. Had the 7.0 that struck
Trona, been closer to Los Angeles or any one of the population centers in
SoCal, this power shutoff would be the least of our worries.
But it didn’t…and life goes on, reinforcing our unfounded
belief that bad things happen to other people, not us.
So now the power is off. Yes, the rationale for shutting off
the power is a subject of heated debate, and whether or not shutting off the
grid is a sustainable solution to managing wildfire risk is a matter for a
different post…but when life hands you lemons…you get prepared (I’m pretty sure
that’s how the saying goes).
Will this power event stress our healthcare systems? You bet.
Is it making life more difficult for a whole lot of people?
Undoubtedly.
Is shutting off the grid the answer for every time there’s a
red flag warning? Absolutely Not.
Is this the perfect opportunity to realize that if you can’t
weather a 4 day power outage, then you are SOL when the earth starts shaking,
the flood waters rise, or the next fire rips through your community? YES!
People need to be jolted into reality. People need to
realize that we are one bad day away from what they’re currently experiencing,
only orders of magnitude worse.
The fallout from this PSPS will be severe with unanticipated
ramifications because we’ve never experienced something like this, on this
scale. When we lose power, we lose our ability to maintain life as we knew it,
but we don’t lose our ability to function.
So tonight, when you’re sitting around lamenting the fact
that you can’t watch Netflix, or post an Instagram story because your battery
is dead, use a headlamp or candles (for that throwback vibe) and write down
what you need to make life better right now…and whaddaya know, you’ve just
started your very own disaster plan…see, it’s not that hard.
But before you lose momentum, when you get power back or are
at work tomorrow, check out the links below to family disaster plans…these are good
templates to help you figure out what is good information to know or have on hand
before the next PSPS, or god forbid, something worse happens.
Then, play cards and drink a beer. It’s like camping indoors.
Stay safe.
Resources:
Family Disaster Planning Guide Links
