Influenza Pandemic 2009: Are You Prepared to Weather This Storm?

Is your family prepared for this spreading flu virus. As of today, Wednesday, April 29, 2009, there is one confirmed death in the U.S., and the virus has been found in 10 states. Does your family have enough food? Do you have a water purification system? Do you have hospital grade masks or hand sanitizer? Do you need vitamins?
Nitro-Pak.com
can supply all these and any other emergency equipment you may need.

Please also read my post on essential oils and homeopathic remedies in connection with this most pressing issue. Do not delay! Take action today!

Surviving The Lights Going Out...How to Wire a Home Generator

There are many scenarios which might precursor the lights/electricity going out. Look at our recent weather...blizzards, tornadoes, earthquakes, high wind, hurricanes, etc. Another scenario might entail a breach in the electrical grid. Please refer to my post on How to Survive A Disruption In the Electric Grid.
You may prepare by obtaining a disaster kit...or you may invest in a home generator. When I lived in the city, I used my home generator on more than one occasion when the electricity went out...once, during a most life-threatening situation...the last 2 minutes of the Superbowl..saved my life! So how do you wire your generator to your home safely? Here is an article I gleaned from the internet I would like to pass on to you. I hope this is a good reference and will truly help you out.

Wiring a Home Generator for Emergencies

March 8, 2009
Dr. Lon Schultz

There are three basic ways to wire a generator. The first is a permanent installation with a transfer switch. This is the best. The next is the method I have listed and the last is with extension cords, a poor choice.

First. Construct or have constructed an extension cord, one end with a plug that goes into the 220 V outlet on the generator. The other end needs to have a plug for a 220 V outlet in the house, air conditioner or electric dryer. The wattage and subsequent amperage of the generator should match the outlet in the house, but it is not necessary; however the wire must meet or exceed the rating of the generator. This cord will have a plug on each end and is very dangerous! If you plug it in and start the generator, so don't.

Here are some guidelines for cord construction:


With up to a 4 KW 220V generator a grounded 12 G wire rated @ 20 amps is adequate.

With up to a 6 KW 220V generator a grounded 10 G wire rated at 30 amps is sufficient.

With up to a 10 KW 220V generator use a grounded 8 G wire rated for 50 A.

Of course you can always use a larger wire.

Second. Turn off the main breaker. (I can't overemphasize this) then turn off all other breakers!

Third. Connect the cord between the generator and the house. If possible, ground the generator to the ground.

Fourth. Start the generator and let it warm up a little. The generator should be out side or at least in a garage. NOT IN THE HOUSE!

Fifth. Turn on one breaker to 1 room with lights only. If all is well, turn on another breaker to other rooms with lights only. This is to avoid wiring and load problems. So now the house is mostly lit, turn off any unnecessary lights.

Try this before you need it; there might be problems!

Sixth. Depending on the power of the generator, turn on other breakers to rooms with freezers and refrigerators, one at a time with 10 to 20 seconds between. High wattage devices like electric stoves and air conditioners will usually overload your generator. If this happens, just turn of the device and reset the breakers.

At this point your house will operate nearly normal. Accept for high wattage devices like large air conditioners or electric stoves and ovens.

Seventh. Shutting the system down is in the reverse order.

No matter what, shut down the generator before any wires are disconnected. as it is a shock hazard other wise.



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Dr. Lon Schultz spent 40 years in electronics, engineering and taught industrial maintenance for A.T.U.

http://standeyo.com/NEWS/09_Sci_Tech/090408.wiring.generator.html

Surviving a Disruption in the Electric Grid

What would you do if you were without electricity for 1 day, 2 days, 1 week, 1 month or more? Are you prepared? Last week another threat was posed to our national electric grid:

U.S. Electrical Grid Penetrated by Russian and Chinese Spies
April 8, 2009
By Siobhan Gorman
Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON -- Cyberspies have penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system, according to current and former national-security officials.
The spies came from China, Russia and other countries, these officials said, and were believed to be on a mission to navigate the U.S. electrical system and its controls. The intruders haven't sought to damage the power grid or other key infrastructure, but officials warned they could try during a crisis or war
"Over the past several years, we have seen cyberattacks against critical infrastructures abroad, and many of our own infrastructures are as vulnerable as their foreign counterparts, " Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair recently told lawmakers. "A number of nations, including Russia and China, can disrupt elements of the U.S. information infrastructure."
The U.S. electrical grid comprises three separate electric networks, covering the East, the West and Texas. Each includes many thousands of miles of transmission lines, power plants and substations. The flow of power is controlled by local utilities or regional transmission organizations. The growing reliance of utilities on Internet-based communication has increased the vulnerability of control systems to spies and hackers, according to government reports.
The sophistication of the U.S. intrusions -- which extend beyond electric to other key infrastructure systems -- suggests that China and Russia are mainly responsible, according to intelligence officials and cybersecurity specialists. While terrorist groups could develop the ability to penetrate U.S. infrastructure, they don't appear to have yet mounted attacks, these officials say. (YET!!!)(emphasis mine)
Rebecca Smith contributed to this article.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123914805204099085.html

So, it is admitted that our infrastructure has been penetrated. Are you going to wait until the other shoe drops, or will you begin to make provisions for a backup, emergency system. Our advertisers, such as Nitro-Pak.com
, 1800prepare, LLC.,American Family Safety all offer excellent preparedness kits to help you in any natural or manmade disaster!

Don't wait to get ready! Many events are happening at an amazing speed. Take action today!

Disaster Scenario #1: Power Outage: What Can You Do?

If you have read my previous posts, Potential Disasters and Disaster Ramifications, we're now going to deal with how YOU can prepare and cope with each scenario.
Scenario #1 : Power Goes Out. What can you expect? We spoke about the fact that food can begin to spoil and the fact you may be out of water for a while. As witnessed in the midwest this past week, people were asked to conserve their use of water because there was not enough power to pump water from the municipal water source. Therefore, in preparing for a potential power outage, you need to have food and water on hand.

Did you know, it is a fact, that the majority of American homes have less than 3 days of food on hand. What happens if you can't even cook that food because the power has gone out?

One solution is to have MRE's
These are easy to fix, require little, if any water, and often come with a way to heat it.
Another solution is to have freeze dried foods on hand, and a very good brand is Mountain House Freeze-Dried Food
Another way to be prepared is to have your own bulk food storage program. For more information on storing bulk foods and getting started on your own bulk food program, please visit
http://emergencyfoodpreservation.blogspot.com.

What can you do about storing water? One option is to purchase, now, Water Barrels and Storage. It's a good idea to think ahead. You will need to determine how much water you and your family will require. If you have animals, you must also factor this in.

Of course, and this is an excellent option, you can purchase from a number of companies, an already put together 72 Hour Emergency Survival Kit- 5 Person. Nitro-Pak.com is an excellent company that supply you with the preparedness supplies you may need.

Can you take care of your family in an emergency. Be Ready. Be Prepared.
CLICK HERE


Next post, we'll cover scenario #2: Winter Disaster