Let’s deal with the three things no one wants to talk about.

An interruption in “services” such as …

Water

Electricity

Internet

I believe that short interruptions could happen during this covid19 pandemic simply because there might not be enough people available at work places to keep things moving in the way that we are accustomed. Then again, I don’t believe any interruptions will last long. But these ideas can help you in the event of any kind of disaster all year long. The chance of bad weather is the main reason I prepare.

In the case of electricity, there may be storms or other events that cause your electricity to be cut off and if man-power is limited, it could be a while before services are restored.

So, what will you do if any of these services are temporarily shut down?

Water

In general, most people can live without electricity or internet but none of us can live without water. Right now would be a good time to store some water in cleaned 2 liter soda bottles. Or, if you have water storage containers, use them. Be sure that you store your water in a dark place, add about 10 drops of household bleach to every 2 liters of stored water.

You can also catch water off of your roof when it rains. This practice is illegal in some states. You’ll need a container that is safe, not something that has had oil or chemicals stored in it. You’ll need to position it under a downspout to catch the water.

Water caught like this must be disinfected before using for drinking, cooking or bathing. You can use 10 drops of household bleach to each 2 liter bottle as recommended by the US Dept. of Health. Water can be purified by boiling as well;  filter through a coffee filter then bring to a boil and boil for 1 full minute before storing. You can add  16 drops of bleach per gallon of boiled water to help maintain its purity during storage.

Electricity

The biggest issue with not having electricity is cooking. How are you going to prepare food if you don’t have electricity? You can always grill food on a gas grill til the gas runs out. You can use wood and build a fire and cook over it. You can also use a thermos to cook some foods.

If it is cold where you live and electricity goes out, you’ll need a way to keep your house warm and that usually means good insulation practices. Cover windows with plastic film and then hang a quilt over them to keep cold air out. Put rolled up towels under all the outside doors. Close doors and try to live in only one or two rooms.

Internet

Can we live without it? You betcha. But if you have information stored online, maybe it would be a good idea to print it out and keep it in a folder. As long as the mail and cellphone service works you’ll be able to contact people, so print out addresses and phone numbers.

These are just ideas for you to use in case of short term interruptions of vital services. I don’t believe it will be for very long if it happens at all. All of these ideas are great to be ready to use at any time in the event of any kind of disaster. What kinds of things do you do to prepare for interruption of services?