...next scene in our
Fictional scenario. You've scanned AM, FM, weather band, aviation band, and shortwave.
You found activity on the aviation band. It doesn't sound good. Power outage is widespread
And causing major problems. On shortwave your picking up Ham radio transmissions (most
Have backup generators). In rural locations they're trying to set up Emergency Operation
Centers with law enforcement. In cities your hearing EOC's coming on line and telling everyone
To remain calm. Ham radio operators are becoming active all over. They are all describing the
Same scenario, massive grid failure nationwide...
Would have already contacted our sons who each live an hour's drive or so from us (in different directions); or at least tried to do so, on day one whether at work or home. They're both in small cities of 30-60k population, one is married, one isn't; if the outage is that widespread (ie, nationwide), I'd try to talk them into heading our way temporarily to ride it out.
Multiple reasons - naturally the 'dad' thing; knowing that if things got ugly they'd be safer here than there, and fact is, we'd also be better off with them here than without them. Would mean more mouths to feed, but not a problem unless it turned into really long-term; and having two large, strong, trustworthy young men who grew up shooting and working, would certainly be a good thing on our side of the scale as well.
If I can make it in to work, do additional non-scheduled backups of computer stuff and put in one of the safes. Also, break out the supplies we have set aside in our building for our employees and try to get them to them if they can't get in to work. Our people don't know about it, but we have small amounts of prep supplies in a locked room with their names on them. Two or three buckets of food items each (type and amounts vary based on family size, kids' ages, etc), spare ammo in calibers of guns I know they own, and in a couple cases, even a loaner gun.
Other stuff kind of depends. If the mail's still running, use the business' generator to print & mail out copies of a form letter to mail to customers to let them know anything I can and to also give them some suggestions on things to do soon. Touch base with local sheriff dept and PD (I know a bunch of them and the police chief is a personal friend), to let them know where we're located if help is needed with whatever comes up.
Frankly I'd 'protect' some of our business' inventory by relocating it to our home location. We keep cases of 12V batteries, and hundreds of small batteries from button-cell to flashlight batteries, on the shelf; and the bulk of those would follow me home. Other things as well, like some small tools, chargers, carbon-monoxide and other detectors, etc, misc supplies like duct tape, rope, wire, couple of the portable generators if possible, trash bags & cans, that kind of thing.
Obviously, good idea to double-check for anything that needs topping off. Fuel tanks, water tanks, whatever; if it can still be safely done. Partly the reason for the trash cans & bags; reinforce even a plastic trash can with wraps of wire or rope around it (secured in place by tying to itself or even good tape just to hold the wire in place), pop in a couple layers of clean bags, and it's up to being stored full of liquid. Set it wherever it'll be accessible, safe and out of the way, and fill it up with a hose (in our case, running the well pump off the generator), and in one re-purposed trash can you can have a week or two worth of treatable water for several people. Several of those in your basement or wherever could be a very good thing.