What happened?
At 4pm on August 14, 2003, an equipment failure at the Mohawk Niagara power station that created a domino effect knocking out power to 45 million Americans in the states of Michigan, Ohio, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. 10 million Canadians in Ontario.Major cities affected were New York city, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, Ottawa and Toronto. It was like a string of christmas lights, where a bulb burns out and the whole stand stops working.

The initial fallout?
People were shocked and in New York many wondered if it was another terrorist attack having so recently experienced 9/11. There were people stranded in elevators and subway tunnels. Airports were shut down, and commuters were trapped far from their homes. Cellphones stopped working reliably, and traffic lights, ATMs and air conditioning stopped. No traffic lights, and the streets were packed with extra pedestrians so it was almost impossible to drive.

Extended fallout
It was the middle of summer, and a very hot day. No air conditioning could lead to serious health problems for alot of people. Looting was a concern, but didn't occur on a large scale, but there would be no alarm systems available. Communications impeded by lack of cell phones, no email or internet. How do you cook your food if you don't have a BBQ or a gas stove? Does food go bad quickly in the refrigerator? Does your water still work?

Where was I?
I was a university student at that time in Ontario. I remember not being able to cook dinner, walking around at night looking for a restaurant open. At that time I was very unprepared, and didn't have any resources on hand. We walked around in the evening and managed to find a coffee shop working on backup power, full of people looking to eat. They were only taking cash. The next day, woke up, still no power.

Conclusions
Within 48 hours power had been restored to the majority of those affected. But it leaves serious questions about the complexity of our current lives. We depend upon complex networks of various systems to function. If there is a glitch, our modern lifestyle grinds to a halt. In this case it was a temporary equipment failure, but this could happen on a larger scale. Reference the novel "One Second After" by William Forstchen - EMP attack on the USA and the extended fallout.

How can you be better prepared?
Always have access to emergency supplies. Having a flashlight, radio, knife, first aid kit and other things nearby can make a world of difference. You should have cash on hand on your person and at home in case the ATM's don't work. Maybe $100 would make the difference between a taxi ride home or sleeping in the streets. What kind of shoes do you have at work? Can you walk in them for an extended distance? If not, maybe keep some sneakers under your desk or in your car. Do you have a plan with your family about how to get in touch during a disaster? Do you have food and drinking water stored at home for at least a few days?

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