Growing up, there were things we kept around the house in case of emergency. Canned food and a can opener. Spare blankets. Flashlights and batteries. Candles. Kerosene and lamps. Extra bottled water. We lived far enough away from town that it was like being in the boondocks. We knew the power could go out and it would take anywhere from an hour to several days to get it back on. I remember a time when my husband and I were visiting and the power went out, we all sat at the table with candles and played card games. It was hilarious, wildly entertaining, and completely ridiculous. Even now, years later, I look back on it and giggle.
Now, I read an article about how PG&E would be purposefully shutting down power on purpose to large chunks of Northern California. After the devastating Camp Fire in 2018 and Tubbs Fire in 2017 California doesn't want to take any chances with another massive fire. It's a strange thing to consider: that an entire county might be without power for up to five days and not because of another disaster.
In this age of technology it makes me wonder how people will handle being without power for days. I know grown adults who can't go five minutes without a cell phone. Half the time, I'm one of them! So how are people going to handle being unable to charge their phones? How will they handle storing perishables? There are so many things we rely on power for, and so many people who just don't know how to function without it. What will happen in California as the power is turned off?
After PG&E decided to avoid dealing with the aging, crumbling infrastructure that ultimately was held responsible for the Camp fire in 2018, they chose instead as a response to simply turn it all off. That choice comes with consequences as well. While I know plans have to be in place to ensure emergency services have power, that doesn't cover everything. I also know from a newer article that up to 800,000 people will be without power by Wednesday afternoon. People are understandably frustrated. Businesses are closed, street lights are out, everything but essential services shut down and left in the dark.
This creates even greater problems. With no power, there is a greater opportunity for potential criminal activity. Break-ins and assaults are just the tip of the iceberg. In a power outage things can get much, much worse. People have an instinctive and natural fear of the dark. It brings out our baser nature and pushes us into actions we might otherwise not reasonably take. Sometimes for the good, and sometimes...not so much. We're pushed into a primal state, triggering fight or flight. A call-back to a time when we lived in a much more primitive age.
A Dark Age.