OK, redneck will play along. This could be fun (and enlightening).

First, I am not near any of those population centers. No worry there, even about major fallout.

Electricity went out, but came back on again (there are several hydro-electric and steam plants within 100 miles of me). The radio is announcing future power outages, but for now the lights are on.

Cash is stored in a local credit union. I withdraw it all. That may tale a few days, but should be able to be accomplished in time.

While I am awaiting that, I check the barn and sheds for canned food to see what we have available. We already can go for at least two weeks on what's in the cupboard. There should be some potatoes and cans to extend that.

My biggest concern is water. We use a private well that relies on electricity. So I start collecting reservoirs and filling them between outages. At the same time I use this time to finish a couple of my projects, geared to providing some electrical energy.

If things get too bad with the electricity, I have a couple of large inverters. I use them to drive the well pump from car batteries, charged from the car.

Once I get some cash, I buy as much kerosene (heat) and gasoline as I can afford and can store.

Once I have the water, heat, and immediate food situation under control, I get in contact with the neighbors. Some of them have gasoline stores, food stores, and may even have some old mechanical water pumps. We work toward a cooperative so everyone has what they need.

I then arm myself and take a trip through the woods to town. If there is looting (which I would expect), I raid stores which have already been looted. The things I can use are not what most people want. I'm looking for rope, ammo, food, seeds, tools, etc. I am also looking for sources of kerosene, diesel, and gasoline that have gone unnoticed (especially if the credit union is completely inaccessible). I will have to make extra trips to get fuel later, but it will be easier if I know where to go. I should mention that I enter open space three times between here and town, and none of them are more than 500 yards.

Back at home, the cooperative sets up a perimeter to make sure any rioting and looting doesn't come out here. We effectively isolate ourselves from society until things level off. We survive by hunting, fishing, gardening, and helping each other. My forte is in making and repairing tools and equipment; others will garden, hunt, sew, etc.

Come summer, we transform the farmland into massive gardens designed not to grow exports, but to grow our own food. I implement my geothermal plans so we can have heat the following winter, and I finish the chickenhouse and stock it from neighbors chickenhouses. We all have eggs and meat that way.

The timing sucks, but I think I will survive.

TheRedneck