08/24/2026
Please share!
😳*Y’all, I don’t normally post stuff like this.*
I don’t want to look like a crazy person, a prepper, or some conspiracy theorist. But I can’t ignore what I’m seeing, and something feels off. Things are not adding up and they're LYING to us!
*Right now, there are approx 141,985 electric utility customers without power across the United States.* Because “customers” means households or buildings, not individuals, the real number of _people_ in the dark is higher. Estimates put it at *300,000 to 350,000 individuals* right now. That's men, women, children, the elderly. And hospitals that are running on generators that can't run everything as normal. They are very limited on what they can do at the moment.
Let that sink in.
*In 2020, 350,831 people in the US ⚰️ 💀 directly from C-O-V-I-D-1-9 as the primary cause.*
We’re sitting at almost the same number of people _without power_ right now. I’m not saying it’s the same thing, but that number should make you stop and think. This isn’t normal. ⚠️
*Tennessee 🧡 is the hardest hit.* 49,820 customers are down here, most of it concentrated in West TN around Memphis. But outages are popping up everywhere. With the heat we’ve had, losing power isn’t just inconvenient, it’s dangerous. THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU EVERYTHING ON THE NEWS!
*Wake up people. Please.* 📣 🙏🏼
I’m not telling you to panic. I’m telling you to _prepare_. If the grid goes down for a week, a month, what’s your plan? If it happened right now, would you be ready? Or would you have to look at your kids and tell them there's no water and no food? 💦 🥩 😢
*Here’s what I’m begging you to consider:* ✅
*WATER* 🌊
- *1 gallon per person, per day*, minimum. That’s for drinking _and_ sanitation. For a family of 4, that’s 28 gallons for one week.
- Get a *good water filter*: Sawyer, Berkey, LifeStraw, even just backup water purification tablets. If the tap stops, you need a way to make pond or creek water safe.
- Fill bathtubs, totes, jars NOW while you have water!
*FOOD TO STOCK UP ON* 🥝
Think shelf-stable, calorie-dense, no-cook or low-cook:
- *Proteins*: Canned tuna, chicken, salmon, beans, peanut butter, beef jerky, protein bars
- *Carbs*: Rice, pasta, oats, instant potatoes, crackers, flour, cornmeal
- *Fats*: Cooking oil, ghee, nuts, seeds
- *Canned goods*: Veggies, fruit, soups, chili. Get stuff you actually eat.
- *Comfort + morale*: Coffee, tea, honey, hard candy, chocolate, spices
- *Special needs*: Baby formula, pet food, medications. Don’t forget your animals! 🐇 🐕 🐈 🐎
- *Long term*: Dry beans, lentils, white rice, salt, sugar. They last 10-30 years if stored right.
*BASIC MEDICAL + HYGIENE* 💊 🩹 🤕
- First aid kit: gauze, bandages, antiseptic, medical tape, tourniquet, burn gel
- Meds: Pain reliever, allergy meds, anti-diarrheal, electrolytes, your prescriptions
- Hygiene: Soap, bleach for sanitation, feminine products, toilet paper, baby wipes, trash bags
- Tools: Thermometer, tweezers, scissors, N95 masks
*POWER + LIGHT + COOKING* 🕯️
- Flashlights, headlamps, lanterns. _And batteries._
- Solar chargers or battery banks for phones
- Propane camp stove + extra propane. Grill + charcoal.
- Manual can opener. Do not forget this one.
- Cash in small bills. If power is out, cards don’t work. 💰
- Generators are handy if you can afford a solar one. No power means no fuel from the gas station! ⛽
*COMMUNITY PLAN* 🧑🤝🧑
1. *Talk to your neighbors NOW*, before something happens. Who has medical training? Who has tools? Who might need help?
2. *Start practicing the bartering system.* What skills do you have? Sewing, gardening, canning, mechanical work, childcare. What do you need? Someone else probably has it.
3. *Know your people.* Make a phone tree. If cell towers go down, how will you check on family?
4. *Security.* I hope we never need it, but think about how you’d keep your home and family safe!
⚠️ But I also want you to remember that you can't trust everyone! Be mindful and keep your eyes open! 👀
If someone seems sketchy they probably are. ⚠️
*Other things to consider 🤔
- Printing paper maps of my area
- Writing down important phone numbers
- Keeping my gas tank at least half full, always
- Learning basic skills: how to shut off water/gas, how to use a water bob, how to cook on a fire
- Getting to know local farmers. If trucks stop, where does food come from?
I’m not saying the world is ending tomorrow. I’m saying the grid is clearly fragile _today_. Storms, heat, failing infrastructure, cyber stuff, who knows. But 350,000 people without power at once is not “normal day-to-day” for me, no matter what the news says.
You don’t have to do this all at once. Pick one thing this week. Buy extra canned goods. Fill some water jugs. Talk to one neighbor.
If I’m wrong, the worst thing that happens is you have extra groceries and peace of mind. If I’m right, you’ll be glad you listened.
🙏🏼*Please share this.* Copy and paste if you want. Tag your family. We have to look out for each other, because I don’t think anyone else is going to do it for us.
Feel free to add anything I missed!
Stay safe out there. I love y’all.
