How Much Do You Rely on the Grid?

If you are like most people, and indeed most of these people who are currently being affected by the after-affects of the huge storm on the East Coast a few days ago, the answer would be 'a lot'.  And it is this very dependence on the grid (in this case "the grid" refers to ALL services provided by the government and local utilities) that as preppers you need to be preparing for.  So if you were in these folks' situation--in a disaster with limited or no services--how would you prepare for...

• Not having power for a week?
• Keeping the food in your refrigerator and freezer cold or frozen?
• Keeping your home cool, or if such a disaster happens in the winter, warm?
• Garbage piling up?
• Driving in a city with no stop lights or lighted streets?
• Driving on roads blocked by downed trees?
• Getting fuel for your car when there is no power?
• Taking care of elderly family members who rely on electricity (for oxygen systems, etc)?
• Having enough food for your family to eat for a week or two without going to the store?
• Having enough water for your family to drink and wash with if it isn't coming through the taps?
• Protecting your home from vandals and looters?
• Taking care of basic medical problems yourself if there is limited or no medical services available in your community?
• Taking care of human waste if there is no water coming into your home?
• Keeping cooking/eating/washing conditions as sanitary as possible without running water?

These are the very problems that the average person is going to have to deal with.  Mostly likely there won't be one TEOTWAWKI event that will immediately throw you into survival mode but it will be the everyday kind of disasters that can strike at any time and without warning that will have you either kicking yourself for not preparing as you wait in line for whatever kind of help can (eventually) get to you or thanking yourself for taking the time now to prepare for any type of eventuality that could kick you off the grid for a while (it really doesn't matter what the disaster is as nearly all disasters tend to cut you off from the services that everyone has come to rely on such as electricity, running water, gas at the gas station, and food at the grocery stores). Think of these types of scenarios when you are doing your prepping and disaster planning.