I'm just listening to today's Y2K News Radio (RealAudio link), and they reported (about 2 min. into the show) that...

"The American Red Cross says if you are ready for an Ice Storm or a tornado, you are ready for Y2K."

Let's see... the big ICE STORM left people without electricity for as long as 42 days. And it could have been much MUCH longer if they hadn't gotten help from all over the country. I couldn't find my favorite article about the ICE STORM - POWERLESS. If anyone has a copy and there is still a working URL, please post it. Nevermind.. just found it:

POWERLESS

Here's some prep pages and stories related to the Ice Storm of 1998:

http://www.cce.cornell.edu/jefferson/icestorm.html

http://www.tv.cbc.ca/newsinreview/mar98/ice/thin.htm

Now... how about a tornado?

'Like someone dropped a bomb'

snippet:

January 24, 1999

"CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- James Lee Witt has seen some of the worst disasters imaginable as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But even he was rattled by the destruction caused by the tornado that hit historic downtown Clarksville."

"In many places in Little Rock, there was little for Witt to see: Houses weren't just damaged, they no longer existed."

So...

Maybe the Red Cross is getting warmer. If you are ready for those events... with the little complication that any recovery efforts might take a LOT longer because you might not have ANY outside help because EVERYPLACE would be hit with an Ice Storm or Tornado (I guess you pick which you relate to depending on how far north or south you are)...

... then I guess you are fairly prepared for Y2K.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), July 20, 1999

Answers

It is interesting that Sen.Bennett was talking about that on the CBN special that is being broadcast today. The word seems to be at least 2 weeks now. He was using the Ice Storm in Washington as an example.

Things are changing.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), July 20, 1999.

Here are a couple of GREAT ice storm links.

The anatomy of Ice Storm 1998 - part 1 of 3
 

 It was the storm of the century. Damage topped $1 billion. Crippled communities shivered in sub-zero temperatures that numbed even the hardiest. But a pioneer spirit was unleashed, communities united

Montreal Ice Storm Ecological Disaster Hits Quebec Ontario New Brunswick New York Vermont New Hampshire and Maine
 

 I do not want to alarm anyone, but to simply inform you of what I saw and experienced personally. All text and images are created by me unless otherwise noted. By Patrick McDonnell 1998

-- Brian (imager@home.com), July 20, 1999.

Anyone on this board live through a tornado and the aftermath? We've had a lot of near misses over the years. They're totally random, as if they have a mind of their own. If that last tornado that roared through here a while back had traveled a 1/4 mile due south, our house would've been toast. Luckily, mostly trees were destroyed...whew!

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), July 20, 1999.

The Red Cross came to the school that my ex-wife works and told them that they are a designated shelter in southern Md. and she is on the staff.(y2k, not bad weather)

-- KoFE (your@town.USA), July 20, 1999.

Good article by Patrick McDonnell.

Favorite line... "But the worse was yet to come."

By my count from Patrick's article ONLY 4,273,000 people lost electricity. There are around 260,000,000 people in the U.S. Canada's population? The world's? How many will lose power? For how long? And will we ALSO be dealing with ice storms or floods or killer snows?

There has been a little talk already of ocean water temps... are we in for another massive El Nino?

"But the worse was yet to come."

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), July 20, 1999.

Linda,

Thanks for the post. As far as the population of Canada, well I believe it's close to 50 million. The population of north america (Canada, US and, Mexico)is approx. 400-425 million.

-- Thayer_ (thayer_merek@yahoo.com), July 20, 1999.

Early in May, 42 tornadoes hit Oklahoma in a 3 hour period. Over 8,000 homes were destroyed or seriously damaged. 40 something people died. Some of them died following official Red Cross and weather broadcast advice to seek shelter in an inside closet or bathroom because they were not prepared by having a basement or a storm shelter, and they did not take advantage of the public shelters which were opened as the storms approached the southern suburbs of Oklahoma City. The official advice is good as far as it goes, but the tornado that hit southern Oklahoma City was at times an F-5, the strongest on the scale, and even brick homes were flattened to the foundations. I work for an agency involved with the tornado recovery, and it has not been easy.

-- robert waldrop (rmwj@soonernet.com), July 20, 1999.

I am curious what preparation advice the Red Cross then offers for a FIRESTORM?

-- (snowleopard6@webtv.net), July 21, 1999.

Havent been through a tornado, but we went through massive flooding (Des Moines Iowa) in 93. The water plant was flooded and we were without any running water for 12 days, water was not pottable for 15 days. Luckily it was summer and we could trap rain water on the deck. We were also (at the same time) without electricity for 2 days. An estimated 450,000 people lost water service, unknown on the electricity. Really honed our coping skills. If weather problems combine with y2k, it could get interesting. The Red Cross was here, but seriously overwhelmed............

-- Nancy (HAYSandCO@aol.com), July 21, 1999.

WOW.....sounds like one helluva snowball fight to me! Flying ice- sicles, good Gawd, WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!!! What WILL they think of next? I say:

If you're prepared for a locust migration....you're prepared for Y2K.

If you're prepared for a bolt of lightening shooting up your nostril....you're prepared for Y2K.

If you're prepared for D-day....you're prepared for Y2K.

They could use some small sense of reality. Instead, they give us:

If you're prepared for a Spring shower...you're prepared for Y2K.

If you're prepared for a stiff breeze...you're prepared for Y2K.

If you're prepared for the Ice Capades...you WILL be ready for Y2K!

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), July 21, 1999.

If you've got a dozen tinfoil hats, a ton of SPAM,a crate of M-16's and ten thousand rounds of cop-killer ammunition, and your name is Taz, your might be ready for Y2K. Just so long as you don't forget your sacred mantra:

"The code is broken it can't be fixed,The code is broken it can't be fixed,The code is broken it can't be fixed,The code is broken it can't be fixed,The code is broken it can't be fixed,The code is broken it can't be fixed,The code is broken it can't be fixed,"

-- (doomers@suck.com), July 21, 1999.

What we are stressing now is to prepare for the RECOVERY from a THREE DAY ICE STORM, TORNADO, HURRICANE, MAJOR EARTHQUAKE etc.

Its the RECOVERY period, especially if there is no outside help.

How long does it take to recover from LOSING YOUR JOB if you don't get another job for months?

-- seraphima (seraphima@aol.com), July 21, 1999.

I'm afraid Doomers suck has not had a job for years now and has 'just' recently become employed again (though not necessarily employ- ABLE). The Government always goes with the lowest bid!

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), July 21, 1999.

Just remember that a little three-day storm named Hurricane Mitch struck Central America LAST YEAR and they are STILL trying to recover. Also, if there weren't ongoing outside aid deliveries, the tremendously high casualty rate would be an unimaginable figure. Mostly due to starvation account of losses of last year's stored crops and destroyed croplands preventing planting and harvest this year. But also due to the destroyed communications system and transport infrastructure which would add to casualty figures if the victims had to depend on no one but themselves.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), July 21, 1999.

Very true WW. You and several others have done a good job of pointing that aspect of devistating storms out. Too bad the Red Cross won't be a bit more specific about these dangers and the relation to Y2K. Instead, they sing the public to sleep with the 'three day storm' lullaby. Whatever.

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), July 22, 1999.