I'm trying to gather information on the readiness (ha... don't even talk about compliance) of these two cities... as I have family in both places. Most of my family plan to travel to Phoenix and stay there for the Big Party of the Millenium... and of course, I'm concerned about it.

Is there anyone from those parts who can tell me what is happening there?

Many thanks, Georgia Peach... who knows that things are less than *peachy* down here in Georgia. Is 2 hours far enough from Atlanta? (gulp)

-- Georgia Peach (the.patch@worldnet.att.net), August 01, 1999

Answers

Phoenix too crowded, hot, polluted, out in desert, too dependent on artificial life support to trust. Way too crowded.

-- AridZone (not@for.humans), August 01, 1999.

from Georgia

8/1/99 -- 9:27 PM

14-year-old boy on battery-run ventilator dies from heat in

NEWNAN, Ga. (AP) - A 14-year-old boy confined to a bed and requiring a ventilator to breathe died of heat stroke Sunday in a home where the electricity had been turned off by the utility company.

The teenager's battery-run ventilator continued to work without electricity. The boy, who suffered a gunshot wound three years ago, died at 3 a.m. Sunday, said Coroner W.H. Pierce. He did not release the boy's name.

``This shouldn't happen. My son shouldn't be dead,'' the boy's mother, Thelma Dennis, told Atlanta television station WSB. ``He died for what? Because they wouldn't turn the lights on.''

The boy's body temperature was 107 when he died, the coroner said.

Dennis McEntire of Newnan Utilities said the power was turned off as a result of miscommunication among the company, Ms. Dennis and her new landlord. The family had moved in last week.

``It's a very tragic situation. Our thoughts are certainly with her,'' McEntire said. He said the power would not have been switched off if the company knew of the situation.

He said Ms. Dennis' new landlord had requested the shutoff and that Ms. Dennis was told to come in to make arrangements for the new address. It was unclear if she had done that or thought the matter was resolved.

The teen's death was the second heat-related death in Newnan, about 30 miles southwest of Atlanta, and the third in Georgia in the recent heat wave.

-- need electricity (hot@cold.alike), August 01, 1999.

Hey, AridZone...

Do you have any information on what might be happening with the National Guard out there? Is there something that might give a hint to what they're planning for?

Thanks much, Georgia Peach

-- Georgia Peach (the.patch@worldnet.att.net), August 01, 1999.

The Arizona Republic has covered the y2k story in a fair fashion. Last week it printed the latest from Mr. K, the y2k czar, and the latest update on the state. Phoenix will not be y2k ready until the 4th quarter. I have attended two public y2k forums and everyone says we will be ready for y2k.

I have lived in Phoenix for 22 years and I like it here. Our winters are mild and we are so spread out that we don't look like a normal big city.

I hope your family that is here will have made y2k preparations to include the family visitors from out of state.

You understand I would not be reading and posting on this and the prep forum if I thought it was only going to be a "bump in the road".

-- rb (ronbanks_2000@yahoo.com), August 01, 1999.

I don't live in either area, but according to this recent GAO report...

http://www.gao.gov/corresp/AI99246R.PDF

...Indianapolis says they will be fully "Y2K ready" by the end of September, and Phoenix says they will be fully "Y2K ready" by the end of November.

The one other thing I do know about Indianapolis is that the $12.6 million Indy is spending to become compliant was not approved until the end of August 1998. That means Indianapolis probably started working on Y2K even later than Washington D.C., and D.C. got such a late start that, according to a Washington Post article, D.C. is putting 88 contingency and emergency plans in place.

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), August 01, 1999.

RB...

My family plan to take out a little *extra* money to tide them over for the holiday weekend, and will have a few gallons of water there, just in case. And hey, if they run out of food they can just eat out, right?

The out-of-towners will be flying in a few days before New Years' Eve... and are delaying their home flight until, oh, let's say Jan 3rd or so... when things are back to normal.

Thank you for letting me know what you think... guess I'll be sending them a *survival kit*... although maybe between now and then something will happen that will change all their plans. Nobody in my family *lives* there... they just go to the condo for the winter.

But atleast it will be warmer there than in Indianapolis.

georgia peach

-- Georgia Peach (the.patch@worldnet.att.net), August 01, 1999.

I am aware of plans by the state of Arizona to activate the National Guard to deal with panic inspired by Y2K. There was no Maybe about it, they are convinced they will need to do this. This information came out of a meeting with DEMA and local business leaders.

I am also aware of thier contingency plan which stated that they would comandeer fuel tanker trucks to store diesel at locations where they will place very large generators which they have already purchased. The City of Scottsdale alone purchased 40 large generators for this purpose. Also heard seconhand that an APS engineer expressed zero confidence that the power would stay up here.

In short, the desert is not viable without power for more than 2 weeks max. Tell your family to think again.

-- Joe Blow (lowprofile@roadblocks.com), August 01, 1999.

Joe Blow... thanks for the info. My family will not listen to me at this point, since I'm the family crackpot eccentric. Wish they'd stay home... but know they won't. Hoping that some of my family will choose (as we did) not to go though... as they are situated well, if *bad things* happen. (Very rural locale, huge propane supply, home- canning folks with beef cattle.)

Linkmeister... I didn't download the GAO report, but thank you for giving me some of the facts. Indy doesn't sound much better than Phoenix, but it's sort of like picking whether you want to freeze to death or die of dehydration. (Geesh... what a pessimist, huh!)

Anybody know what the Guard is planning in Indiana?

georgia peach

-- georgia peach (the.patch@worldnet.att.net), August 01, 1999.

RB,

You come to Phoenix for the roll!!It's going to be a lot of fun!!!

Yes, the Arizona National Guard will be on duty...SO WHAT!! You show me ANYWHERE there won't be MILITARY at the roll...at least here, as far back as February, the topic came up and state National Guard coordinator answered questions.

We did an extensive analysis, and the ineluctable conclusion is that we are sticking here for THE BIG NIGHT and the aftermath!

Good luck on your decision!!

-- K. Stevens (kstevens@It's ALL going away in January.com), August 02, 1999.

My concern here is the elderly and bank runs. We have rivers, lakes, and canals for water. As long as people maintain the perception of us being an arid, dry wasteland, we will be better off.

-- ariZONEa (cooler_than_NY@now.com), August 02, 1999.

Phoenix in January will be 35 to 40 at night and 65 to 70 during the day. Nobody gets heat stroke in January. I have a number of friends with acreage out of town and they all have deep wells and plenty of water. They will have generators and windmills for power.

We have a number of big lakes NE of the city and many water canals run through the city. A big one is just 6 blocks from my home. Every other home has a pool. Tempe just created a water recreation lake (on the salt river) right in town.

We have had no heat related deaths these past two weeks even tho this is our moonsoon season with both high heat and humitity.

Our preparations give water a top priority. I don't think anyone in Phoenix is saying, Hey! Would everyone please come here for Y2k. We can probably survive problems better than most large cities but our county, Maricopa, is the fastest growing county in the country and that is good and bad news. Las Vegas is the fastest growing city.

Next Saturday I will look at (back-up) property an hour south of the city. A retired relative would live on location.

-- rb (rb@yahoo.com), August 02, 1999.

Hey Ron:

I think you're right. Arizona will be one of the better places to be in the winter time. Yeah, sure it gets pretty miserable here in the summer and we depend on that air-conditioner and LOTS of water. But hopefully if we do experience any problems, they wont happen until Fall. Thanks for all the additional info. you provided, it's all very helpful. If I here anything concerning us here in Phoenix, I'll be sure to post it. Best wishes!

-- Julie (Flyer@Primenet.com), August 03, 1999.

By the way, I can't help but think what a coincendence it is that they made that Tempe Town Lake. All these years that riverbed has been dry and now they decide to fill it. Seems kinda fishy to me. But I have no complaints, afterall, we made just need it for more than fishing and boating!

-- Julie (Flyer@Primenet.com), August 03, 1999.

People lived in southern Arizona before the invention of air conditioners. BTW it's a dry heat (except for the present monsoons). Night temps are not bad. I siesta after lunch most days....our high temps are mid-afternoon.

Julie...I think there may be worst places to live. Lots of crops are grown just south of town with the irrigation from the canals and wells.

Everybody has got to be somewhere and I happen to be here. I'm reminded of a story by W. Somerset Maugham telling of a man trying to escape the devil/death who he heard was coming to see him in his town. So he went to another town and it just so happened the devil changed plans and met him there. I cannot escape Y2k just by moving to another locale.

-- rb (rb@yahoo.com), August 03, 1999.

Peach, I am a frequent visitor of this site but a first time commentator. We have 45 acres in Texas with a deep well and plenty of room for gardening. We considered selling our newly purchased Mesa home and "heading for the hills". After weighing all of the pros and cons and alot of heavy praying, we decided to stay. Like they have said, we have several canals and lakes in the metro area itself. Less than a mile from my house is approx. 20 acres of alfalfa meadow. A community group could make a truck patch easily there as the irrigation channels are in place. There are scattered vacant lots throughout the Mesa area where you could plant and harvest. All of the schools have large alfalfa valve irrigated lots. (do not need a pump, flows by water pressure alone). I personally have a very large yard that I plan to put to use this fall. I have stocked my food and purchased my water filter and storage barrels. I have made prudent preparations for six months at the least. If things don't get bad, my grocery bill won't be as much for a year of so. :) . I am not sure exactly where Phoenix stands on preps, but Mesa started working on their problems in 1995. You have to remember also, this is Mormon country, they believe in keeping a years supply of food for their entire family in reserve AT ALL TIMES. I do know that the City of Mesa has plans to have it's entire police force on the streets come NY EVE. Have a friend on the force. He says they have been told and prep'd to "put trouble down and put it down hard" come New Year's Eve.

Best Wishes and Good Luck to All ! DD

-- d. Kates (Winter95@uswest.com), August 03, 1999.