SHTF in Fort Wayne

[Quad]

I just witnessed two people almost get into a fist fight over the last bag of ice at a gas station!

This is not even 20 hours after the power went out here in Fort Wayne. I can only imagine what it's going to be like by Wednesday. That's the day they said they expect to have the power back on. People will be nuts by then!

But personally, I'm using this as a training drill for the eventual nation wide SHTF. It's certainly a good possibility, and it ain't gonna be pretty!

 

[dukeboy_318]

Good luck to you. And you're right, its scary to see just how people react immediately following a disaster.

 

[WhitleyStu]

My wife drove into Fort Wayne to check on her mom. The first two grocery stores she went to are closed. She is still looking for ice and an open grocery store. I'm sort of glad to be in the country and stock up on food, generator and gas.

 

[msteiner17]

My wife drove into Fort Wayne to check on her mom. The first two grocery stores she went to are closed. She is still looking for ice and an open grocery store. I'm sort of glad to be in the country and stock up on food, generator and gas.

Fort Wayne's west side is fine with regards to power and open stores. There is still a little bit of cleanup going on... but nothing too major.

 

[teddy12b]

Yesterday i drove through the heart of fort wayne on my way home and people were already reverting back to ferrel animals. This town was overdue for a wake up call. This storm really shouldnt have been that big of a deal, but the sheep are behaving like the sky has fallen. If this town had lost 100% of its power we'd already have casualties from stupidity and weakness.

 

[Justin Case]

It looks like the storms intensified as they moved east. A state of emergency has been declared in Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia. Ten dead and an estimated three million without power.

Three states declare emergency after storms leave 10 dead and millions without power | Fox News

 

[churchmouse]

To those who are relying on the moral dignity of mankind to get us through even a short SHTF you need to re-think this. It aint gonna happen.

 

[iauffenberg]

crazy how people go nuts when something bad happens or they think they can steal everything

 

[04DarkShadowGT]

I have driven all over the city today, went to Scotts, Menards, a couple restauraunts, etc and people were no different than any other time.

Humanity is not lost in FW. People ahve been without power for a few days before.

We never lost power on the south west side, but lost a few shingles, little bit of siding, and some branches.

 

[Quad]

I have driven all over the city today, went to Scotts, Menards, a couple restauraunts, etc and people were no different than any other time.

Humanity is not lost in FW. People ahve been without power for a few days before.

We never lost power on the south west side, but lost a few shingles, little bit of siding, and some branches.

I live closer to New Haven where a good portion of the town has lost power. I think people started to flip out a little this morning when some local stores and gas stations were closed, and they were unable to get simple things like ice to keep their food frigerated.

Hopefully this will wake some of them up, even though it's really not too big of a deal. Getting into a fight over ice is utterly ridiculous!

 

[churchmouse]

I live closer to New Haven where a good portion of the town has lost power. I think people started to flip out a little this morning when some local stores and gas stations were closed, and they were unable to get simple things like ice to keep their food frigerated.

Hopefully this will wake some of them up, even though it's really not too big of a deal. Getting into a fight over ice is utterly ridiculous!

A lot deeper issues than just the ice. Too many folks live day to day anymore for reasons only they understand. Poor planning on their part. People just believe the infrastructure will always be there for them.

 

[Kmcinnes]

^^^^^THIS^^^^^

 

[spencer rifle]

This was a great chance to try out the preps. The Generac I got last year (from a sale found by a fellow INGO member) that kept the freezer and fridge and a fan running and the cell phones charged. We had lots of gas ready and the generator started up on the first pull. Got a lot of reading done. Did some smithing on the FALs. Did some chainsawing on the fallen sugar maple in our yard. Fired up the kerosene lamp.

Found an electrician who would put in a generator interface for our house power. Normally around $500, he was asking $600 cash. We'll wait until the panic subsides.

 

[shannonneumann]

It was very interesting and scary to see people panic in what, in the bigger picture, was a very minor event. Somewhere close to 30% of the city was without power, so by no means a "grid-down" event. Many stores still open, many gas stations still operational. We got lucky, really, compared to how it could have been. It's scary to imagine how quickly it would get really bad if the whole region lost power.

 

[XtremeVel]

Yesterday i drove through the heart of fort wayne on my way home and people were already reverting back to ferrel animals. This town was overdue for a wake up call. This storm really shouldnt have been that big of a deal, but the sheep are behaving like the sky has fallen. If this town had lost 100% of its power we'd already have casualties from stupidity and weakness.

Couldn't agree more, and we were told from the beginning that Wednesday would be the LATEST for full restoration too ! Our Grandparents who made it through the 30's would be ashamed just how soft this society has become.

I saw this same thing after a few days after the ice storm a few years ago... Then it seemed to be Kerosene that people became animals over... This time it was ice. Wife took son up by Georgetown to stay with his Grandma and play with his cousins... On the way, wife went by the abandoned Value City parking lot at the Colesium and Lake area and saw the mess there from people waiting for the ice delivery...

Ice was available if you just put a little thought into it... For us, we were within 10 minutes of ice in Ossian. I suspect many people drove 45 minutes from the south side up north with so many traffic lights out because they heard ice had been just delivered.

We got our power back last night and we are on the outskirts of Waynedale.
Last trip wife made to Ossian Deli she got (2) 22 lb bags of ice for us and a couple neighbors... As of yesterday afternoon, they still had a freezer full if anyone needs it.

 

[Quad]

Wife took son up by Georgetown to stay with his Grandma and play with his cousins... On the way, wife went by the abandoned Value City parking lot at the Colesium and Lake area and saw the mess there from people waiting for the ice delivery...

We went by that mess yesterday as well. It looked like a mad house with cars lined down the street, and people had panicked looks on their faces like they were going to run out of ice before they got any. I can only imagine what it was like when they made the announcement that they were almost out!

 

[backfire]

Our power never went out thankfully, where we drove around afterward to see what was happening or to help out if we could. The city was unusually quiet from what we could see...

We did use the event as a "dry run" to test our SHTF survival abilities if we had to use them and for the most part, we did pretty well I thought. We've could of done much better of course, but all-in-all, not too bad this time around. Food was handy, generator worked well that fires the garage fridge, basic lights, window AC/electric heater if needed, etc. and the guns were all ready for use if things really got bad... Even had two 20lb. bottles of propane stored to cook with if needed.


I did have a scary event though on the road that made me think things through a little better for next time...

I was in central Ohio last Saturday near Columbus for business and when I left for my return trip back home around 4pm on 33, I had about 1/2 tank of fuel in my truck. I figured I'd drive a bit to get started and then stop in a town along the way to fill it up before I got home. Well, I didn't know that I wouldn't be able to find a working gas station for the next 166 miles!!!!

The storm had hit South West Ohio pretty hard, where they had widespread power outages everywhere and most towns- both rural and urban were "dark". No fuel stations were open (or even worked) and grocery stores were on emergency generator basic power to save their chilled food.

As I rolled Westward along 33, I stopped at 5 different towns and gas stations along the way, only to find that NONE of them had operating gas stations! I got REALLY nervous after the fifth stop, because by now, my "low fuel" light was on, the needle was lower than the red "empty" mark and I was no where near the Indiana line in hopes that the power was on there from a different circuit so I could get fuel to make it home. PLus, it was approaching dusk...

Since I was so far from home yet and had run out of options, I figured I was screwed and was going to have to walk soon. I shut down all my powered accessories, AC and anything else on my truck that could drag on the engine, including setting the cruise for 50 MP- just to milk the last bit of fuel economy from the engine, so I could make it as far as it would go with what I had left in the tank. I called my wife on my cell and told her of my plight, where I was and to prepare to come get me with a few gallons of fuel we have prepped-stored in a safe place.

As a last ditch attempt to find a solution to the issue, I clicked on my GPS to search for any local gas stations in the area I could drive to with what I had left- just to see if they were open...by chance. I figured that I'd rather be stranded in a gas station parking lot where other people are around, than to be stuck along side the road, in this heat, in Ohio, (with the guns I keep in my truck) in the dark....

The GPS found the closest gas station to be 4.1 miles away towards the East in Celina, so I headed that way....praying. That was the LONGEST 4-mile stretch I've EVER driven, let me tell ya! I was surprised and relieved to find that the gas station I was directed to was indeed open and they had fuel. I filled the tank ($85 bux worth) and it took 25.3 gallons to fill it. The truck has a 26 gallon tank!!! I was down to my last 3/4 gallon when I rolled I rolled in there!!!

I eventually made it back home safely that day, where as soon as got to the house, I made a small bracket that secures a full 5-gallon plastic fuel can from onto the inside of my truck tool box. I won't be caught with my pants down like that again, because even though I had somewhat "planned" for a timely fuel stop like I usually do, the circumstances wouldn't allow me to get fuel for over 166 miles in 5 different towns!

Crises averted and I consider this a "dry run" for a real SHTF event, so everyone, please learn from MY mistakes.

Prepare to be prepared!

(sorry for the long post....)

 

[teddy12b]

I was lucky and had just filled the gas tank in my car the day before. It was a lesson in how much i missed having a truck though. A company car is nice until you have to do anything besides drive from "A" to "B".

I couldn't agree more though that all our generations of ancestors who were pre-electric light bulb and pre-air conditions have to be ashamed at how weak we have become. People fighting ove a bag of ice is an embarrassment to the species.

 

[Quad]

People fighting ove a bag of ice is an embarrassment to the species.

Couldn't agree more

 

[Cozy439]

Different parts of city were hit to different degrees. And there were some ZOMBIES out there - but most folks did what they could to help each other. We responded to Many 100s, even thousands of power line down calls and folks all over were offering us coffee or ice water. Some react poorly, but many do the right thing - kinda gives you reason for hope. That said - DO be prepared for the SUB-HUMANS out there.