Thunderstorms Wreak Havoc in Memphis… and This Time It’s Personal

I had a wake-up call this weekend, and wanted to share something that hit home on a personal note.

I’m sure you heard about the violent thunderstorms that hit Memphis, Tennessee on Saturday night. Nearly 200,000 people lost power. Many of them watched in horror as their homes, cars and other property were destroyed by falling trees.

Tens of thousands of those residents were warned by Memphis Light, Gas and Water that they could be without power for a full week. Utility officials called it “one of the largest outage events in Shelby County history.”

They were scared to death, and who can blame them? And now many of them still have no electricity.

“This Has Really Made Me Think”

Why is this situation so personal for me, 200 miles away in Nashville? Because one of those people who lost power was my precious daughter.

She told me last night that everyone she knows in Memphis is freaking out because they were so unprepared for this. “This has really made me think,” she said. “No amount of money can help you in this situation.”

Of course, from time to time I’ve talked to my daughter about the products we provide that help people prepare for an uncertain future. But something like this has never really hit home for her the way it does now. Here’s what she’s telling me:

“I just want to feel like I have this covered if it happens again, which is really why I want your solar generator. In fact, I want to get the whole (generator) package. I think it’s great that you don’t have to have gas to run it.

“Also, your food, water system, etc. I am going to make an emergency prep kit and these items are key. I’m also getting my handgun carry permit.”

Story After Story of Chaos in Memphis

Of course, my daughter was just one of many people affected. These severe Memphis thunderstorms did not pick favorites.

At John Valley’s home, a tree crashed into his house, landed on his car, and tore through power and gas lines. The wheelchair-bound man and other family members had to escape through a narrow window.

Bello Blevins was trapped inside her sister’s home after a tree split the house in half and the floor underneath her caved in. A house owned by Bob Holmes was spared, but fallen trees blocked roads, so the 71-year-old man couldn’t drive to get supplies.

And there’s more. Gillian Gullett’s car was crushed by a tree. The sunroom of Diana Jones’s home was destroyed by a fallen tree.

Shannon Benitone was inside her home with her two children when she heard a tree fall and brush against her house. William Echols watched helplessly from his front door as a swaying tree snapped and narrowly missed his home. Jamard Smith has a huge tree limbs blocking his driveway. Numerous people were trapped in trailers after trees fell on their homes.

As Smith put it, “Like the devil just came out of nowhere and made a mess.”

7 Days Will Seem Like 70

A full week without power! Can you imagine going without electricity for seven straight days or more?

Those folks in Memphis who had just loaded up on groceries and don’t own a generator are going to throw away a lot of food.

Not to mention doing everything in the dark. Not to mention sweltering in the summer heat… inside their homes. Not to mention not being able to use their electronic devices to communicate or find entertainment.

We’ve seen feedback in the past from customers who also want to look out for their grown kids, in addition to themselves, because they haven’t lived through a disaster. They don’t know what could happen.

Long-Lasting Blackouts… Coming Soon to a Neighborhood Like Yours

As horrible as this situation is for the citizens of Memphis – including my daughter – it’s only a taste of what is probably coming… maybe sooner rather than later.

It’s just a matter of time before some area of the country – maybe several areas of the country – get hit with long-lasting blackouts. Whether it’s a massive storm, or a solar flare, or a cyber-attack, or a terrorist EMP attack… it’s going to happen, and it’s going to get ugly.

Former Nightline host and highly respected journalist Ted Koppel saw this coming. That’s why he wrote Lights Out: A Cyberattack, a Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath back in late 2015.

Unfortunately, America has still not taken heed of his warning. Our vulnerable electrical grid is getting weaker and weaker, and nothing is being done.

This past weekend was a wake-up call for myself, and for my daughter.

Please make sure that not only are YOU prepared, but that your family is also.

Our top recommendation in portable solar generators is the Patriot Power Generator 1500.

This breakthrough NEW device generates up to 1,500 continuous watts of clean, quiet, and FREE renewable power

That’s enough to power lights for safety and comfort, your computer, TV, or cell phone. Even small appliances like a small freezer or critical medical device that will sustain your family during a power outage.

If you’ve been considering getting a generator, now is the best time to do it, BEFORE you face a situation like the residents of Memphis.

My daughter sure wishes she had…

Check out our Patriot Power Generator 1500 here