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.
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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…
If more people took the time to prepare for an emergency or disaster they will be able to wait out the situation as a matter of an inconvenience rather than a dire need or emergency requiring outside intervention.
If more people took the time and listened Frank and his faithful friends; then they too would be prepared for an emergency or disaster. They would seek to improve their living conditions. It will take time and it can be expensive but take your time. Learn what you need, what you want, and what you should have. Then you will be prepared.
love you i have no place to even live off the sreet and no one to help me survive or that cares whether i live or die vincent mission for the homeless .org in oakland is slowly killing me as my payee and wants me dead i am so afraid he will get his way and no one will stop him not even jesus he is a godamn liar god help me please pray for me also
Please explain how the generator can be connected to an indoor freezer, TV, refrigerator, etc. Do you set up the solar panels outside and run an extension cord under the door to the appliance inside the house?
Hi, Barbara. Presumably you would have already fully charged the generator (using an outlet in the house or solar panels outside), so that it could be directly connected to those indoor appliances and devices.
Hi,
I wondered if EMP affects the solar generator’s performance. Is a faraday vault or box required to keep it in working condition?
Thank you,
Yes Susan an EMP will affect this generator and any other electrical component that is not shielded. When in doubt you can make a Faraday cage/box to keep your generator in. However, when using it you would want to have it outside the cage.
I was without power and water for four and a half weeks during the ice storm of 2009. Massive trees blocked roads and destroyed houses and outbuildings. This storm had this effect on over 10,000 people, yet despite the 20 degree weather and all of the imminent death and doom occurred. There were two deaths out of over 10,000 people. Your daily death chant is getting a bit old.
Well Frank, every generation needs to hear the warning over and over again. Just look at how many are NOT PREPARED TO SURVIVE a storm.
You may be getting tired of hearing “chicken little” saying, “the sky is falling, the sky is falling” but will you do when the sky actually falls on you or your house or car? How many times do you have to tell a kid to do something before he does it. When people listen and do what is expected of them the first time then you can request to say it only once.
I have been with out power for 2 weeks back in time and it was no fun. Water and Ac were the things i missed the most during that time. From what i read you Generator will not power a icebox or ac unit
is that correct. Ac is a big thing along with water.
You also mention that you can buy more solar panels
for more power. Will more panels run ac along with ice box. If so how much do the panels cost and how many do you need to create enough power to run
more things with your Unit. I am looking at the Generac which i am sure you know about. It can run my WHole House using my out side gas. Granted it cost alot to install. Thanks for any feed back.
Dan this generator can run your fridge if you add a second generator to help carry the electrical load. This generator is like the battery in your car. You need a certain amount of power to turn the car over. But once it is turned over the amount of power needed to keep running is lowered. With a fridge, you constantly need to jump start the appliance, thus the extra generator needed to help out.
As for the AC forget it. The AC pulls far too much power than this generator can provide.
A Generac generator is what you will need to run the entire house. You can have it set up to run on natural gas or propane. I suggest that you get one that can run on both. Just remember, depending upon the type of power outage, the gas company may not be able to provide gas to your home or may have had to cut it off from your area for one reason or another.
Hi Frank
I’d be more interested if the package included an option of battery and EMP bag for battery as a second option.
I love a bargain.
We had been considering getting the generator but money was an issue. The Memorial Day offer was too good to pass up plus I was offered 4 payment option which we could do. Can’t wait till it arrives this week. Thx Frank for being a friend to people you never have met face to face…
Sure hopehthat we can purchase your solar generated later this summe
Being from Canada /ontario different on the dollar exchange [email protected]=688.12 or $190.12 each x3 adding everthing= $2007.30 still we have tried the good food and we are very satisfied. I haven.t entered the free draw on the generator.as the booklet said