When the Lights Stayed Out

In the latest issue of Liberty magazine, "Storm Bound" by Jim Walsh gives a first person account of his community's several days off the grid after a big storm knocked out power. I found it spellbinding and educational.

Things were still eerie Tuesday morning. The kids didn't even expect to have school. They listened to the same DJ, who was reading about school closures, road closures, and warnings against risky behavior like a war correspondent. He announced that the storm's heavy rains were causing some local rivers to flood. Following the hard rules of nature, the worst of this flooding would come a few days after the storm had passed. Local fire departments were making sandbags available, though no one was sure whether the people who needed the bags most could get to the fire stations. A disaster-management Catch-22.

Definitely worth the read.