What’s would you do if an EMP knocks out all of the power where you live? (It would have to be a crippling global event to severely impact us. If...

In the case of something like a massive solar flare emitting an EMP and frying all the electronics and machines of the globe — I’d lose Internet, electricity, the ability to buy food, and water. It would have to be a crippling global event to severely impact us. If things aren’t back up and running after 6 months, life has changed.

My daily work would shift to water and food procurement.

There’s several stock tanks within four miles that are pumped using wind (I think. I know a few have been changed over to solar.) So, I’d have to take a walk for water. And on my way back and forth, I’d be foraging and planting seeds — or maybe relocate to where there’s water. By the time our food stores ran out, hopefully something could be harvested and eaten.

My wife and I would likely die if we stayed put. Not much of a strategy, really.

But if my neighbors (all farmers and ranchers) decide to gather and form a local community, that might be a different story. There’s maybe a couple dozen humans between who’s out here on the plateau and who lives in the canyons — and thousands of cattle. Less people than one good-sized family that lived out here 100 years ago…but maybe we could band together and make things okay for ourselves.

The nearest city is 180 miles away and so far off any beaten path — if anybody shows up, they’re probably somebody we know. This is the ‘bug-out’ location for a few of my friends and their families, but I doubt they’d ever make it. (They like to dream, so I let them. It’ll never happen anyway.)

I was an Army medic and used to work in a nursing home. I’ve forgotten way more than I remember, but I probably know a few things in the medical realm that people might appreciate. I’m sure somebody would need the medicine we make.

I was also once a gunsmith. I still sometimes repair a neighbor’s gun from time to time, so they know my limitations there. Doesn’t take electricity to make and replace a screw that went flying off into the grass. (I got rid of a lot of tools, but those unusual taps and dies — hanging onto those.)

Most of the locals know different things about plants and animals around here, other than all the stuff people might grow. We all know how to clean and skin an animal and plant/harvest a crop. Yeah, it’d be a lot harder without tractors and stuff — but I’ve never had a tractor and never driven one. I’m not at a loss without one.

And there’s several random hobbies, making cordage, spinning, weaving, tool making, pottery, music, blah-blah.

Aside from the abandoned copper mine and iron ore everywhere, everybody has metal scrap pile and everybody welds. I’m fairly certain we can cobble a forge together and bang out whatever our families might need. We have a lot of wind that I’m sure we can put to smart use.

The lathes, mills, and drill presses might not have a functioning motor, but the rest of it is still fabulous and precise. Take out the electric and combustion motors. Use wind, water, and flywheels to power the machinery. (I would imagine everybody is twitchy about using electricity again.)

And the old tractors without all the computers are probably just fine, so quite possibly we could make our own vegetable diesel or alcohol and get those fired up — same with semis and pickup trucks.

I also have a bunch of stuff for group decision-making, organizing our self-government, conflict resolution, logistics, and who knows what else up in my head.

I don’t think I know much these days, but there’s many places where I think I can at least be of some assistance. I like to think I’d be a handy person to have around, but who knows? I might just be in the way.

If crops don’t come and the community doesn’t form, I guess we’d just grab the essentials and start walking to see what the future holds.