American Blackout

[Clyde]

I am curious if anyone watched American Blackout Sunday night, if so what did you think?

I thought it was pretty decent. except some of the characters should have croaked from dehydration, especially the kid whose mom is a nurse.

 

[DrHenley]

Haven't heard of it. What channel and what time?

 

[jimLE]

it's on same channel as doomsday preppers...natgeo if i remember right..iwatched some of the show..i dont think i saw the part about the nurse n her son..i remmeber the 4 or 5 in the elevater..from what little i saw of that part.i think things should of gone wrong for tem..

 

[Longhorn]

I watched about 20mins or so. The camera work was annoying to me, all the shaky cell phone video, etc. I recorded it though, so I'll give it another shot.

I do find it interesting that this special came out about a month before this massive power grid drill that is supposed to be conducted.

 

[Clyde]

I watched about 20mins or so. The camera work was annoying to me, all the shaky cell phone video, etc. I recorded it though, so I'll give it another shot.

I do find it interesting that this special came out about a month before this massive power grid drill that is supposed to be conducted.

I almost stopped watching it due to all of the camera shake. Damn near made me motion sick.

What I did find interesting was that if this film is only half true about how things will go in this sort of event, the country is in a superior level of ****!
If there is one thing I do know my family and will have power.

 

[Longhorn]

I almost stopped watching it due to all of the camera shake. Damn near made me motion sick.

What I did find interesting was that if this film is only half true about how things will go in this sort of event, the country is in a superior level of ****!
If there is one thing I do know my family and will have power.

Absolutely agree! If you look at the aftermath of Katrina and Superstorm Sandy, it took about a week to get government assistance in a disaster area, this show was saying it was about 3-4 days before Red Cross showed up after the blackout. Personally I think it would be MUCH longer if only about 20% of the nation has generator produced power. America would be up the creek without a paddle.

 

[sharkbait]

Does anyone have an online link to the show?We missed it.I dropped cable a couple years ago and all of our "watching" is done online,Netflix,etc.However,i've searched everywhere including Natgeo and cannot find it online.

 

[jimLE]

here ya go sharkbait.i hope this works for ya

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/american-blackout/

 

[sharkbait]

here ya go sharkbait.i hope this works for ya

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/american-blackout/

Thanks Jim,looks like I can catch it tomorrow night!

 

[jimLE]

your welcome..i guess im getting better at searchs

 

[Brent S]

I liked it, but agree I think it would have been a lot worse in real life. If the govt couldn't get its act together for one area after Katrina, how bad would it be for the whole country. I've learned in life to count on yourself, not any politicians. I am pleased that it reached a lot of people, and will hopefully get more people on board with being prepared for any eventual problems. I still feel like an outcast in my community, it really surprises me how few of the people I know think there could ever be a disaster, much less would "waste time and money preparing for one". Even though it could have been done better, I'm glad for a start with getting people to wake up to possible situations they may find themselves in. My favorite part was the guy saying he wished he had saved milk jugs for water, most people never even think about how critical water is, maybey some schmuck will get something out of it,

 

[Bfree]

I watched it too, & I agree the jerky cell phone camera got annoying. I did like the fact that the 1 person they made to be a total dim wit was an elitist penthouse blond chick that gets whacked when she thinks the guberment has come to save her only to find out its a bunch of thugs. I didn't like the ending either, but I guess they had to make everything hunky dory after only about 10 days. Oh well, it was a good attempt to wake up those that are sleeping.

 

[RangerBob73]

I told my girlfriend that the show probably got some people to start prepping. I hope it did wake people up and think ahead.

 

[DrHenley]

I just watched it. A lot of it seemed kind of hokey to me.

Did those kids on the elevator go 4 days without water?

 

[DrHenley]

Absolutely agree! If you look at the aftermath of Katrina and Superstorm Sandy, it took about a week to get government assistance in a disaster area, this show was saying it was about 3-4 days before Red Cross showed up after the blackout. Personally I think it would be MUCH longer if only about 20% of the nation has generator produced power. .

Don't confuse the gubmint with the Red Cross. How fast the Red Cross is up and running depends on the local chapter. You have local volunteers responsible for the local response, and regional volunteers that go where they are needed. If the local chapter is AWOL, like it was in New Orleans, then you have to bring in regional volunteers to set up the relief operations and try to recruit local volunteers. In a nationwide disaster, if a local chapter drops the ball, then who knows how long it will be because there aren't enough regional volunteers to cover the whole country. If the local chapter is on the ball, then a shelter will be up and running within a day.

 

[realisticdude]

The show was campy and mostly unrealistic. A true American blackout would be MUCH worse , esp. in the inner cities . Looting , murder and rape would be unparalleled . I do believe that many Americans are as idiotic and unprepared as those portrayed ......................... In defence of the American Red Cross ( post - Katrina ), they raised 2 billion dollars , mobilized 235,000 volunteers , etc. True ,they were racked with bureaucratic red tape and fraud , but post -Katrina New Orleans was a unique situation.

 

[DrHenley]

I was referring to a New Orleans flood in the 1970's. When our Disaster Action Team got there, there were no local Red Cross personnel, either paid or volunteers, to be found. We had to jumpstart the relief efforts blind, and try to recruit volunteers. Four days after the flood we were still finding large areas of the city that nobody even knew were flooded (except the people living there of course).

One of the first things the Red Cross does in a disaster is called a "windshield survey" to identify the areas affected and estimate how many homes are damaged. Because there is no incentive for the Red Cross to fudge the numbers, their damage estimates are the official ones used by the government and the press. If the windshield survey isn't done immediately, or is inaccurate, it screws up the whole relief effort because the government relies on those estimates to know where and how much assistance is needed.

I wasn't involved in the Katrina effort, so I can only assume that after Katrina, the local chapter dropped the ball AGAIN.

 

[realisticdude]

I was referring to a New Orleans flood in the 1970's. When our Disaster Action Team got there, there were no local Red Cross personnel, either paid or volunteers, to be found. We had to jumpstart the relief efforts blind, and try to recruit volunteers. Four days after the flood we were still finding large areas of the city that nobody even knew were flooded (except the people living there of course).

One of the first things the Red Cross does in a disaster is called a "windshield survey" to identify the areas affected and estimate how many homes are damaged. Because there is no incentive for the Red Cross to fudge the numbers, their damage estimates are the official ones used by the government and the press. If the windshield survey isn't done immediately, or is inaccurate, it screws up the whole relief effort because the government relies on those estimates to know where and how much assistance is needed.

I wasn't involved in the Katrina effort, so I can only assume that after Katrina, the local chapter dropped the ball AGAIN.

 

[realisticdude]

I was referring to a New Orleans flood in the 1970's. When our Disaster Action Team got there, there were no local Red Cross personnel, either paid or volunteers, to be found. We had to jumpstart the relief efforts blind, and try to recruit volunteers. Four days after the flood we were still finding large areas of the city that nobody even knew were flooded (except the people living there of course).

One of the first things the Red Cross does in a disaster is called a "windshield survey" to identify the areas affected and estimate how many homes are damaged. Because there is no incentive for the Red Cross to fudge the numbers, their damage estimates are the official ones used by the government and the press. If the windshield survey isn't done immediately, or is inaccurate, it screws up the whole relief effort because the government relies on those estimates to know where and how much assistance is needed.

I wasn't involved in the Katrina effort, so I can only assume that after Katrina, the local chapter dropped the ball AGAIN.

Oh ! I assumed you were referring to post-Katrina New Orleans when you mentioned New Orleans in response to longhorn's post. I don't remember a specific 1970's flood incident unless it was 1978. Areas of New Orleans flood frequently , I remember 88/89 and 1995 specifically. After Katrina, the Red Cross raised 2 billion dollars and mobilized 235,000 volunteers and it was much appreciated. They do have their issues but they have done good work with hurricane relief here on the Gulf Coast.

 

[DrHenley]

1978 sounds about right.

 

[Israel]

I Watched it and though was ok. I though many of the scenarios where idiotic, but was bored so watched it. Got me thinking about how would be an efficient (cheap) way to provide energy to some components around the house (only important) like fridge, xbox and tv =0p

 

[Backwoods 3 percent]

I just watched it. A lot of it seemed kind of hokey to me.

Did those kids on the elevator go 4 days without water?

Agreed, those kids the elevator would have been in a musch worse state if not dead. Also who has a cell phone that can last that long. I watched it while folding laundry I tohught the back and forth of my head made me feel sick I am glad it wasnt just me.