Grid Down and Stores

Had a reinforcing experience this morning. Went to Walmart early this morning to stock up on some more things. After shopping about 30 minutes I headed to the front to check out. There were at least 100 people and there carts at the checkout and nothing was moving. I was told the store server had crashed (think grid down) and they hadn't been able to bring it back up. After standing there about 20 minutes they announced the store was closing. Everyone just walked away from their carts. Not only is this a good example of what will happen in a grid down situation, it also tells another tale. Stores have no backup/manual plan if the computers don't work; they are completely paralyzed without them. Myself and others have said that the store shelves would be empty in a day or two. That's wrong. It assumes the stores are open for some period of time and can do business in some manner. With the grid down, they will quickly lock up and the only way the unprepared/under prepared will be able to get anything from a store is by breaking in and looting the store. Of course most refrigerated stuff will be of little use by the time that happens.

The bottom line is, the folks that think that even in a bad situation they'll be able to get some supplies are sorely mistaken. Our society is so dependent on computers, electronics, barcodes and the like, without out them they are completely paralyzed.

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Grid Down and Stores