What Is A Typical Day Like Without Power, Internet, or Water?

We are coming up on day 14 without power, internet, and water. Someone recently asked, “What is a typical day like without power, internet, or water?”

My day begins in the first sunlight.

When I get out of bed, I “wash” my hands with hand sanitizer and brush my teeth using water from a bottle. Then, I put all the lights that run on solar in the window to begin recharging.

I go downstairs, open the garage door, turn on the gas grill, start boiling water for coffee, and wash dishes. I plug my coffee bean grinder into a generator and grind beans to make French Press coffee.

While the water is heating, I take Dash (our Jackweenie) for a walk. By the time we return, the water for the coffee is boiling. While the coffee is seeping into the French Press, I clean up and straighten up the tables with food, tableware, and cleaning materials. Trash gets emptied. Water gets checked. There are three types of water on hand. Water for drinking. Potable water to be boiled for cooking and washing dishes. Creek water for flushing toilets. I determine which of these water sources need to be replenished.

When the water for washing dishes has boiled, I carefully bring it upstairs, prepare a tub for washing dishes, and then a tub for rinsing and sanitizing dishes.

I try to tune into the 10 AM Buncombe County Government briefing for updates and information from on-the-ground subject matter experts in water, police, healthcare, and others.

I make time to create the “to-do” list for the day. Ice? Water? What is the food for the day, including seeing who will be preparing dinner that evening? Exercise? (Stretching is essential!) Shower and laundry (which requires driving 14 miles to my cousin’s home who has water, power, and internet.)? Checking on neighbors for water and ice? Volunteering? Helping neighbors? Check on Carrpe Diem consulting work? Email? Read? Top off car gas tank? Cash (many places take cash only and will not give back change.)?

The day begins to wind down around 4 PM. Dash gets another walk. It will get dark by 7:30 PM. Since we are the hub for the “community kitchen” where neighbors gather for dinner, a table needs to be brought out to serve dinner. The fire pit needs to be started as the sun goes down and it gets chilly! A flip chart is brought out for people to share announcements, make requests, or see who will fix the next day’s dinner. The generator gets turned on so people can plug in devices for recharging.

Dinner is served around 6 PM. People may linger around the fire pit and talk, but most turn in before 9 PM. I’m in bed shortly after.