Dinner, a Movie, and WMD

Hubby and I went to dinner and a movie last night. Red Lobster and Sherlock Holmes, nothing exotic. But while eating my shrimp I had a thought, no doubt inspired by my reading of scary survivalist blogs. 

Warning! Danger, Will Robinson!

WHAT IF:

What if an electromagnetic pulse went off in the atmosphere, causing all electronics to stop working? Our cars wouldn't work. Our city has no emergency plan for such an event, I'm sure. What would we do?

While we waited for the movie to start my mind went back to this scenario. Hmm, we would have to walk home, about four miles. Not that big of deal except I had a knee replaced one month ago, so am not at my best mobility ever. Plus, it is January in Wyoming, and we didn't have hats or gloves with us.

Two kids, I knew, were safely at home watching On Demand. College daughter--with boyfriend as usual, but she could be anywhere in town or even in a small town nearby where his grandparents live, since they like to take over grandparent's basement for Netflix. So it could be a few days until we would see her.

How long would it be until the Feds mobilized and got batteries working again, power plants working again? How long until food and water distribution? Red Cross might have stock piles, but with out vehicles it would be useless. What about meds like insulin? 

Our house is stuffed with food since we shop for our pantry and buy stuff in cases, so we'd be fine for awhile. Water, I'm sure, would have to be bleached or boiled. Boiling takes fuel. But we have elderly neighbors, couldn't really leave them to starve...

And how would we know anything? I don't keep a shortwave radio and batteries wrapped in foil in a galvanized garbage can. I know there are survivalists in Wyoming that have such preparations. We'd be pretty dependent on those who made plans ahead of time for any info.

Are we that vulnerable? I don't know, and I hope not. But I might pick up a radio and batteries and look for some kind of metal case... And keeping extra hats and gloves in the cars wouldn't be a bad idea...