Weak links in your part of the world?

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The more I try to imagine the possible effects of Y2k the more I realize how regional it truly is. As a result I can only envision scenarios in locations I have some familiarity with. In general, the longer I've lived in a place the clearer a conception I have of where the weak links are.

My question is this. What are the weak links in your local infrastructure? I can answer mostly for California having lived here for over 30 years. However I am curious about other areas. What are your insights?

-- R (riversoma@aol.com), August 24, 1999

Answers

San Diego and Los Angeles County weak points

1 - Water. Its a long long ways from the Colarado river to S.D. anything could happen on the way.

2 - Sewage. So. Cal does not have drains in there gutters. There is so little rain fall in So. Cal that the gutters are very shallow and have no drains in them. The water eventually just seeks its level in reservoirs, flood plains and dry creek beds. This has caused serious flooding and power outages at least 5 of the 20+ years I lived there. In the event of sewage spills it will have nowhere to go but the streets and the local reservoirs.

3 - Population. Big. Really really big.

4 - Socio/Economics - Wide disparity between the haves and have- nots. There are many migrant workers already living in the hills of S.D. A sudden leveling of the economic playing field could make things very interesting.

5 - Economic base - S.D. currently makes most of its money from biotech. One of the most vulnerable industries. Sure there will be lots of work for those folks eventually (maybe) but most of those biochem-geeks will have to find some other way to pay for their condos for awhile.

- L.A. makes most of its money off of entertainment. Gonna be rough to make Tee Vee shows pay if the car manufacturers and fast food joints run into trouble. What about the media? Has anyone's cable company announced its Y2k compliance?

6 - Natural resources - GONE. The beaches are wasted. The year- round creeks/rivers have been dry for over a decade. The only remaining wildlife are pigeons and coyotes. Timber??? Ha ha ha.

7 - Dependancy on fossil fuels - maximum.

8 - Military presence - Very heavy. It is an extremely likely target in the event of any unpleasantness.

9 - Hazardous waste/dangerous chemicals - Lots and lots. There are a gazillion businesses in Southern California which routinely use chlorine, hydrochloric acid and other scary substances. Just one bad leak will decimate thousands. All these systems use embedded technology. Heres hoping ALL of them make it through the roll-over.

Central Valley

1 - Water - Same problem. Its all imported from the Colorado.

2 - Sewage - Residential will be a problem in some areas - the big wastewater headache will be agricultural. Lots of cattle in the central valley. It takes a lot of water and chemicals to deal with all that bovine excrement.

3 - Population - Not so bad. If no one comes north to the Central Valley from over the grapevine then there shouldn't be too much crowding. Thats a very big "if" though.

4 - Socio/Economics - Most of the population is transient.

5 - Economic Base - Seasonal. Its an agricultural area and fluctuates accordingly. Totally dependent on water.

6 - Natural resources - Sunshine. Dirt. Local fauna all killed off by heavy use of industrial pesticides.

7 - Dependency on fossil fuels - Maximum

8 - Military presence - Light. Not likely to be a target unless somebody wanted to cripple the road ways. The main artery of California - the 5 - goes right through the central valley. Good place to break the state in two. Alternate routes are available along the highly populated coast.

9 - Hazardous waste/dangerous chemicals - Lots and lots. Mondo pesticides, fungicides, herbicides etc... yum yum.

Northern California

1 - Water - Could be worse. At least it rains here. Will be fine in rural areas.

2 - Sewage/wastewater - High rainfall will make shoddy sanitation very dangerous. In the highly populated area just south of SF sewage in the streets would be deadly.

3 - Population - From Santa Rosa south to San Jose it is huge. Mind boggling. The rest of Northern Calif has one or two area codes. the Bay area and environs has something like 5 or 6.

4 - Socio/Economics - S.F.+ area, gotta be rich to live there. Rural Northern Cal, gotta not mind being poor.

5 - Economic Base - In SF area. Geek Central. High tech computing and the net. Also banking headquarters.

- Rural N. Cal - Uh, agricultural. Salmon are gone and timber is shot but theres a lot of buds in them thar hills.

6 - Natural resources - Rain, rivers, foggy but mild climates on the coast. Snows in the mountains. In the City the only wildlife is human. In the country we still have deer,elk and quail. Theres even a few redwoods left.

7 - Dependency on fossil fuels - Maximum

8 - Military presence - Light. Unless you consider the drug war between the feds and the pot growers.

9 - Hazardous waste/dangerous chemicals - Lots and lots. Particularly in highly populated industrial areas in and around S.F. Timber industry has had to really clean up its act lately but theres still lots of toxins left behind from the pulp mills.

-- R (riversoma@aol.com), August 24, 1999.


Interesting- was thinking about this today- how for instance a storm- hurricaine, icestorm, etc may cripple an area but the rest of the country just goes on almost oblivious to what is happening in another part of the country- day to day life unaffected for the most part.

anyway- vulnerabilities- in Vermont. Power- lots of it comes from Canada- uncertain situation there- also lots of small rural cooperatives and electric producers with dams and the controls in the basement under the living room and stuff (really)- are they compliant?? On the other hand- power goes down here alot- and life goes on. Most people can heat with wood, etc

Water- mostly private wells/springs in rural areas- which is most of the state i believe. just larger cities(largest has 35,000 people!) on muni water/sewer. But largest number of people are on these probably-

Resources- many. Wildlife, fishing, timber, tourists to eat or use for livestock feed, etc-no problem here.

Phone- several large companies- some small ones- don't know.

Not much happens via airports, trains, buses, etc- some transportation that way but minor IMO.

Agriculture- varied- but not much in winter. Lots of cows though.

-- farmer (hillsidefarm@drbs.net), August 24, 1999.


Boy does that make me even happier that I am no longer in San Diego (and sad/worried that family still is). Here in the Sierras we at least have water, and not a lot of people. The GI/DGI ratio may or may not be any greater than in the cities, but we at least know about those 2-3 day snowstorms Koskinen/RedCross/FEMA tell us are coming. Downside.. except for some meat on the hoof and in the streams, and wood (lots) for heating, everything else is trucked in. Long long term view though in case of a 10 is that the population seems to be approximately what it was a hundred or even a thousand years ago.. so probably the land could carry most of us.. if it comes to that.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), August 24, 1999.

No real weak links, as far as infrastructure, but with an Air Force Base and several defense industries, southwest Ohio is a pretty juicy military target.

-- Bokonon (Bokonon@my-Deja.com), August 24, 1999.

I'm happy to report that Y2k will not be a problem in Cincinnati for another 10 years. We are so far behind the rest of the country that it will take us that long to catch up.

-- Cincy Sal (not@urbain.net), August 24, 1999.


Hmmmm....

Interesting.

Southwest Michigan. Heavily dependent on the Automotive Industry., on aerospace, and on the paper industry.

Soil is good, we normally have adequate rainfall, agriculture is a big part of our economy. Lots of fruit, dairy, corn, soybeans, some wheat. Very few general, multicrop farms.

We have several Superfund sites, our biggest rivers are in lousy shape (dioxins, PBB's, etc.), you can't safely eat much fish from the Great Lakes........

Water systems here are mostly groundwater, even municipal. Sewage systems mostly outflow to the rivers.

Strong dependance on Fossil fuels. Electric problems out in my (new) rural neck of the woods this summer from overload and such.

All in all, though, I'm glad I'm here and not in Nashville, TN, like I was two years ago.

-- Jon Williamson (pssomerville@sprintmail.com), August 24, 1999.


DeeCee Metro area -- everything is a weak link. economy mostly based on gov jobs

way too many people

way too much crime in GOOD times

big gap between haves and have-nots

pepco still supplies almost all local electricity

bell atlantic is the only supplier of local phone service for at least DC, VA, and MD

suburbs extend a LONG way out (not enough food, water, wood for everyone)

why do i still live here?!?!?

-- sarah (qubr@aol.com), August 24, 1999.


Weakest links in NW OH: dendrites of pollyannas.

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), August 24, 1999.

Western Oregon; Plenty of water, 9 mos of rain, rivers and lakes everywhere. Power; Bonneville Power Admin, all hydro from dams built in 30s thru 60s, systems mostly manual and therefore less vulnerable to computer problems. Less dependent on fossil fuels then many other places, lots of woodstoves and lots of firewood. Lots of game and fish in the streams although the salmon are in serious decline. Very fertile land, lots of truck gardens. Population density; moderate to sparse outside Portland metro area. Jobs; agriculture, timber, tourism, high tech, shipping. Less disparity of income then elsewhere, few racial tensions and small minority populations. Some petrochemical complexes in Portland area, little elsewhere although lumber mills are everywhere. Polution; a lot less then other parts of US. One HUGE advantage; geographical isolation from bulk of US population; distance, deserts and the Rockies between here and the east, midwest and south. Mountain ranges between here and California with only a few roads thru the mountain passes.( Rumor has it that survivalist types in southern Oregon gonna blow the passes if TSHTF, keep the starving hordes down in Calfornia. I actually talked to a Vietnam vet who lives in a remote valley in southern Oregon. He said several of his buddies including a former Army demolitions specialist have already determined where to place the charges to trigger landslides and block the passes). All in all, a good place to weather the storm.

-- Ralph Kramden (an@awaywego.com), August 25, 1999.

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