Look, you were all probably expecting me to cover the bail out news, the failed congressional rescue attempt, the biggest single point decline for the Dow in all history, general economic uncertainty, dire predictions, and so forth, but I’m sure you’re reading all about that in the news, and on other blogs. There’s no need for me to cover it here other than to say this is just one layer, albeit a big layer, in what could be brewing as a perfect SHTF storm.
I want to talk about something else – gas shortages in the South as a result of hurricanes smacking oil refiners. This has been in the news, but it has been far under-reported (in my opinion). Blame the bail out news, the election, Russia’s actions, pirates off Somalia, or whatever else for the lack of significant news coverage, but this gas shortage is yet one more reinforcing sign that our society operates on a fragile system that the average American is FAR too dependent on.
People in the South are now waiting in long lines to top off gas tanks and fill spare gas cans. They’re cutting each other off in line in their frustration and rage. Rumor has it some people were following tankers so they can get a fill up. Is this the wake up call people and government need? Doubtful. Our nation’s gasoline inventory is exceptionally tight in a society that loves to burn the shit up. This is all fine if a hurricane hits and people need to watch their gas gauge for a few weeks, but what happens if/when something more dramatic happens? What if war with Iran breaks out, oil shipments out of the Middle-East cease, and then refineries are smacked with hurricanes? Egad! Then terrorists hit a Russian supply line to Europe and the whole world goes nuts.
It’s one thing if you can’t drive to the movie theater, quite another if truckers can’t get diesel and the grocery store is empty for a few weeks! Here is a CNN post on the gas shortage subject. A commenter had this to say: “Also, just the fact that gas stations can run out in ONE day is an eye-opener for me. I never imagined it would only take a day. . . I figured it would be at least 3-4 five days!”
ONE DAY – folks! You know, Maine state government launched a preparedness campaign this month (which also went under-reported). I did hear about it on the radio, and they offered a staggering statistic. Only 14% of Maine households have a 3-day supply of food and water in their homes. THREE DAYS! I doubt the national average is any better – possibly worse. The public is going to completely FREAK OUT if grocery stores go empty and no relief is in immediate sight.
Fortune Magazine has published a piece entitled: “Gas shortages: get ready for more”
In the article it offers another staggering statistic:
In its most recent Weekly Oil Data Review, Barclays Capital pointed out that the U.S. gasoline inventory has reached its lowest level since August 1967, when demand was a little more than half its current level of 9.3 million barrels a day. At 178.7 million barrels, inventories are 21.6 million barrels below their five-year average.
Read more:
None of this surprises industry watchers such as Matt Simmons, the chairman of Houston energy industry investment bank Simmons & Co. and chief spokesman for the Peak Oil movement. I recently wrote a profile of Simmons for Fortune (“The prophet of $500 oil”) and I can report that he has been warning about the potential of gasoline shortages in the U.S. for months.
“Our system is so fragile,” he told me recently. “All you need is a tiny change to go from ‘Oh, we’re in fine shape’ to an unmitigated disaster.”
As he told me the other day: “If we end up having gasoline shortages, the odds are about 90% that Americans will do what we always do: We’ll top up our tanks. And in topping up our tanks, within three or four days we’ll drain the pool dry and then within seven days we’ll run out of food.”
That sounds awfully dire. And it probably won’t happen. But, then again, a couple of months ago hardly anybody would have predicted that AIG would collapse, Congress would be mulling a Wall Street bailout, and ’70s-era gas lines would be back.
Good heavens. So let’s get all of this clear:
- the economy is on the brink of collapse
- oil and gas markets are ultra sketchy
- Russia is talking about helping Venezuela develop nuclear energy
- Israel wants to bomb Iran
- and North Korea is starting to process nuke juice again
Did I miss anything? Gosh, give me food and a bunker. I’d like to hide for the next 5 years . . . okay, that’s a lie. This SHTF news is actually quite fascinating. It’s interesting watching things unfold. Pop some popcorn and open the news sites – hit refresh – hit refresh – TEOTWAWKI news just keeps pouring in.
Below is an amateur, on-the-scene video report of the gas shortage:
– Ranger Man
BTW: Good comments on the percolator versus French press post – lots of points I hadn’t considered.
Also, just out of curiosity, do YOU stock a spare supply of gasoline? If so, what’s your method?
12 comments
Excellent Post, There is a perfect storm brewing and we are in for bad things jHppening all over all at one time.
On the positive side, my turnups that I planted in late August are doing wonderful..
These are scary times in which we are living. I fill 3 5 gallon cans of gasoline at the begining of hurricane season. I rotate the gas out by using it in my car every 6 weeks to keep the gas fresh. I work in a field that allows me access to gasoline in the event of an emergency, but I would not hold my breath if the SHTF. I am a condo dweller and keep my gasoline on my outdoor patio. It gets stored inside my trunk if a storm is hitting us and removed immediately following the storm. Probably not the best idea, but I have to make due. It is enough to fill the tank of my car completely from empty. As for food/water storage I can certainly go for approx. 45 days without resupply. Although it would get real tight after 30 days. I keep approx. 20 gallons ( 5 cases of walmart bottled water) of bottled water and can fill another 12 gallons from the tap in 15 minutes. I would have to ration to be able to hold out but if things were going to get bad I would try and get what I could from a grocery store before hand. I hope I never have to find out!
“Only 14% of Maine households have a 3-day supply of food and water in their homes ”
Wow, that stat is really shocking, i knew most people where under prepared, but not even 3 days??
Anyway, as to ranger mans question, i store petrol in a 20 litre jerrican in the boot of my car, and i try not to let my car get under half a tank. Thats basically it. I know that seems under prepared for a SHTF ninja, but if SHTF i would be going to my parents house (only 15 litres of petrol away), and from there we have they have a handy dandy 800 litre (200 gallons) of petrol, and 2000 litre (500 gallons) of diesel in storage tanks. (seems like a lot dont it? but tractors burn lots of fuel tearing up paddocks).
800 litres of petrol should last us 16 weeks or so (if we continued to burn it normally, which shtf of course we would not!!), which is a darn lot longer than the US has :) (180 million barrels of storage, 10 millions barrels consumption per day, your dry in two and a half weeks)
Oh, forgot to add to my previous post, was watching a doco on Chernobyl last night (you know, the Russian nuclear power plant that blew up).
The thought of a couple of hundred poorly maintained (due to lack of funds) nuclear reactors floating about in the US post SHTF is really quite scary!! thats without attempts by “terrorists” and what not to go about nicking radioactive material.
I really do think there is no such thing as “safe nuclear” and untill we have the energy supplies to send all that radioactive muck we have already created out into space (ie never) we should stop making more of it. If it was radioactive for say, 200 years, that would be bad enough, but its radioactive essentially forever, and people 3000 years (assuming there are some left) from now that get to deal with it that never had the benefits of it are going to be really pissed off at us!
^^ sorry for the post spammage, but i also forgot to add that this is the problem with a government that only has to look ahead for 3 or 4 years, no foresight.
I only got the one red plastic can. As I lack an outdoor shed it would be too dangerous to store mass amounts. I keep my tank full never going below half. This is a rule around this house so we could always siphon from one vehicle or the other. I also drive a corolla.
On the bright side the food stores keep growing! Heck, even I by myself have more then 3 days on hand. Got to be able to take on those hurricanes!
Keep all vehicle tanks above half a tank and fill whatever gas cans you have with gas then add stabil. What are limits to storing in plastic containers again?
I store five five gallon cans and two 2.5 gallon cans in my garden shed. I treat with Stabil. I rotate it through my garden tractor, mower, and tiller and occasionally my car with a 50/50 mix of new gas.
My wife’s siter and her husband live just outside of Atlanta and talking to them yesterday they say it’s worse than what the news says – no wonder there! Her local fill-up spot has lines going around the block all the time.
I have a bug-out van with a 35 gallon tank that I keep full ALL the time and gives me a 500+ mile range if needed and can be drained for use in my other vehicles. I also keep 3 to 5 gallons in my detached garage for my equipment – about 20 gallons – enough for a top-off for the tanks on my other two vehicles.
I also keep my other two vehicles at no less than 3/4 full at all times.
RW
My Honda Civic EX gets nearly 40 miles per gallon, bought with cash, is great in snow, goes zero to 100 in great time.
Pass you at the pump, chumps.
But really, the way American wastes gas in behemoth SUV’s that few people need, why is the potential for gas shortages a surprise to anyone?
I keep 6- 5 gal. can’s full of stabilized gas on hand at all time. I rotate each year. Its there for the chain saw and generator or it would give me an added range of 600 miles if I had to bug out. My wife and I work from home so we are not that dependent on gas but still top our 1 vehicle off when it reaches half a tank.
I’m a wee bit late to this party, so don’t know if anyone will read this or not.
I have 4-5 Gallon Jerry cans, and keep them rotated and stabilized. Also, I have 2-30 Gallon drums coated with wet patch that I have placed in heavy poly bags and have buried in a sand pit.
I’d also like to suggest to people, if you have inoperable (junk) vehicles. Modify the fuel tanks, so that they are SEALED. If you are in a moderate climate, you’ll be able to store fuel in those tanks for a couple of years.