Are we powerless without power?

Our staff member Henny Boonen was caught up in last week's Newcastle storms, where 20,000 of the original 200,000 people are still without power one week after the storm began.

Said to be one of the most devastating storms to hit the region in 80 years, a spokeswoman from Ausgrid said the storm caused more damage to the electricity infrastructure across the Hunter than any other weather event, including the 2007 Pasha Bulker storm.

For those not directly affected by roof losses or falling trees, residents without power found themselves cut-off from every communication medium they usually take for granted. With no power, no internet, non-operational mobile phone towers and smartphones with flat batteries, schools had no way to inform parents not to send their children to school and many businesses were unable to operate.

Those supermarkets who did had power restored could not order or receive deliveries which meant no fresh milk, dairy bread or produce. Once the goods were selected, shoppers received another shock. No EFTPOS facilities. And the nearest ATM?  Also without power.

You see the problem?

It makes you think doesn't it?  While we think we could do without light and internet for a few days, we forget that it affects the way businesses purchase goods and how we pay for them. Many businesses don't think of something as simple as a power outage in their disaster recovery planning.  But it's something to be seriously considered as we rely more and more on electricity to support all of our basic human needs.