The Time of The Cat - Appendix

A POSSIBLE TIMELINE FOR EVENTS AFTER AN EMP

This list is based on a trucking industry study of the probable sequence of events after an EMP. I based the concluding chapters of the above story on this list, and I think that it is most likely accurate.

The first few hours:

1. All communications will be disrupted: no radio, no TV, no Internet, no phones.

2. The electrical grid will be down everywhere: no A/C, no heat.

3. Municipal water systems will begin to run out of water.

4. People will immediately panic and loot grocery stores. The shelves will be emptied within a few hours.

5. Hospitals will run out of basic supplies.

6. Service stations will begin to run out of fuel.

7. US mail and other package delivery will cease.

8. Travel will be restricted to walking, bicycles, or animal-assisted means.

Within a day:

1. Food shortages will develop, and those without food will begin to starve.

2. Food shortages will escalate, especially in the face of hoarding and consumer panic.

3. Supplies of essentials at major retailers will disappear.

4. Cash will become mostly worthless.

5. Service stations will completely run out of fuel.

6. Garbage will start piling up in urban and suburban areas.

7. Container ships will sit idle in ports, and rail transport will be at a standstill.

8. Law enforcement will fail as officers return home to try and keep their families alive.

9. Looting will become violent, causing many injuries and further overloading the medical system.

Within a week:

1. Hospitals will shut down due to a lack of supplies.

2. Water will be safe for drinking only after boiling. As a result, gastrointestinal illnesses will increase, further taxing an already weakened healthcare system.

3. Civil unrest will predominate in the cities, and the national government will be impotent due to a lack of communication and an inability to travel.

4. Surviving authorities will be reduced to relying on local supplies and local forces in an effort to maintain order.

5. Violent criminal gangs will take over large areas.

6. Death rates will skyrocket.

7. Diseases, including plagues, will start to appear.

8. All trade will be mediated by barter.

Within a Month:

1. The first month will be the period of the highest die-off. It has been estimated that 9 out of 10 people will die during that time. Those who cannot get food and water will try and walk out of the cities. They won’t make it more than about a hundred miles before starving or dying from thirst.

2. Regions surrounding areas of high population density will be stripped of all resources during this time. Refugees will be met with increasing hostility and force by local residents who are out of supplies and struggling to maintain their own lives. Loners may survive for a while but will probably eventually succumb to organized gangs or war parties.

3. Smaller towns may be areas where people can survive, provided the citizens cooperate. There will be a danger of small groups changing into repressively ruled tribes, especially if those in power hold all of the weapons.

4. Geographically or geologically isolated rural areas where the population has a reservoir of survival talent, including farmers, mechanics, and medical professionals, will be most likely to offer sanctuary for civilization. Climate factors will be important in determining the population carrying capacity of these areas. The availability of fish and game will be critical.

5. In short, man will be reduced to a 17th-century lifestyle, but most won’t have the knowledge base or survival skills of a 17th-century human. Survival in such a case highly correlates with how fast one can adapt and learn.