What a wake-up call for being prepared

By Carol Vrooman

WOW....we were sitting here in the pleasant cool of our air conditioning, the kids playing a video game, my husband on his computer, I was starting to cook the potatoes for dinner when suddenly it all stopped—the TV, the computer, the stove, the AC all gone.

At 5 we drove through a Ramona with lines at local stores where people were stocking up on ice. We needed gas but the pumps weren’t working, we couldn’t have paid for it anyway because we had no cash. The ATMs weren’t working either.

The Mighty Dawgs still practiced as hard as ever—GO DAWGS!

Driving home through totally dark Ramona was eerie. Traffic control at the big intersections was great. My only comment would be the brave police officers were standing in the dark. Why didn’t they have flashlights? Dye Road had a large light, which lit up the intersection, but the officer was standing in the shadow; it was very difficult to see his signals. Anyone not paying very close attention could easily have caused a tragedy. What needs to be done to get the Ramona substation supplied with flashlights for their own safety?

What a wake-up call for being prepared. Today we are making a plan, cash on hand, keep the vehicles topped off as much as possible, plenty of candles/holders, lamp oil, a new barbecue grill with an extra burner for cooking, a battery powered radio, and nonperishable food.

Did we miss anything?

Carol Vrooman is a Ramona resident.