Tuesday, March 3, 2026
22 check-insTonight's Question
"During the first 48 hours of a district-wide blackout like this, what information do you think ARPSC should prioritize collecting and relaying to Emergency Management, and based on your current station setup, how long could you personally stay on the air if commercial power was out at your home for at least 48 hours?"
Consider: Battery capacity, generator fuel supply, solar charging capability, mobile operation options.
District-Wide Blackout – 48+ Hours Without Power
Scenario Overview
It's late Thursday afternoon in August. At approximately 4:10 PM, a software bug in a power company's alarm system, combined with overgrown trees contacting transmission lines in Ohio, triggers a cascading failure across the Eastern Interconnection grid. Within minutes, 55 million people lose power across the northeastern United States and Ontario, Canada—including all of Southeast Michigan.
Macomb County is now without commercial power. Utilities are estimating at least 48 hours before substantial restoration begins, with some areas potentially waiting 72 hours or longer. This is not a local outage—it's regional, and mutual aid resources are stretched thin.
Cascading Impacts Across the County
- All residential and most commercial buildings are dark
- Traffic signals are out at most intersections—treat as 4-way stops
- Gas stations cannot pump fuel without power (most have no backup)
- ATMs and card readers are down; cash-only transactions where stores remain open
- Elevators, electric garage doors, and sump pumps are inoperable
- Water pressure declining as pumping stations rely on backup power
- Boil water advisories likely within 24–48 hours
- Sewage lift stations running on generators—limited fuel reserves
- Residents on well water have no water without power
- Wastewater treatment capacity may be reduced
- Cell towers have 4–8 hours of battery backup; many will go dark overnight
- Landlines may work, but cordless phones won't without power
- Cable internet and WiFi are down in affected areas
- AM/FM broadcast stations mostly operational (many have generators)
- Amateur radio repeaters with backup power remain on the air
- Gas stations closed or with extremely long lines (no power to pump)
- A few stations with generators are cash-only with rationing
- Major intersections becoming congested without signals
- Public transit operating on reduced schedules
- Pipeline and refinery operations affected regionally
ARPSC Mission in a Regional Blackout
In a prolonged, district-wide blackout, Macomb ARPSC serves as eyes and ears for Emergency Management. Our role is information and communication—not self-deploying as first responders. During the first 48–72 hours, we can provide valuable situational awareness when other communication systems are degraded.
Key ARPSC activities may include:
Status Reporting
Collecting and relaying reports on which neighborhoods have power versus which remain dark. Tracking restoration progress and identifying areas still waiting for crews.
Critical Location Monitoring
Observing conditions at hospitals, nursing homes, municipal buildings, potential cooling centers, gas stations, and major intersections. Reporting what is open, closed, or overwhelmed.
Health & Welfare Traffic
Supporting families trying to confirm that relatives inside Macomb County are OK—especially elderly residents, those with medical equipment dependencies, or people living alone.
Net Discussion Question
"During the first 48 hours of a district-wide blackout like this, what information do you think ARPSC should prioritize collecting and relaying to Emergency Management, and based on your current station setup, how long could you personally stay on the air if commercial power was out at your home for at least 48 hours?"
Background & Further Reading
Tonight's scenario is inspired by the August 14, 2003 Northeast Blackout, which affected 55 million people across eight U.S. states and Ontario. Here are resources for understanding prolonged power outages and lessons learned:
- Northeast Blackout of 2003 – Wikipedia
Comprehensive overview of the cascading grid failure, timeline, and affected regions including Southeast Michigan.
- Power Outages – Ready.gov
FEMA's official guidance on preparing for and responding to extended power outages, including food safety and medical considerations.
- Power Outage Preparedness – American Red Cross
Practical steps for before, during, and after a power outage, including emergency kit recommendations.
"When the lights go out across the region, amateur radio operators become essential links in the communication chain."
Prepare your backup power. Know your capabilities.
Announcements
🔐 ACTION REQUIRED: Background Check Consent
All ARPSC Members: Effective immediately, the website now requires consent to a background check. We ask that all members please take a moment to navigate to the website and login. You will be prompted after sign-in with a consent to background check page.
Please complete this consent within the next few days so we can get you fully onboarded. Many of you have been able to sign in and some have yet to sign in.
Password reset links expire! If you cannot or have not yet signed in, we can send you a new link. Please request a password reset link through [email protected], or stay after on the net tonight and let us know if you need a password reset sent to you.
💚 Support ARPSC – Multiple Ways to Give
Please consider supporting Macomb County ARPSC! We have several easy ways to donate, including the Kroger Community Rewards program – you can support us just by shopping at Kroger at no extra cost to you! Check out all the ways you can help.
View Donation OptionsCheck-In List
| # | Call Sign | Name | City | Member |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N8VDZ | Mike | Warren | Member |
| 2 | KE8WUO | John | Warren | Member |
| 3 | W8VOX | Jon | Macomb | Member |
| 4 | KF8DPZ | Cliff | Clinton Township | — |
| 5 | N8HAP | Joe | New Baltimore | Member |
| 6 | W1BLU | David | Clinton Township | Member |
| 7 | KA8UHG | Steve | Saint Clair Shores | Member |
| 8 | KE8DOT | Thomas | Redford Township | — |
| 9 | N8XZ | Ron | Warren | Member |
| 10 | AD8MP | David | Saint Clair Shores | Member |
| 11 | K8WA | Bill | Warren | Member |
| 12 | KE8ZSA | Michael | Saint Clair Shores | — |
| 13 | W8BPD | Brian | Warren | Member |
| 14 | KE4ZYQ | Joe | Clinton Township | Member |
| 15 | N8WCB | David | Sterling Heights | Member |
| 16 | KF8FGS | David | Utica | Member |
| 17 | W8VD | Walter | New Baltiomore | Member |
| 18 | KC8KJO | Thomas | Memphis | Member |
| 19 | N8WRO | Tim | Richmond | Member |
| 20 | KE8YNU | David | New Haven | Member |
| 21 | N8BZR | Brian | Harrison Township | Member |
| 22 | KF8ETQ | Darren | Fraser | Member |