In the wake of zombie apocalypse movies and TV shows like The Walking Dead, Warm Bodies, and Zombieland (just to name a few), I’ve been wondering just how accurate they really are. I don’t mean accuracy with diseased and dead humans eating brains—I’m referring to the basics about survival, like electricity.
Most post-apocalyptic—particularly zombie apocalypse—movies show electricity thriving long after humanity’s downfall, although some have it failing weeks or months after. I can’t help but wonder how accurate this is. In a zombie apocalypse, how long would the grid provide power? And how can a survivor hope to continue surviving once it’s gone?
How Long the Power Plants Will Function
At the onset of a zombie outbreak, you could find yourself without power in as little as 4 hours, or you could still be using a microwave and playing a digital piano over a year later. Two factors determine how long you will maintain power: how fast the zombification process is and what kind of power plant generates your electricity.
If the outbreak is quick, power plant operators won’t have the time or the manpower to watch and maintain the plant. They will either be too busy trying to stay alive or eating brains to worry about keeping the power plant running. When a power plant goes down, it brings down all the plants along the line, one by one—unless a plant is able to disconnect itself from the rest of the grid, creating an island of power.
Because of this, most people will be living in a blackout 12-24 hours into an apocalypse—although a few rural holdouts might last as long as a week or two, particularly if they’re near a hydroelectric plant.
However, a slower outbreak means that plant operators will have time prepare for an extended emergency. If they’re smart, they will reduce the output of electricity and cut off places with a high-density zombie population. By doing this, the electricity could last for 6 months, if you’re near a coal plant; a year, if you’re near a nuclear plant; or over a year, if you’re near a hydroelectric plant.
So pick your plant well. It’s not just the environment you have to think about. It’s your survival.
How to Survive without Grid Power
First, stop worrying about power on the grid. The grid makes your normal life convenient, but once the zombie apocalypse happens, your normal life will cease to exist. You’ll be raiding stores and stocking up on guns, ammo, canned food, and water. The electrical grid won’t matter.
However, that doesn’t mean you won’t need power at some point in the future. While you’re raiding for rifles and barrels of water, stop to look for gas generators as well, and take as many as you can. Siphon as much as gas you can take with you, and store it at your base. Then, when the grid goes down, and you need electricity, you’ll still have access to it. As long as you’re careful about when and how you use it, you could have it for as long as you survive.
You will probably never get to test your survival skills in a struggle against reanimated bodies intent on eating your brains, but you can use the knowledge you’ve gained to survive any widespread disaster and disease. Knowing how long the electricity will last is only the beginning.
About the author
Theo Schmidt has an interest in computer science and engineering, and he uses that interest to fuel his blogging. Theo also enjoys spending time in the outdoors and learning about Rexroth Hydraulics, and he is passionate about protecting the environment.
