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Imagine a world where the power goes out—not just for hours or days, but for weeks or even a month. No running water, no working hospitals, no food deliveries, no communications. According to Montclair resident and retired Marine Corps Lt. Col. Stephen Chill, this scenario is not only possible but could be devastating beyond what most Americans can imagine.

Chill, a key advisor for the Foundation for Infrastructure Resilience (FIR), has released a sobering new report detailing the disastrous effects of a prolonged power outage. The report, published by FIR, warns that nearly all critical infrastructure in the United States would fail if the power grid were to be knocked offline for 30 days.

A Nation at Risk

“We have had power outages for up to ten days in many U.S. locations in the past couple of years, mainly caused by fires or storms, that caused localized havoc and suffering,” said FIR President Stephen Volandt. “If these lasted for just 30 days in a widespread outage, there would be tens of thousands of casualties, massive and dangerous infrastructure failures.”

Chill’s research outlines how vital sectors—water treatment, food distribution, financial systems, and emergency services—are all heavily dependent on electricity. Without power, they would rapidly fail, leading to dire consequences for public safety, health, and national security.

“People don’t realize how interconnected everything is,” Chill said in an interview. “You can’t just protect one system; if power goes out, all critical infrastructure sectors—water, food, communications, transportation—start failing one after another.”

According to the FIR report, key infrastructure collapse would unfold in phases:

• Seconds to Minutes: Power-dependent industries, including chemical plants, financial transactions, and IT systems, would shut down.
• Hours: Water and wastewater treatment plants would fail, leading to contamination of drinking water. Food supply chains would halt.
• Days: Hospitals would run out of fuel for backup generators, leading to medical crises.
• Weeks: Law enforcement, emergency response, and military operations would be severely compromised.
• One Month: Public order would be at risk, with severe food shortages, civil unrest, and widespread health emergencies.

The Growing Threats to the Grid

The report warns that threats to the power grid have never been higher. “Threats to our grid are at an all-time high from adversaries and weather or solar weather, or physical, cyber, or even electromagnetic attack,” said FIR’s Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Luke Reiner.

Chill highlighted four main threats that could trigger a catastrophic blackout:

1. Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) or High-Altitude EMP (HEMP)
2. Cyberattacks targeting energy infrastructure
3. Physical attacks on substations (such as those previously seen in North Carolina)
4. Severe weather events, including geomagnetic storms

No One Is Coming to the Rescue

A major concern raised by Chill is that the federal government is unprepared to deal with such a scenario. “There is a lack of focus on this in Washington,” he said. “Periodically, reports are issued, but there’s no real planning in place for a long-term grid failure.”

Even the military would be unable to step in effectively. “The military can’t survive in a large-scale power outage because they’re living in the same community we are,” Chill noted. “If the power is out for 30 days, bases won’t be able to operate, and neither will emergency responders.”

What Can Be Done?

Chill and FIR are calling for immediate action at all levels of government.

• Federal and state governments must develop resilience plans for power outages lasting more than a few days.
• Critical infrastructure sectors need to be hardened against EMPs, cyberattacks, and physical damage.
• Food, water, and fuel stockpiles should be reintroduced, similar to Cold War-era grain reserves.

For individuals, the message is clear: be prepared. “Every household in America should have a plan to go without power for at least 30 days, if not more,” said Reiner.

A Wake-Up Call

Chill hopes that his research will serve as a wake-up call before it’s too late. “We have to start taking this seriously now, before we find ourselves in the dark—literally and figuratively.”

The full FIR report is available online at https://fir.foundation.