The power blackout that maimed a vast portion of the northern United States and southern Canada Aug. 14 was a test of personal and family preparedness. Several days without electricity or water served as a reminder that disasters come unexpectedly and in many forms.

Photo courtesy Toronto Sunphoto by Associated Press

Toronto skyline as power is being restored after Aug. 14 blackout. Some buildings have electricty while others are still dark.

Photo courtesy Toronto Sunphoto by Associated Press

Lianne Racioppo was featured in a local newspaper for her knowledge of personal preparedness.

Stake presidents from Connecticut to Michigan and from Toronto to Ohio said their members generally fared well when power was lost that afternoon, leaving them to rely on their home storage.

Still, they acknowledge, there is more to learn and implement.

"I was at work when power was lost," said Bishop James Kaski of the Blue Water Ward, Grand Blanc Michigan Stake. "A few minutes after the blackout began, I contacted priesthood leaders to implement our 72-hour emergency plan which includes verbal communication with each family, paying particular attention to widows, children and the disabled."

After assessing needs, "various members offered to assist needy families with electricity from backup generators," he said.

A common observation among stake presidents and bishops was the sense of calm that prevailed among members. "The blackout caused very little panic in the ward. Much of that had to do with being prepared," Bishop Kaski said.

"Being fairly well prepared certainly made a big difference in how we reacted," he said.

In the case of the Clarkston Ward, Grand Blanc Michigan Stake, "some had the generators, but didn't have enough gas," said Bishop Tony Kodra, who echoed what every other priesthood leader learned, that cordless phones don't work without power.

The blackout was the largest loss of power in U.S. history, affecting an estimated 50 million people. Tens of thousands in large cities such as New York shuffled out of stalled subway cars or scrambled down stairways in skyscrapers to walk home.

Many Church members working in Manhattan, who had 20 to 30 miles to travel home, spent the night in the New York stake center. Visitors to the city also used the stake center after their electronic hotel keys were rejected because of the power outage.

In the Grand River Branch, Michigan Detroit Mission, a single mother with two children offered to bring widows to her home where she could feed and care for these members from her home storage. Because she was well prepared, she walked to her non-member neighbors and offered food and assistance.

Missionaries in the Detroit mission heeded President Alvin M. Emery's counsel to store water and health bars. When the blackout hit, they felt secure as they watched others scurrying to grocery stores.

While home storage is a common practice among members, the idea is novel to many others. After learning of a member in Toronto who had a home storage program and was prepared for disaster, the Toronto Sun interviewed her for a feature in a recent issue.

Lianne Racioppo, whose husband, Silvano, is bishop of the Don Mills Ward, Toronto Ontario Stake, told of the Church's counsel to prepare for emergencies. Without appearing fanatical or extreme, she told how she had planned food reserves to care for nine people for a year.

Associated Press reported that the blackouts started shortly after 4 p.m. EDT, engulfing most of New York state and nearby parts of New England and spreading west to Ohio and Michigan and reaching across the border into Ontario. Some areas had power restored within an hour, while other areas were without power for nearly three days.

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