News roundup for Tue, Dec 06, 2022 – The Prepared

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In short:
  • Major supply chain disruptions avoided as diesel shortages are easing.
  • Lake Powell could reach ‘minimum power pool’ status as early as July.
  • Repeat Covid infections might be the cause of current high respiratory infections.
Infant formula shortage could last until spring; Diesel still in short supply but prices dropped and refineries have been reactivated; Britain’s economy on course to shrink next year

Reckitt Benckiser, the maker of the infant formula Enfamil believes that the formula shortage could last until spring.

Diesel fuel is still in short supply across the US, but a slight price drop and the reactivation of a few refineries in America have prevented disruptions to important rail, truck, and ship traffic.

For the latest national average gas and diesel prices click here.

Britain’s economy is on course to shrink 0.4% next year, the Confederation of Business Industry (CBI) forecasts. CBI does not expect the gross domestic product to return to its pre-Covid level until mid-2024.

French grid chief believes that the current high gas storage level could get Europe through the winter without major disruptions (paywall). But falling temperatures and delays in repairing outages at France’s fleet of nuclear power plants could still combine to trigger shortages and consequent power cuts, including in France. If anything, he expects that France could experience ‘some days’ of power cuts.

According to new data, global insured disaster losses will surpass $100B for the second consecutive year. Hurricane Ian caused the biggest loss, $50 to 65 billion. In addition to the devastating winter storms in Europe, flooding in Australia and South Africa contributed to the staggering toll. Losses have trended up each year at a rate of 5 to 7% over the past decade.

Here are some senior driving safety and insurance tips:

The cost of insulin prescriptions for Medicare recipients will drop to $35 starting Jan 1; Repeat Covid infections might be the cause for current high cases of flu, RSV, and other respiratory illnesses; More children are dying from Strep A bacterial infections

Starting Jan 1, individuals on Medicare will pay no more than $35 a month for a prescription of insulin:

Six children so far died of a Strep A bacterial infection in the UK. Infections caused by Group A Strep bacteria are usually mild with symptoms like a sore throat or skin infections. However, in a very small number of cases, Group A Strep infection can get deeper into the body causing an illness known as invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS), which is much harder to treat. Here’s a thread about what might be going on:

The worst flu outbreak in the past decade could be due to (repeat) Covid infections messing with people’s immune systems:

A sharp increase in new Covid cases might force LA County to reinstate mask mandates. Cases and hospitalizations have been rising across the US:

Seniors might be taking the brunt…

…but vaccinations and boosters work in reducing hospitalizations:

Covid is associated with a >60% increased risk of newly diagnosed diabetes.

Some forum threads that could be relevant for people who stock refrigerated medicines:

WHO warns that a drop in Covid alertness could create deadly new variants. The below infographic shows how letting the virus circulate without mitigation might prevent eradication:

Via Nature (click to link)
Small chance of a system becoming a subtropical cyclone moving northeast; Lake Powell could reach ‘minimum power pool’ status by July; Florida will be a major hotbed for wildfires in 2023

Nov 30 might be the official end of the Atlantic Hurricane season but NOAA is monitoring a system that has a chance (albeit small) of becoming a subtropical cyclone during the next few days:

Via NHC

The latest National Interagency Fire Center report predicts that Florida will be a major hotbed for wildfires in 2023, alongside Georgia, New Mexico, and Texas. Here’s How to prepare for and survive a wildfire.

Officials worry that Lake Powel’s levels could reach the status of ‘minimum power pool’ within the next two years, and as early as July. In that case, the massive turbines that power 4.5 million people would have to shut down – after nearly 60 years of use. There would only be a set of smaller, deeper, and rarely used bypass tubes that could pass water downstream to the Grand Canyon, Arizona, Nevada, and California cities and farms. (Paywall)

FEMA will provide $10 million to New Jersey for flood resilience projects in communities impacted by Hurricane Ida.

The rest

Two power substations in Moore County, NC have been damaged by what appears to be intentional gunfire causing >40,000 customers to be left without power. The outage could last until Thursday. People have lost cell connection, pharmacies had to move refrigerated medicines into people’s fridges, and rural wells have stopped working, among other things:

Click here or the image below for power outage updates:

Via PowerOutage.us

Here are instructions by community member Olly Wright on How to make a “well bucket” in case the electricity goes down and you’re on well water.

A man was rescued in Alaska after activating its iPhone 14 satellite emergency SOS feature. The safety service allows users to message emergency services outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. The feature also enables iPhone 14 owners to share their location via satellite with friends and family using the Find My app. Troopers who saved the man said they “were thoroughly impressed with the accuracy and completeness of information included in the initial alert.”

Another example of what people facing war are experiencing: Mushroom foraging in forests full of mines. (Paywall) (Free)

Here’s how to escape and survive an active minefield:

And here is how life continues under blackouts:

Refugees in the Tongogara Refugee Camp (TRC) in Zimbabwe are using solar power and hydroponics to grow fruit and veggies. Solar panels charge batteries that pump water from underground to tanks. The water is then pumped to the hydroponics system in the greenhouse. They are using the Dutch bucket system which uses two or more growing containers connected to the same irrigation and drainage lines that provide oxygenation and nutrients.

Below are instructions on how to build a Dutch bucket hydroponic system:

Here are other things you can do with buckets.

Source link: https://theprepared.com/blog/news-roundup-for-tue-dec-06-2022/ by Carlotta Susanna at theprepared.com