Bit of a shock

[emilyB]

We were watching TV last night when a large buzzing sound happened, the screen went black and up came an Emergency Alert.  Our cell phones also emitted a large beep and the same thing happened.  Apparently our county and a number of towns, including Salem, were advised not to drink the water as the supply had been contaminated with algae.  Luckily our small town gets it's water from a different source - deep water wells.
Within a couple of hours we got messages that the whole of Salem and all the other towns had run out of bottled water and people were driving miles to stock up as nobody knew how long the situation would last.  It was still the same today and I went to the store and every aisle was loaded up with cases of bottled water - obviously an emergency supply delivered overnight.  I realize what a good thing it is to have plenty of bottled water on hand.  So many people don't and panic sets in.  Our Nextdoor social media website put out a communication telling us that our water supply was safe but apparently at first the alert didn't specify that water was the reason for the emergency and a lot of people imagined it was something else for a few minutes and the system got a lot of flack.

[takncarabizniz]

Crazy.  At least you got a notification.  In our area, we have to hope they pick stuff like this up on the news and pass the word on.
I try to keep 2 of those 36 bottle cases from Costco on hand at all times.

[luvtimes]

We get boil water alerts all the time.. It just seems the way it is now... Saw on the news that the fish in a area was filled with opiates... They said it would not harm you...l

I keep 10 gallons of water on hand in both places... After using a portable shower...you never know these days... Generator just incase the lights go and space heaters galore...

Been thru it...

Oh I do keep a can opener and 10 cans of tuna... Have a bread maker and ingredients to make if needed...

Yesterday we got Amber alerts for someone that shot a officer and someone that stole a car with a child inside... Turned out that one was false...

The world is changing....

[sunshine]

I keep a stock of water, too. One thing you learn after having well water and a power loss of a week. I also kept milk jugs full of water in the basement to flush toilets. 

[emilyB]

I went to Safeway today which is 5 minutes away in the next town affected by the toxic water unlike our town.  There were piles of bottled water all stacked up in the middle of the aisles and people were staggering out with cartloads of water, there was no fresh bread because the bakery needs water to bake and the Starbucks within the store was shut down because they need water to make the coffee.  Our little town put out a bulletin that anyone could come to the back of our City Hall where there are faucets and fill up their containers.