Read Online The Journal: Cracked Earth by Deborah D. Moore - Free Book Online

but I know it’s
necessary. Tonight is linguini with clam sauce and mussels from the
freezer, all from storage. I have to keep eating from the freezer
while the power is still on. That’s my goal— at least one meal a
day from the freezer. It would be disastrous to lose all that
frozen food when the power grid goes down.
    The temperature got up to sixty-four degrees
and then the rain started, lowering the temps. By tomorrow it’s
supposed to drop thirty degrees! I brought in more wood.
     
    * * *
     
    JOURNAL ENTRY: November 12
     
    It’s been a week since the first quake. Now
that reality has hit, I think I had better make a stronger effort
to check in with the township supervisor. After all, I am the township emergency manager. I’m wondering if that’s such a good
position to have right now. During a disaster it’s a lot of
responsibility and pressure. I hope I’m up to it. The times I’ve
had to put that hat on are few and far between and my training
didn’t cover national disasters, only localized events.
    The very first thing I need to do is call Liz
since she’s the one I ultimately report to. I’m hoping she will
give me some clue what I need to be doing. I haven’t been trained
for anything on this scale.
    It was a short conversation. She is
overwhelmed herself and had little time to spare for me.
     
    * * *
     
    “I’ve known you for eight years, Allexa, and
you’re one of the few local EM’s that take their position
seriously. Follow protocol and do what you think best for your
town, you know it better than I do. I’ve got my hands full here,”
Liz said matter-of-factly during our brief conversation. I could
hear her shuffling papers in the background.
    “Can we get any food supplies? And what about
law enforcement?”
    “I know that you have several retired
officers up there. Do you think they will be willing to pitch in? I
can send the sheriff up in a few days to deputize them and anyone
else that you think would be good to have,” she replied, deftly
skirting the first half of my question.
    “That would be helpful. I’m sure Ken and
Karen Gifford would come back on, and perhaps Bill Harris,” I said,
knowing that she would be familiar these three state troopers. “And
I have a list of all the CPL holders.”
    “How did you get that list? CPL holders are
not a matter of public record.”
    “Don’t ask. But since I have mine, we kind of
know each other. Besides, you know what a small town this is,” I
reminded her. “Let me know when the sheriff can be here and I’ll
have everybody ready.”
    “Good luck, Allexa. You may well be on your
own, you know,” were her last words.
    “Wait! What about food?” I asked. She had
already hung up.
     
    * * *
     
    I’m assuming that Anna is now the supervisor,
since she ran for election unopposed. I had THE disaster talk with
Dennis when he got elected, and Lenny before him, now it’s time for
the conversation with Anna. She isn’t the type to want to hear what
I have to say and I’m not looking forward to it. Hopefully with all
that’s gone on in the past week, she’ll be more receptive to some
hard truths.
    At the top of the list of things to do was to
check with Joe at Fram’s Store. I stopped there before going to the
township office and left word that I needed to see him in Anna’s
office.
    Joe arrived shortly after I did and we
discussed what was in the small grocery store. I reassured him that
we had no intention of confiscating his inventory, which seems to
be holding, mainly because he maintains a back room stock, not a
JIT system. He also had the gas tanks filled a week before all this
happened. He didn’t like it that I said that we might need to
ration the gas, however he saw the wisdom in it. There really is no
place to go, so we decided to limit gas to ten gallons
per-person-per-week, and that will mostly be used for generators if
the power goes out. I also suggested he that limit store hours, so
there won’t be panic