The Internet Is Going To Crash “In A Big Way” And Experts Say You’re Not Ready

Now that you’re broke, shopping for a non-tech apocalypse and are thinking how stupid you’ll feel in a few years if there’s never even a simple outage on your block, consider what your money situation could be like if the internet goes down for a long time.

“Nearly everyone across the nation accesses their bank accounts via the internet to pay bills, make deposits, and withdraw funds,” said Chris Reynolds, dean of academic outreach and program development at American Public University System. Reynolds is also an emergency management expert with over 35 years of experience.

He pointed out that not only are we used to buying gasoline, groceries and other necessities digitally, many of us don’t have cash in our wallets or locked in a safe.

“During emergencies, internet and power outages can make banks and ATMs inaccessible, cutting off access to digital funds,” Reynolds said.

So what to do? Reynolds suggested keeping a small amount of emergency cash in small bills “in a secure, waterproof place.”

If you really feel ambitious, he recommended that people consider buying a prepaid debit card to be used for emergencies, like buying groceries or gas.

“Keep this card separate from your daily use accounts,” he said. “These cards can be used if you lose access to your main bank but can still find working terminals.”

And if you’re super-duper ambitious? Reynolds said, “Another option is to form an informal cooperative with your neighbors to help with short-term funds, grocery items, or other small items.”

Whatever you do, he added, “The time to discover that you no longer have access to your bank account or ATM isn’t during an emergency. Plan in advance.”

Create a family emergency plan.