BY KYLE LOVERN

It’s hard to believe that we are entering the year 2023. It seems just like a couple of years ago that we were leaving 1999 and going into the year 2000.

How many of you remember the Y2K scare?

Y2K referred to potential computer errors related to the formatting and storage of calendar data for dates in and after the year 2000. Many programs represented four-digit years with only the final two digits, making the year 2000 indistinguishable from 1900. 

Contrary to published expectations, few major errors occurred in 2000.

But, if you recall, some people bought bottled water and canned food and took out cash from their bank accounts in case the computer systems crashed.

My wife Vicki was a little worried about the scare, but for some reason I didn’t think it was anything to be fearful of. She even asked me to buy some provisions. I jokingly came home with a couple of cans of vienna sausages and a couple of bottles of water—much to her chagrin.

However, in reality, we should probably store a few things and be ready for natural disasters like floods, blizzards, power outages, and other things we’ve dealt with in our region.

It is not a bad idea to have some canned goods, nonperishable food items, bottled water, batteries for flashlights and a radio. Some may even want to buy some extra ammunition for their firearms.

We have been fans of the TV show “The Walking Dead.” I joke with Vicki that we should prepare for a zombie apocalypse. Again, we should all be equipped with a few items.

We may find out that it is other individuals that we may have to worry about rather than the disaster itself or even the zombies.

I recall a few years back when the derecho came through West Virginia, knocking out power to thousands for several days. You heard stories of someone starting fights at convenience stores for the last bag of ice or the last case of water. What if there was only a little gasoline left for your vehicle?