What If US Electrical Grid Collapses ? What Do You Do ?

[protectionist]

I'm not talking about a very short term loss of electricity for millions of Americans. In the event of an EMP attack, or strategic cyber attack, the whole country could be without electric power for months or even years.

Do we have non-electric systems in place to compensate for this ? What would control dams, subways, rail road crossings, traffic lights, street lights, and thousands of other things that have become entirely dependent on computers and electricity ?

In an instant, we could find ourselves thrust back into the 19th century (mostly). This would involve everything running on electricity. The water supply to your house could shut down. Will food disappear from supermarkets ? Some experts say yes. Will there be mass social breakdown/chaos with looting and robbing ? Some exerts believe that to be the case too.

I have only done a rather cursory skim of the information (which varies depending on the source), and don't have a fully focused appraisal of all this, but I have come up with some basic ideas.

I would move out of my apartment in the city, and get out into the country in a house in a wooded area, that is isolated away from population, and difficult to spot. This would be a house with a large fireplace, an outhouse, a wood stove, pump with a well, and plenty of land to have a garden growing my own vegetables. Living in the Tampa Bay area, I would try to find a house that is not too far from the bay, so as to be able to go fishing, and have that additional food source.

Needless to say, if/whenever things really get rough, we will all need to shore up our personal safety, and firearms will be essential (which I already possess). Keeping the home safe from breakins might become much more necessary, even if you are hidden in a wooded area. Covering the windows with bars or security film can help keep bad guys from breaking into your house, when you aren't home, with your shotgun and piles of ammo.

I have 10 gallon jugs of water stored right now, in case of a water supply shut-off, and lots of food & medicines stocked up. Lots of waterproof matches, batteries, +a radio with a crank and solar panel. Solar panels could be a source of electricity too. If you have a new car, you might consider trading it in, and buying an old one with less electronics in it, that would be fried in an EMP attack. If you have a house with a garage (highly advised) this would help to keep your car away from looters & car thieves. You can turn your garage into a Faraday Cage to insulate it from an EMP attack, although most cars are already pretty well insulated from the pulse shock, just because of being covered by metal and having rubber tires.

If you have a pump but eventually the well runs dry,and you run out of water, you can set up a rainwater catchment system, and also get a Berkey water filtration canister, to filter stream or lake water. To further filter your water you can use tablets to do that, or add 2 DROPS of bleach to a quart of water. You can live 3 weeks without food, but you cannot go more than 3 days without water. Wet wipes are good to stock up on too to keep yourself clean.

For communication, if cell towers are down, you can communicate (short distance) with walkie-talkies, and (longer distance ) with CB radios, or satellite phones. If you're going nuts after months of blackout, with no electricity and no music, get a musical instrument and learn to play it.

 

[Dekster]

I would pop popcorn in my cast iron skillet and watch the disaster movie unfold I suppose. I know where the closest spring to my house is. I have vittles in the garden. Worse case scenario I suppose I could go to my shack in WV and trap possums to eat.

 

[Mikeoxenormous]

I'm not talking about a very short term loss of electricity for millions of Americans. In the event of an EMP attack, or strategic cyber attack, the whole country could be without electric power for months or even years.

Do we have non-electric systems in place to compensate for this ? What would control dams, subways, rail road crossings, traffic lights, street lights, and thousands of other things that have become entirely dependent on computers and electricity ?

In an instant, we could find ourselves thrust back into the 19th century (mostly). This would involve everything running on electricity. The water supply to your house could shut down. Will food disappear from supermarkets ? Some experts say yes. Will there be mass social breakdown/chaos with looting and robbing ? Some exerts believe that to be the case too.

I have only done a rather cursory skim of the information (which varies depending on the source), and don't have a fully focused appraisal of all this, but I have come up with some basic ideas.

I would move out of my apartment in the city, and get out into the country in a house in a wooded area, that is isolated away from population, and difficult to spot. This would be a house with a large fireplace, an outhouse, a wood stove, pump with a well, and plenty of land to have a garden growing my own vegetables. Living in the Tampa Bay area, I would try to find a house that is not too far from the bay, so as to be able to go fishing, and have that additional food source.

Needless to say, if/whenever things really get rough, we will all need to shore up our personal safety, and firearms will be essential (which I already possess). Keeping the home safe from breakins might become much more necessary, even if you are hidden in a wooded area. Covering the windows with bars or security film can help keep bad guys from breaking into your house, when you aren't home, with your shotgun and piles of ammo.

I have 10 gallon jugs of water stored right now, in case of a water supply shut-off, and lots of food & medicines stocked up. Lots of waterproof matches, batteries, +a radio with a crank and solar panel. Solar panels could be a source of electricity too. If you have a new car, you might consider trading it in, and buying an old one with less electronics in it, that would be fried in an EMP attack. If you have a house with a garage (highly advised) this would help to keep your car away from looters & car thieves. You can turn your garage into a Faraday Cage to insulate it from an EMP attack, although most cars are already pretty well insulated from the pulse shock, just because of being covered by metal and having rubber tires.

If you have a pump but eventually the well runs dry,and you run out of water, you can set up a rainwater catchment system, and also get a Berkey water filtration canister, to filter stream or lake water. To further filter your water you can use tablets to do that, or add 2 DROPS of bleach to a quart of water. You can live 3 weeks without food, but you cannot go more than 3 days without water. Wet wipes are good to stock up on too to keep yourself clean.

For communication, if cell towers are down, you can communicate (short distance) with walkie-talkies, and (longer distance ) with CB radios, or satellite phones. If you're going nuts after months of blackout, with no electricity and no music, get a musical instrument and learn to play it.

It would be a good day for me, because then it is open season.

 

[protectionist]

I would pop popcorn in my cast iron skillet and watch the disaster movie unfold I suppose. I know where the closest spring to my house is. I have vittles in the garden. Worse case scenario I suppose I could go to my shack in WV and trap possums to eat.

Sounds like you're a few steps ahead of most people.

 

[Esdraelon]

It would be a good day for me, because then it is open season.

View attachment 793327

You wouldn't even have to go looking for them. They'd flood out of the cities like locusts. Where I'm at, we have landscape features that happen to coincide with known distances. It's just like having range markers

 

[Dekster]

Sounds like you're a few steps ahead of most people.

LOL. I wouldn't want to be a doomsday survivor, but I could manage for awhile. We have been without power a week before thanks to mother nature when it was hot AF outside. I got caught up on my nap time during the days and stayed up at nights worshipping the cool breeze. I can, freeze dry etc etc but realistically I wouldn't expect the entire grid to be down to the point there was nowhere I could bug out to for any extended period of time. Even during our week from hell, we could have gone other places that had electrons. I just chose not to because of the critters needing attended to.

 

[Innocynioc]

In the winter of 1993 we were without power for two weeks after a blizzard. We got by just fine. A big wood furnace at the bottom of the basement steps kept the house toasty. Canned goods we had put up from our garden provided much of our food. Books from our library kept us entertained.
We had young children at the time, and our house became a hangout for them and their friends.

 

[ozro]

I will have power, my life will go on as it has since I went off-grid over ten years ago. What will change is I probably won't be able to call the sheriff to deal with trespassers, and will have to deal with them myself. I kinda feel sorry in advance for them, but only a little.

 

[Invisibleflash]

I'm not talking about a very short term loss of electricity for millions of Americans. In the event of an EMP attack, or strategic cyber attack, the whole country could be without electric power for months or even years.

Do we have non-electric systems in place to compensate for this ? What would control dams, subways, rail road crossings, traffic lights, street lights, and thousands of other things that have become entirely dependent on computers and electricity ?

In an instant, we could find ourselves thrust back into the 19th century (mostly). This would involve everything running on electricity. The water supply to your house could shut down. Will food disappear from supermarkets ? Some experts say yes. Will there be mass social breakdown/chaos with looting and robbing ? Some exerts believe that to be the case too.

I have only done a rather cursory skim of the information (which varies depending on the source), and don't have a fully focused appraisal of all this, but I have come up with some basic ideas.

I would move out of my apartment in the city, and get out into the country in a house in a wooded area, that is isolated away from population, and difficult to spot. This would be a house with a large fireplace, an outhouse, a wood stove, pump with a well, and plenty of land to have a garden growing my own vegetables. Living in the Tampa Bay area, I would try to find a house that is not too far from the bay, so as to be able to go fishing, and have that additional food source.

Needless to say, if/whenever things really get rough, we will all need to shore up our personal safety, and firearms will be essential (which I already possess). Keeping the home safe from breakins might become much more necessary, even if you are hidden in a wooded area. Covering the windows with bars or security film can help keep bad guys from breaking into your house, when you aren't home, with your shotgun and piles of ammo.

I have 10 gallon jugs of water stored right now, in case of a water supply shut-off, and lots of food & medicines stocked up. Lots of waterproof matches, batteries, +a radio with a crank and solar panel. Solar panels could be a source of electricity too. If you have a new car, you might consider trading it in, and buying an old one with less electronics in it, that would be fried in an EMP attack. If you have a house with a garage (highly advised) this would help to keep your car away from looters & car thieves. You can turn your garage into a Faraday Cage to insulate it from an EMP attack, although most cars are already pretty well insulated from the pulse shock, just because of being covered by metal and having rubber tires.

If you have a pump but eventually the well runs dry,and you run out of water, you can set up a rainwater catchment system, and also get a Berkey water filtration canister, to filter stream or lake water. To further filter your water you can use tablets to do that, or add 2 DROPS of bleach to a quart of water. You can live 3 weeks without food, but you cannot go more than 3 days without water. Wet wipes are good to stock up on too to keep yourself clean.

For communication, if cell towers are down, you can communicate (short distance) with walkie-talkies, and (longer distance ) with CB radios, or satellite phones. If you're going nuts after months of blackout, with no electricity and no music, get a musical instrument and learn to play it.

Become a survivalist. Get a car battery and a solar panel. Get food and water. If you got more $...do more.

 

[Vastator]

I'm not talking about a very short term loss of electricity for millions of Americans. In the event of an EMP attack, or strategic cyber attack, the whole country could be without electric power for months or even years.

Do we have non-electric systems in place to compensate for this ? What would control dams, subways, rail road crossings, traffic lights, street lights, and thousands of other things that have become entirely dependent on computers and electricity ?

In an instant, we could find ourselves thrust back into the 19th century (mostly). This would involve everything running on electricity. The water supply to your house could shut down. Will food disappear from supermarkets ? Some experts say yes. Will there be mass social breakdown/chaos with looting and robbing ? Some exerts believe that to be the case too.

I have only done a rather cursory skim of the information (which varies depending on the source), and don't have a fully focused appraisal of all this, but I have come up with some basic ideas.

I would move out of my apartment in the city, and get out into the country in a house in a wooded area, that is isolated away from population, and difficult to spot. This would be a house with a large fireplace, an outhouse, a wood stove, pump with a well, and plenty of land to have a garden growing my own vegetables. Living in the Tampa Bay area, I would try to find a house that is not too far from the bay, so as to be able to go fishing, and have that additional food source.

Needless to say, if/whenever things really get rough, we will all need to shore up our personal safety, and firearms will be essential (which I already possess). Keeping the home safe from breakins might become much more necessary, even if you are hidden in a wooded area. Covering the windows with bars or security film can help keep bad guys from breaking into your house, when you aren't home, with your shotgun and piles of ammo.

I have 10 gallon jugs of water stored right now, in case of a water supply shut-off, and lots of food & medicines stocked up. Lots of waterproof matches, batteries, +a radio with a crank and solar panel. Solar panels could be a source of electricity too. If you have a new car, you might consider trading it in, and buying an old one with less electronics in it, that would be fried in an EMP attack. If you have a house with a garage (highly advised) this would help to keep your car away from looters & car thieves. You can turn your garage into a Faraday Cage to insulate it from an EMP attack, although most cars are already pretty well insulated from the pulse shock, just because of being covered by metal and having rubber tires.

If you have a pump but eventually the well runs dry,and you run out of water, you can set up a rainwater catchment system, and also get a Berkey water filtration canister, to filter stream or lake water. To further filter your water you can use tablets to do that, or add 2 DROPS of bleach to a quart of water. You can live 3 weeks without food, but you cannot go more than 3 days without water. Wet wipes are good to stock up on too to keep yourself clean.

For communication, if cell towers are down, you can communicate (short distance) with walkie-talkies, and (longer distance ) with CB radios, or satellite phones. If you're going nuts after months of blackout, with no electricity and no music, get a musical instrument and learn to play it.

A lot of people like to fantasize about what they "will do". When the shit goes down. But the fact of the matter is situations like this happen without notice being given. So... if you can't do it now, while things are comparatively easy; you stand very little chance of pulling it off when things go sideways...

 

[protectionist]

A lot of people like to fantasize about what they "will do". When the shit goes down. But the fact of the matter is situations like this happen without notice being given. So... if you can't do it now, while things are comparatively easy; you stand very little chance of pulling it off when things go sideways...

That's why I'm doing things now. Others should be too.

 

[protectionist]

That's why I'm doing things now. Others should be too.

LOL. I wouldn't want to be a doomsday survivor, but I could manage for awhile. We have been without power a week before thanks to mother nature when it was hot AF outside. I got caught up on my nap time during the days and stayed up at nights worshipping the cool breeze. I can, freeze dry etc etc but realistically I wouldn't expect the entire grid to be down to the point there was nowhere I could bug out to for any extended period of time. Even during our week from hell, we could have gone other places that had electrons. I just chose not to because of the critters needing attended to.

I guess we could bug out to other countries, not hit with an EMP.

 

[Dekster]

I guess we could bug out to other countries, not hit with an EMP.

I suppose but I am not keen on swimming across the rio grande to illegally enter Mexico where I will have to work for the cartels until they feed me to the donkeys.

 

[westwall]

I'm not talking about a very short term loss of electricity for millions of Americans. In the event of an EMP attack, or strategic cyber attack, the whole country could be without electric power for months or even years.

Do we have non-electric systems in place to compensate for this ? What would control dams, subways, rail road crossings, traffic lights, street lights, and thousands of other things that have become entirely dependent on computers and electricity ?

In an instant, we could find ourselves thrust back into the 19th century (mostly). This would involve everything running on electricity. The water supply to your house could shut down. Will food disappear from supermarkets ? Some experts say yes. Will there be mass social breakdown/chaos with looting and robbing ? Some exerts believe that to be the case too.

I have only done a rather cursory skim of the information (which varies depending on the source), and don't have a fully focused appraisal of all this, but I have come up with some basic ideas.

I would move out of my apartment in the city, and get out into the country in a house in a wooded area, that is isolated away from population, and difficult to spot. This would be a house with a large fireplace, an outhouse, a wood stove, pump with a well, and plenty of land to have a garden growing my own vegetables. Living in the Tampa Bay area, I would try to find a house that is not too far from the bay, so as to be able to go fishing, and have that additional food source.

Needless to say, if/whenever things really get rough, we will all need to shore up our personal safety, and firearms will be essential (which I already possess). Keeping the home safe from breakins might become much more necessary, even if you are hidden in a wooded area. Covering the windows with bars or security film can help keep bad guys from breaking into your house, when you aren't home, with your shotgun and piles of ammo.

I have 10 gallon jugs of water stored right now, in case of a water supply shut-off, and lots of food & medicines stocked up. Lots of waterproof matches, batteries, +a radio with a crank and solar panel. Solar panels could be a source of electricity too. If you have a new car, you might consider trading it in, and buying an old one with less electronics in it, that would be fried in an EMP attack. If you have a house with a garage (highly advised) this would help to keep your car away from looters & car thieves. You can turn your garage into a Faraday Cage to insulate it from an EMP attack, although most cars are already pretty well insulated from the pulse shock, just because of being covered by metal and having rubber tires.

If you have a pump but eventually the well runs dry,and you run out of water, you can set up a rainwater catchment system, and also get a Berkey water filtration canister, to filter stream or lake water. To further filter your water you can use tablets to do that, or add 2 DROPS of bleach to a quart of water. You can live 3 weeks without food, but you cannot go more than 3 days without water. Wet wipes are good to stock up on too to keep yourself clean.

For communication, if cell towers are down, you can communicate (short distance) with walkie-talkies, and (longer distance ) with CB radios, or satellite phones. If you're going nuts after months of blackout, with no electricity and no music, get a musical instrument and learn to play it.

We would carry on per normal. We are already set up for off grid power.

 

[Stryder50]

In the case of an EMP, it's more than just an electrical grid collapse. Many electronic circuits will be fried to useless. Your motor vehicle, built within the past 30 years or so, will have it's electronic ignition systems toasted and become non-functional. Similar with many modern appliances. And of course many modern aircraft~airliners will have non-functioning controls.

Not a thorough article, but a start;

Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Weapons Explained: How Do They Work?​

MSN

 

[Stryder50]

So, some related threads for reference;
The 6 Types of People Who Will Die First When SHTF

Zone1 Russian EMP capabilities......why aren't we taking this seriously?​

Zone1 - Russian EMP capabilities......why aren't we taking this seriously?

I just heard about this from a relative who was watching a podcast called "Valuetainment." The host interviewed the author of this paper............why aren't we taking this seriously, and do you think that the current administration would be willing to launch nuclear weapons in retaliation for...

www.usmessageboard.com

90% of U.S. Would Die From Chinese EMP Attack From Space Balloon​

90% of U.S. Would Die From Chinese EMP Attack From Space Balloon

biden would be able to buy a chinese generator with his millions.

www.usmessageboard.com

Zone1 Can the US Survive an EMP Strike?​

Zone1 - Can the US Survive an EMP Strike?

This thread is my OPINON. Can the US Survive an EMP Strike? An Electro-Magnetic-Pulse much the same as a solar flare will be devastating to all things in America and abroad. This pulse will melt transformers into huge piles of molten metal and melt transmission lines. The devastation will...

www.usmessageboard.com

 

[Batcat]

I'm not talking about a very short term loss of electricity for millions of Americans. In the event of an EMP attack, or strategic cyber attack, the whole country could be without electric power for months or even years.

Do we have non-electric systems in place to compensate for this ? What would control dams, subways, rail road crossings, traffic lights, street lights, and thousands of other things that have become entirely dependent on computers and electricity ?

In an instant, we could find ourselves thrust back into the 19th century (mostly). This would involve everything running on electricity. The water supply to your house could shut down. Will food disappear from supermarkets ? Some experts say yes. Will there be mass social breakdown/chaos with looting and robbing ? Some exerts believe that to be the case too.

I have only done a rather cursory skim of the information (which varies depending on the source), and don't have a fully focused appraisal of all this, but I have come up with some basic ideas.

I would move out of my apartment in the city, and get out into the country in a house in a wooded area, that is isolated away from population, and difficult to spot. This would be a house with a large fireplace, an outhouse, a wood stove, pump with a well, and plenty of land to have a garden growing my own vegetables. Living in the Tampa Bay area, I would try to find a house that is not too far from the bay, so as to be able to go fishing, and have that additional food source.

Needless to say, if/whenever things really get rough, we will all need to shore up our personal safety, and firearms will be essential (which I already possess). Keeping the home safe from breakins might become much more necessary, even if you are hidden in a wooded area. Covering the windows with bars or security film can help keep bad guys from breaking into your house, when you aren't home, with your shotgun and piles of ammo.

I have 10 gallon jugs of water stored right now, in case of a water supply shut-off, and lots of food & medicines stocked up. Lots of waterproof matches, batteries, +a radio with a crank and solar panel. Solar panels could be a source of electricity too. If you have a new car, you might consider trading it in, and buying an old one with less electronics in it, that would be fried in an EMP attack. If you have a house with a garage (highly advised) this would help to keep your car away from looters & car thieves. You can turn your garage into a Faraday Cage to insulate it from an EMP attack, although most cars are already pretty well insulated from the pulse shock, just because of being covered by metal and having rubber tires.

If you have a pump but eventually the well runs dry,and you run out of water, you can set up a rainwater catchment system, and also get a Berkey water filtration canister, to filter stream or lake water. To further filter your water you can use tablets to do that, or add 2 DROPS of bleach to a quart of water. You can live 3 weeks without food, but you cannot go more than 3 days without water. Wet wipes are good to stock up on too to keep yourself clean.

For communication, if cell towers are down, you can communicate (short distance) with walkie-talkies, and (longer distance ) with CB radios, or satellite phones. If you're going nuts after months of blackout, with no electricity and no music, get a musical instrument and learn to play it.

Simple. If you are like most people including me, which means that you are totally unprepared — you die. An EMP attack or a big solar storm could put us back in the 18th century in a heart beat.

Our government should force Electric Companies to harden the grid. The Democrats love spending money. Perhaps they should spend some protecting us from such a disaster.

Protecting Americaâs Power Grids From EMP Attacks

Given that our grid infrastructure is weak, aging, and lacks resilience, EMP attacks could become the choice weapons of America’s enemies, and not just China.

www.forbes.com

What is the Chance a Solar Storm Could Knock Out The Power Grid?

Is there really a nearly one in eight chance that a severe solar wind will hit the earth in any given decade?

www.enr.com

 

[protectionist]

Simple. If you are like most people including me, which means that you are totally unprepared — you die. An EMP attack or a big solar storm could put us back in the 18th century in a heart beat.

Our government should force Electric Companies to harden the grid. The Democrats love spending money. Perhaps they should spend some protecting us from such a disaster.

Protecting Americaâs Power Grids From EMP Attacks

Given that our grid infrastructure is weak, aging, and lacks resilience, EMP attacks could become the choice weapons of America’s enemies, and not just China.

www.forbes.com

What is the Chance a Solar Storm Could Knock Out The Power Grid?

Is there really a nearly one in eight chance that a severe solar wind will hit the earth in any given decade?

www.enr.com

Well Democrats ? What about it ? Batcat made a worthwhile suggestion. You guys are always yammering about infrastructure.

We have quite a few Democrats here in this forum. What do you say about this ? And in addition to an EMP attack, our grid is also vulnerable to cyber attacks, too.

 

[protectionist]

Zone1 Russian EMP capabilities......why aren't we taking this seriously?​

Zone1 - Russian EMP capabilities......why aren't we taking this seriously?

I just heard about this from a relative who was watching a podcast called "Valuetainment." The host interviewed the author of this paper............why aren't we taking this seriously, and do you think that the current administration would be willing to launch nuclear weapons in retaliation for...

www.usmessageboard.com

​

Biden's weakning of the military, is reminiscent of the same weakening of the military that FDR was guilty of in 1941, just before Pearl Harbor was attacked. Because of FDR's negligence in keeping up military strength, thousands of excess US military personnel died, because of how weak our forces were at that time.

The Japs knew it, and they took full advantage. History is repeating itself with Joe Biden.

 

[Stryder50]

Biden's weakning of the military, is reminiscent of the same weakening of the military that FDR was guilty of in 1941, just before Pearl Harbor was attacked. Because of FDR's negligence in keeping up military strength, thousands of excess US military personnel died, because of how weak our forces were at that time.

The Japs knew it, and they took full advantage. History is repeating itself with Joe Biden.

I'd suggest you repeat a few courses in history untainted by regressive Leftist influence.

The USA was so military weak in 1939, due to prior administrations post World War One (both parties) that we were about #18 on military strength/power(military size) globally. In wake of Germany's attack on Poland Sept.1, 1939 along with Russia's entry a few weeks late taking the Eastern part of Poland, then Russia's war against Finland, it was looking to many that "Nationalist Socialism"-Nazi/Germany and "International Socialism" - Communist/Soviet Russia were out to carve up the World between them. With Fascist Italy grabbing what crumbs were left over. In the one hemisphere anyway. Across the other side of the planet, Imperial Japan was actively grabbing turf for it's expanding empire; Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

Come Spring of 1940 and "Sitzkrieg" became "Blitzkrieg" as Germany grabbed Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and France, Etc.. By the end of Summer 1940, with England alone facing the tryannies of Europe, and China hanging on against Japan; FDR and more Americans were beginning to see where the Future course lay and what was in store; that "Isolationism" was a false policy and strategy.

Hence FDR began a process of building and expanding American Military power and might, but first was the immediate need to prop up the only surviving Allies whom were bearing the brunt of the global conflict~war. It would take time to enlist/draft the manpower to be trained and equipt to grow the USA's military, but in the meantime it was essential to do all possible to keep the few opponents(nations) resisting socialist-fascism-tyranny from making further conquest gains.

Hence; "The Arsenal Of Democracy" ...

"Arsenal of Democracy" was the central phrase used by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a radio broadcast on the threat to national security, delivered on December 29, 1940—nearly a year before the United States entered the Second World War (1939–1945). Roosevelt promised to help the United Kingdom fight Nazi Germany by selling them military supplies while the United States stayed out of the actual fighting. The president announced that intent a year before the Attack on Pearl Harbor (7 December 1941), at a time when Germany had occupied much of Europe and threatened Britain.

Nazi Germany was allied with Fascist Italy and the Empire of Japan (the Axis powers). At the time, Germany and the Soviet Union had signed a non-aggression treaty under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, and had jointly effected the Invasion of Poland (1939), a Realpolitik deal that remained effective until Operation Barbarossa, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, in 1941.

Roosevelt's address was a call to arms for supporting the Allies in Europe, and, to a lesser extent, the Republic of China, in total war against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. "The great arsenal of democracy" came to specifically refer to the industry of the U.S., as the primary supplier of material for the Allied war effort.
"Arsenal of democracy" refers to the collective efforts of American industry in supporting the Allies, which efforts tended to be concentrated in the established industrial centers of the U.S., such as Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Rochester, Chicago, New York, and Pittsburgh, among other cities.[1]
...

Arsenal of Democracy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

America's (USA) "weakness" was lack of ability to grow strength rapidly enough to counter the Axis taking advantage of the USA's relatively weaker position. Largely encouraged by many mis-perceptions, but also one correct one in that the longer they waited, the stronger the USA (and the Allies it supplied and supported) would get.

FDR wasn't guilty of weakening the USA military in 1941, only of not being able to overcome the strong opposition of many in American society and politics whom wanted to "stay out of the war", and tried what they could to hamstring his rearming efforts.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Biden* is reminiscent of the delusionalists of the 1920-1930s whom thought the USA could remain out of global affairs and that the two oceans would isolate us enough to make such a false strategy work. That is the ignorance of history we are seeing repeated.

* Biden is also the sock-puppet of factions and interest-groups who want to diminish, weaken, and destroy the USA.