Oregon Family Still Waiting For Y2K
by Dean Terry
A family who moved to a remote area in Oregon in 1998 are convinced that Y2K could still happen.
A mother who fled to a remote farmhouse in Eastern Oregon to escape the Millennium Bug says she is still waiting to see its full effects.
Heather Herron, her husband Harold and their two children, Michelle and Michael, gave up their modern lifestyle, fearing global chaos if computers running vital services went into meltdown.
image: Heather and Harold Herron sit on the porch of their farmhouse deep in the Oregon wilderness
The good news is that that the much-hyped Millennium Bug, which was expected to cripple civilization when computers rolled over to the year 2000, failed to strike at the appointed time.
But Mrs Herron said she and her family are still prepared for a worst-case scenario.
She said, “We are waiting to see what the full effects are. After all, it’s only been just a little over eight years. Terrible things could still happen. Obviously the initial roll-over period has been encouraging, but the full, horrible effects of Y2K may not be known for several more decades.”
Mr and Mrs Herron left their home in Seattle, Washington and bought the remote farmhouse near Forrey Ridge, Oregon in 1998.
They planted vegetables and fruit, built a chicken run and filled a storeroom with dried rice, pasta, lentils and packaged food in preparation for the feared event.
“We still have a multitude of supplies. We bought enough packaged food and dried beans that we could hold out till Y3K if need be. Plus, we’re not above eating mice and rats, anything we have to do to survive when the world plunges into computer-driven pandemonium,” Mrs Herron said.
Mrs Herron, who runs her own publishing business, said she hopes her family’s story will help the rest of America to be in readiness to survive the Y2K bug, whenever it strikes.
“Obviously the original date for Y2K has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean that it still can’t happen,” she said. “I firmly believe that Y2K, and the worldwide chaos that will follow, is a very serious threat to us all. There was a lot of initial publicity but I think people have now forgotten the seriousness of the situation. There could still be bedlam and lawlessness. If that happens, things will be a real mess.”
Harold Herron is in agreement with his wife. He said, “The government spent a lot of money tackling the problem. Now that same government tells us things are okay. But who knows what tomorrow will bring? You could very easily wake up in the morning to find the government made a mistake. We’re just not going to take that kind of a chance.”
As Mr Herron picked up a large bucket, preparing to go milk the family’s cow, he said, “I just pray to God our story helps make people aware of the situation.”
Copyright © 2008 Our Strange World
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t'mara on Wednesday, September 10, 2008this is INSANE and also hysterically funny. (for me not for them) people like this really WANT disaster strife and famine. they are fundamentalists who can’t wait for ultimate destruction of their neighbors, because they are sure they are the special people who god will rescue. at the least, these idiots are out of the general population, and unless they have stockpiled guns and ammo along with those lentils, they can’t really do anyone much harm. they are where they belong.
kofeelite on Friday, September 26, 2008t’mara-
couldn’t agree more!
Cherish on Saturday, November 22, 2008I agree on your decisions of the y2k. I also believe that going back to the way things use to be which was being entirely independent is a very natural and right thing to do and let me not forget intelligent also. Computers in the near future will be the break of man. They are taking over even house hold furnishings such as computerized microwaves, stoves, fridges, coffee pots that talk....to me it is quit a bit too much. Man is giving too much intelligence to the computer and just like a dog it will bite back. Man has made computers for us all to be lazy. Way back before we had to get up to turn the TV....now we stay seated lol. Although some ideas are not to intentionally harm us but to make things easier for us but some of us have taken advantage of the idea and used it till its just about worn out. I have had recent ideas of building homes underground like indian mounds but big inside. Everything being used such as water and light will be used from natural sources such as water from a clean and uncontaminated river and energy from the sun using solar power cells and use candles at night. For food such as veggies and fruits will be grown outside as normal so as harvesting and taking care of the farm animals. Farm animals will also have their special underground house to go in when the weather is bad and to keep them from catching cold or viruses. Bales of hay would be laid out in the farm house and stacks left for them to eat, along with chicken feed and hog slop (lol). If and/or when this y2k hits, I haven’t the slightest thing of what to do because I have nooooo money to start this off (lol) but I think it would be a great idea. Hopefully I can put in more research on what to do and how to make it work.
