Why I wouldn't want to be in India if Y2K turns out to be bad

[Guest guest]

Being in America might not be so hot either:

 

[From The Spokane Spokesman-Review]

 

FEMA says `prepare for worst' with Y2K bug

 

But guide says most banks, government agencies, airlines and electric

utilities ready for year 2000

 

Mark Helm - Hearst Newspapers

 

WASHINGTON -- ``Plan for the worst and hope for the best,'' the

Federal Emergency Management Agency advised Wednesday as it issued a guide for

consumers to prepare for year 2000 computer-bug problems.

 

The agency stressed that the most important thing people can do

to avoid problems resulting from computer crashes is to ``stay informed''

since institutions are varying widely in their response to the bug.

 

``Ask your local government, your bank, your utility company

and other organizations that you rely upon what they are doing to be ready''

for the year 2000, or Y2K, problem, the FEMA guide said.

 

``Being prepared is key to dealing with any potential

emergency, whether natural or man-made,'' FEMA Director James Lee Witt said.

``We need to take the same approach we use with hurricanes, tornadoes or

floods -- plan for the worst and hope for the best.''

 

While insisting that there is no indication that the year 2000

glitch will cause widespread disruptions in the United States, the FEMA guide

recommends Americans:

 

• Keep copies of their bills, bank statements and other

records. Consumers with investments should consider asking their banks and

brokerages to issue special statements of their accounts that would give their

investment values by this Dec. 31.

 

•Store enough food and clean water to last up to a week. Also,

people should buy candles, matches, batteries and flashlights for possible

power outages.

 

•Expect some of the problems stemming from the Y2K bug to

begin before Jan. 1. The guide said consumers should be prepared for possible

disruptions on July 1, when 46 states begin their fiscal year 2000. Another

date to watch is Oct. 1, the beginning of fiscal year 2000 for the federal

government.

 

FEMA also recommended that people with personal computers check

with their PC's manufacturer and with the manufacturer of the computer's

software to find out if they are Y2K-compliant, that is, bug-free.

 

FEMA, an independent federal agency that reports directly to

the president, helps communities prepare for and recover from all types of

disasters.

 

The FEMA guide also contained several pieces of good news. Among

the things most Americans should not worry about, according to FEMA, are:

 

•Money. The banking industry has been working on the problem for

several years and at the end of 1998, 96 percent of banks were said to be on

track to be Y2K-ready by this June 30.

 

•Massive power outages. The guide said they are unlikely. The

electric utility industry has completed work on more than half of its critical

systems and expects to have finished them all by June 30. However, industry

officials warn that minor outages -- those lasting a day or two -- cannot be

ruled out.

 

•Flying. The Federal Aviation Administration has fixed more

than 90 percent of its critical systems and expects to have them all

reprogrammed within the next few months. In addition, airplane manufacturers

report that none of the problems identified so far would present a safety

risk.

 

•The federal government. More than 60 percent of its critical

systems are now Y2K-compliant, and officials they all will be before Jan. 1.

 

•Home appliances. Most home electronic products will not be

affected. However, FEMA recommends people check with manufacturers to make

sure appliances they consider essential are Y2K-compliant.