(Zero Hedge)—A “bombogenesis,” commonly known as a “bomb cyclone,” pounded the Pacific Northwest earlier this week with destructive winds and torrential rain. At higher altitudes, heavy snow and strong winds unleashed blizzards. This once-in-a-decade storm caused widespread power outages across the Seattle metropolitan area, leaving electric vehicle owners in a panic.
At the peak of widespread outages, more than 600,000 customers across Washington State lost power due to the powerful storm; most outages were in King County and Snohomish County.
The ongoing power outage map for the Eastside of Seattle is just brutal. 🙏 https://t.co/AmO7NcE6Pn pic.twitter.com/9V9eX9X0p9
— Steven Sinofsky (@stevesi) November 22, 2024
GeekWire reports that in the last several days, EV drivers who lost power at their homes flooded public EV charging networks across the metro area.
“We’ve seen some chargers that are almost never used that are fully being used,” FlexCharging CEO Brian Grunkemeyer told the tech media outlet. The startup provides charging software services for EV charging operators, including Electrify America.
Grunkemeyer provided a screenshot showing that Electrify America stations on Wednesday were all full, and long lines continued into Thursday.
A video shared on X showed the panic…
Byproduct of the wind storm’s power outages: Nick Abrams said “dozens of Teslas” were lined up trying to get a charge in the Northgate parking lot tonight. 🔌 #WAwx pic.twitter.com/XACClNY0vG
— Shannon O'Donnell (@ShannonODKOMO) November 21, 2024
The lesson for EV drivers in an apocalyptic situation is very clear: have a full-house natural gas or diesel-powered generator system or a lightweight 8kW portable generator with 220V capability.
At Last, a Company With Integrity in the Gold IRA Industry
For several years, I’ve been vetting out precious metals companies in search of the best. I believe in gold and silver but it’s hard to find integrity in the Gold IRA industry. The vast majority operate with shady tactics and gigantic spreads that take advantage of Americans who simply want to protect their life’s savings.
I’ve found a handful that I like and I’ve worked with some of them. By no means would I “unrecommend” them because, again, I vetted them out and found them to be above the fold. Unfortunately, it isn’t hard to be better than the rest when the rest are so darn awful.
After years of searching, I finally found a company that truly operates with integrity. Augusta Precious Metals has three important attributes that set them far above the competition:
- Non-Commissioned Sales Team: I cannot stress how important and unique this is. With just about every other company in the Gold IRA industry, the sales teams make commission from every account they open. This means they steer their clients toward the gold and silver products with the highest commission. With Augusta Precious Metals, the team is solely focused on putting the best gold and silver for their clients into their IRA. They get paid to serve the best interests of the Gold IRA client, NOT their own commission pay.
- Incredibly Low Fees: Most Americans would be shocked if they knew the spread other Gold IRA companies charge. Augusta charges just 5% versus up to 45% elsewhere.
- No Pressure, No Gimmicks: There’s an understanding among most in the Gold IRA industry that fear and pressure is the way to go. Augusta Precious Metals takes a sober approach when working with clients because they hold integrity in the highest possible regard. This is why they don’t offer gimmicks like “free” or “bonus” silver. It’s also why they do not apply pressure tactics to get quick sales. Their educational and transparent approach to doing business is exceedingly rare in the Gold IRA industry.
