<http://www.gcn.com/print/27_12/46335-1.html> [...] The most common threat to communications during a severe storm is not destruction of physical infrastructure but loss of power. Individual cell sites tend to survive high winds and flooding, Walsh said. "That is a testament to the site planning" for the towers, she said. "That's why we focus on backup power." [...] "Our expectation is that backup will last long enough to get power back up," Walsh said. "Most outages are of a relatively short duration." But there are times when outages can outlast generators' reserve batteries or fuel supplies, and service then depends on getting more fuel into the stricken areas. If roads are not passable, service could be lost during an extended outage. The official spokespeople don't mention it, but there is also a tendency for local officials to divert fuel delivery trucks for their use instead of maintaining communication facilities.