On Sat, Aug 4, 2012 at 11:02 AM, Chris Adams <cmadams@hiwaay.net> wrote:
Besides, where do you think you're going to get gasoline in a wide-spread extended power failure? Few gas stations have generators, and even if they do, they'll sell out of gas quickly. That distribution system also needs power. The diesel for our generator had to be trucked in from outside the affected area (Birmingham IIRC).
I managed to get gasoline for my generator. I had to drive upwards of 5 miles and pass as many as 7 closed stations to get it. But it was available and if I'd planned better with respect to containers to carry it in I'd have had zero difficulty. Some stations did have generators. And some were in locations that didn't lose power in the first place. The kind of event which ends access to fuel tends to destroy the communications infrastructure anyway so that loss of power is not the main barrier to operations. Extended loss of power is a regular, high-probability threat. I think it reasonable to expect the local communications companies to be ready for it and capable of keeping the key infrastructure online. Regards, Bill Herrin -- William D. Herrin ................ herrin@dirtside.com bill@herrin.us 3005 Crane Dr. ...................... Web: <http://bill.herrin.us/> Falls Church, VA 22042-3004