It seems that when the chips are down, we are no better than our so-called primitive ancestors. When Mother Nature tears toward us, we must run.

When I was a child, I laughed because people used to think comets were harbingers of doom. The thought is still amusing, but I think even Neanderthals or Medieval villagers would have sense enough to run from a hurricane. At a certain point, instinct kicks in and tells you it's time to get out of Dodge. Our modern brains override that impulse -- sometimes to our detriment.

When push comes to shove, our structures are frail. Our buildings will crumble, as will our bridges. Our roads will wash out. Cell phone towers will fall. Electricity, the blood of modern telecommunications and most everything else, will fail.

The only thing you can count on is people's resilience in the face of adversity, and even that has its breaking point. Emotional strength has only so much elasticity.

-- Craig