Im not impressed,more like appalled.

If I was so dependent on a cell phone I'd at LEAST have a car adapter to charge with,not to mention a small solar charger.

Talk about prepared for nothing,wow! "I see dead people" and Im not kidding,these folks are in bad shape for a serious event.Say hello to FEMA at the stadium,sheesh!!

Seems many folks need a phone more than alcohol,the old trade standby.
I think it was Blast who said he's going to sell electrons when the tipping point is reached.Thats seriously a good idea.

Spuds Edison....I like it!

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First of all, you shouldn't fault people for wanting to inform family that they are OK. Second, the focus of the article was on certain actions of individuals which overcame problems that they were facing. There are many uses for electricity, and making a bicycle generator is exactly the type of thinking that this site encourages. However, the article did highlight some individuals who were prepared and found creative solutions to their immediate problems. One individual was fairly courageous. This was the point of the article.

Yes, most of the people in the area were not prepared at all, and many still chose to remain, shame on them. Especially the ones who appeared in the news media screaming and blaming the government for not getting to them sooner or preventing the problem. Very few people think much about preparation for emergencies, much less catastrophic events. This is no longer even noteworthy. It is the norm for most populations around the world. As is the case with most populations, they expect someone else to protect them or bail them out of trouble, usually the government. Self reliance and preparation are they focus of this forum, but we have a very small forum population.

Even with the public education efforts of the government and other organizations like the Red Cross, most people will not heed the simplest instructions and prepare in the most basic way.