[Don W]

What about the elderly, or handicapped who live in high rise buildings? The pumps that supply the water to upper stories (those above the 6th or so floor) won't run without power, so these folks can't even run the tap for a glass of water, let alone a cool bath.

That sounds pretty serious to me.

[Don W]

I do agrre with you on the rest of your post, mind you.

[ChemistCat]

Mostly, I think people who live in such situations should prepare themselves. Store a little water. How hard is that? The elderly have been around, and if they are competant to live alone, they know this. The disabled are supposed to have people taking care of them. I'm not unsympathetic to folks who have a genuine problem--but most people are overgrown babies who think the government should wipe their chins for them. Preparedness isn't a freakish thing Y2K made briefly fashionable. It should be a way of life. A blanket in the car if you live in blizzard country, some drinking and washing water if you live in a high rise. How hard is that? It's not rocket science.

God help us all if we actually have a dirty bomb go off in Manhattan or Seattle. Nobody knows how to do doodly squat for themselves in a crisis anymore.