On the morning of September 11, the eyewall of Hurricane Irma passed about 10 miles to the east of my home.  With the power out, I sat in an interior space, a hand-cranked radio almost my only contact with the world.  Without electricity, Wi-Fi, and cable, that radio remained my only real contact for the next four days. Fortunately, as the heat and humidity rose, a friend with power offered an air-conditioned place to stay.  At last, on September 14, power was restored.  I'm grateful to those at Duke Energy who worked 24/7 to make it happen. As for FEMA and other government responders, their efforts were about what I expected – which is to say, nothing.  A cool drink and a snack the morning after the storm would have been appreciated, especially for my many elderly neighbors, but that sort of quick response came only from a well organized Baptist church group – the same group that always shows up hours after an emergency. Like everyone...(Read Full Article)