The Department of Emergency Management in San Francisco has set up a service to provide warnings and instructions during and after disasters. AlertSF will deliver text messages in English or Spanish to e-mail accounts, or devices such as a cell phone, texting pager, or PDA. The service is expected to be offered for free, but prior sign-up is required. This is obviously a good idea, assuming that wireless network will remain operational during the disaster.
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Whether we realise it or not, we are very dependent on the local authorities to provide electricity. Electricity is not just for lights and your home stereo alone – it also runs the pumps that provide you with running water, and the pumps at your local gas (petrol) station. A freak storm has caused the folks in Buffalo, N.Y. to go without power for almost a week. Over 100,000 homes and businesses have been affected. There have been deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning — so if you have your own diesel-powered generator at home, please make sure that you have adequate ventilation.
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Multi-tools are very versatile and can perform many different tasks in one compact form factor. Unfortunately, they can be heavy and hence may not be suitable for EDC (every day carry) duty. A few years ago, Leatherman came out with a solution to this called the Micra. It had scissors, a blade, and various screwdrivers. It was sized perfectly for the keychain.
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