Even if the [cellular telephone] towers are not damaged, a surge in phone usage after a major quake is sure to bring interruptions.
The relatively modest magnitude 5.5 Chino Hills quake in 2008 caused major problems with cellphone and land-line communications. Some cellphone companies reported up to an 800% increase in calls, far more than they had expected in a true disaster. Even phones in some police agencies near the epicenter were knocked off line.
I assure you a super tornado or a category 4 or 5 hurricane will cause problems similar to the ones described in the Times story about earthquake risks. The U.S. has been at a record interval without a major hurricane -- the last was in 2005. I increasingly fear we are dealing with "out of sight, out of mind" along the Gulf and southern Atlantic coasts which may lead to a very nasty surprise.
Interesting you post this on the 20th anniversary of the Northridge earthquake. Which occurred in that quaint time before widespread cell phone and internet usage.
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