iPhones, Web Help Kentucky Talk Post Storm

[True_Blue_KY_Dem]

Source: Associated Press

iPhones, Web help Kentucky talk post-storm
When telephones, power lines failed, many turned to high tech
By Jeffrey McMurray and Bruce Schreiner
The Associated Press
updated 5:58 p.m. CT, Fri., Feb. 6, 2009
MURRAY, Ky. - When an ice storm brought down telephone poles and power lines across much of Kentucky, one small-town mayor pulled out his iPhone and began tapping away, posting rapid-fire updates on Facebook to let his constituents know what was going on.

"Will is glad to report that power in parts of the South Main and Grapevine areas is back on. Slowly but surely ...," Madisonville Mayor William Cox typed.

Days later, he warned: "Will asks people with frozen water meters to PLEASE not use a torch or build a fire inside the meter box. This WILL damage the cutoff and meter!"

And at another point, he offered this piece of news: "Will was just advised by the Hopkins County School System that there is NO school on Monday or Tuesday."

The killer storm last week forced many people in Kentucky to get creative just to communicate.

Edited to conform to DU fair use policy for copyrighted material
Lithos
DU Moderator




Read more: URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29059889/

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As many of you know, we've been through the largest natural disaster the state of Kentucky has ever seen or at least in my lifetime. I, personally, was without power for 8 days total. Spent one night in a Red Cross Shelter, a couple nights with friends, two nights at home with nothing, but, the gas oven for heat. I finally got my phone service back on January 31. Spent 2 nights with my sister & her family, in Bowling Green, KY. I finally found out I had power restored to my home late Wednesday afternoon.

After 2 solid days of freezing rain and the one night I stayed at the house with no heat, just the sound of tree limbs breaking and hitting the ground was enough to scare the living daylights out of you. Early Tuesday morning(1/27), I had a Pine tree that sat right on the property line became uprooted, it missed the house by only 5 to 6 feet. I remember the sound limbs breaking and hitting the roof of the house, but, was fortunate enough not to have any major damage from it.

My backyard looks like a bomb was dropped in the middle of it! I have so many damaged trees that I'll probably have to cut everyone of them down

[RandySF]

1. See, Kentucky?

Moving into the 21st Century might be a good idea, after all.

[True_Blue_KY_Dem]

3. Well.......................

not everyone in KY is ass-backwards! The biggest thing I missed the whole time the power was out was my computer! However, I will, more than likely, buy me an iPhone just for emergency's.

AT&T Cellular was out of service for about 5 days and Verizon service was sporadic. Basically, I had no real communication with anyone until late January 30th.

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. iPhones are AT&T so if their service was down iPhones were useless

[Lucian]

2. iPhones were cool until Walmart started selling them.

Now they just suck.

That's why I love my BlackBerry Storm. :)

[Lorien]

5. I love my iphone. One of the few gadgets that honestly improves my life

and no, I didn't buy it at Wal-mart (never shop there period). Just because Wal-mart sells a product doesn't mean that the product itself sucks-unless Wal-mart had it made to sell exclusively in their stores.

[alfredo]

4. You got socked harder out there than here in Lexington. We had it bad,

but not like you guys got. Our townhouse association had Bradford Pears, and they were crushed. A couple broken down to the stump.



Welcome to DU!

We got snow over the ice.

[True_Blue_KY_Dem]

6. How true!

I think we had about 3 inches of snow over the ice, but, the ice is what did the most damage. When I went to Bowling Green, the had hardly ANY damage. But, the trip up the Western KY Parkway was a different scene, as was, I-24. It seemed like after you got out of Trigg County(Cadiz), that the damage was minimal.

KY State Pen and the Prison Farm are running on generators still. Some area's of the county may be without power all the way up to April?!

[alfredo]

7. We are back to the point where the fate of UK's basketball team is the

big issue.

[True_Blue_KY_Dem]

8. Wildcats......................

aren't doing too hot this year. Had a couple of good games. I'm a alum of Murray State University(BS - '92).

[alfredo]

9. There's always football season. We were whupped fair and square by

some very good teams. It seems that UK always has a slump this time of year.

[Myrina]

10. I like the story about the Amish coming to help.

... all that damn technology isn't worth shit. We as a culture have become way too spoiled and lazy.

I'll take good old common sense and the ability to provide from what the Earth gives ya, any day.

[alfredo]

12. How many kids now know how to drive a nail, used bit and brace, or

roll a dove tail joint?

[Myrina]

13. Exactly.

n/t

[alfredo]

14. We've become dependent on technology and illiterate when it comes to

our most basic survival skills.