Here’s what I learned that night.

Our communication grid was never designed for disasters.

It was built for convenience and profit, not survival.

Cell towers only carry 4–8 hours of backup power — because longer-lasting systems cost more money.

Internet infrastructure gets overwhelmed during emergencies because it was designed for normal traffic, not crisis situations where millions need information all at once.

Even worse? The infrastructure is aging.

The average cell tower is over 15 years old.

Power grids are running on equipment from the 1970s.

And with cyber attacks on the rise, we’re one targeted strike away from a nationwide blackout.

But here’s the part that still haunts me:
Government agencies have known this for decades.

That’s why FEMA, emergency responders, and disaster coordination teams all rely on independent communication systems that don’t depend on the civilian grid.

We had backup radios that pull emergency broadcasts directly from NOAA and local emergency services.

We had solar-powered radios that work for weeks without electricity.

We had hand-crank communication tools that function even after the batteries die.

So the question is…

Why aren't American families told to prepare the same way?