Letter: Outages no fuss in rural areas

Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2003 | 8:59 a.m.

The news media in Las Vegas is driving me crazy by continually questioning how people would cope with a long blackout. Growing up in the 1930s and 1940s in Philadelphia, where it's hot and humid, we had only fans to keep us cool, as there was no air conditioning.

Now, I'm fortunate enough to live in a small town like Pahrump. There are so many benefits, like no traffic, no stress and lower insurance rates. Like most rural families here, I am on a well. I have air conditioning. One small generator can pump water in the well, stop food from spoiling and keep us comfortably cool. No telephone service, no problem. We have many ham radio operators like myself in the area that can handle most emergencies.

So, those of us in the rural areas can answer the news media's question. Coping with a long blackout seems to be a concern for those living in the big city, but we who are fortunate enough to live in a rural area can survive very nicely, thank you.

CHARLES HAGEN