In the midst of destruction, Americans show true grit

This column has been written in text, on a mobile phone in a room lit only by a candle. The temperature is 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

No air-conditioning because the electricity is off. Drinks are lukewarm, since the ice ran out yesterday, around the same time as the ice cream turned to sweet soup in its tub.

No power means the petrol stations can’t pump the gasoline they have into the cars that need it. It also means customers are allowed into the 7/11 convenience store one at a time as an earlier customer exits: the closed circuit TV camera cannot do its normal surveillance job and the cashier can take on potential muggers only in single file.