From: wb8foz@panix.com   
      
   >On 11/6/2012 2:20 PM, Neon John wrote:   
   >> I do not recommend natural gas.  First, it makes less power than   
   >> propane.  Second, during mass disasters such as just happened, the   
   >> natural gas supply frequently goes down because the pumping stations   
   >> are taken out.  Plus the little bit of survivalist in me wants total   
   >> control over my fuel source.   
      
   Vaughn  writes:   
      
   >Good thoughts, but natural gas sure is convenient if your gas system   
   >survives your particular natural disaster.  The last four hurricanes   
   >here haven't caused a bobble in our NG service.  After each hurricane, I   
   >have had all the fuel I wanted without standing in one damn line!   
      
   Your gas utility goes to to GREAT lengths to keep the gas from   
   failing.  If it does, it's an enormous economic hit to them.   
      
   I recall ~50 years ago the utility lost gas pressure to a   
   part of a suburb. They had to go to each house, shut off the   
   gas at the meter, then restart the gas in that neighborhood   
   and bleed. Then go to each house again, open, and light every   
   appliance. Repeat in neighborhood after neighborhood.   
   It took days.   
      
   When PG&E blew up San Bruno, parallel pipelines kept the   
   Peninsula and San Francisco going; in NTSB testimony PG&E said   
   restarting the city alone would have taken three+ months.   
      
   When max usage draws heavily on a system, the utility can add some   
   higher-Therm propane to the mix.   
      
   While gas transmission pipelines do have compressors, often they   
   are cannibals, burning some of the gas they ship. In any case,   
   the utility has local storage.   
      
   As I recall, much of NYC lacks natural gas distribution, but in   
   places where disasters have hit, the gas is often the utility that   
   keeps going.   
      
      
      
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