The principle of British welfare is no longer that you can insure yourself against the risk of unemployment and receive unconditional payments if the disaster happens.
Even as it became the lifeblood for companies, the Internet was also a constant reminder that the more connected you are, the more vulnerable you are to catastrophe.
Italy's former prime minister Romano Prodi also spoke of his concern. He says what is taking place is a conflict between food and fuel, with disastrous social consequences.
A royal commission into the disaster was announced amid mounting concern that the longstanding strategy for bushfire emergencies may have had catastrophic consequences for some people.
In a 2011 USPS case study, the agency emphasized its massive infrastructure as a "unique federal asset" to be called upon in a disaster or terrorist attack.