EARTH ABIDES and the Colorado flood. **SPOILERS** (for book, not flood).

[raccoon]

Seeing some of the footage about Colorado last night, seeing roads washed away and big, deep gullies, made me think, not for the first time, that, while I loved the book EARTH ABIDES, there is no way in the world the US and its roads and bridges infrastructure, could have lasted as long as 22 years after nearly everyone died off.

In the book, 22 years after the dieoff of maybe 90-something percent of the population, two young men make a cross-country trip across the US, from San Francisco as far as Toledo, OH. In a car that they were able to get to run again (Another thing that wouldn't happen, but it's still an entertaining story.).

I also think that fire would have destroyed a lot more, a lot sooner than happened in the book. JMHO.

I remember I read that book in 24 hours--couldn't put it down.

[SheilaT]

1. As I recall, they do have to make a lot

of detours around washed-out roads. Keep in mind the book was written in 1949, and the interstate highway system didn't even exist then. I'm wondering if the roads of that era wouldn't have actually survived somewhat better.

Also, I recall that they searched for a while to find a battery that they could still use, and tires that hadn't completely deteriorated. Can't quite recall how they solved the problem of getting gas, which might really have been the biggest problem. Doesn't gas in some way deteriorate when simply left in storage for years at a time? Of course, back then it was all leaded gas, so I have no idea what difference that would have made.

The most amusing thing was probably the magic grocery store that they were still getting food, canned goods, from all those years later.

But yeah, it's a very good book, and if not the first one of the very first post-apocalypse novels.

[raccoon]

2. There were plenty of stores and not many people.

Gas does deteriorate after a while; I started a thread some time ago specifically on this subject.

The two boys who went on the cross-country trip didn't know jack about cars, not having grown up
with them. That the car would run for 1500 or so miles and make the return trip boggles the mind.

But it's still a good read.

[raccoon]

3. Here's why you couldn't navigate the roads east of the Mississippi after 22 years. Look at these

roads after an ice storm.


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In this photo taken on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, broken tree limbs hang over the road and branches litter the shoulders of US Route 17A near Georgetown, S.C.



Long leaf pine trees at Manchester State Forest in Wedgefield, SC were among those hit hardest by the recent ice storm. GERRY MELENDEZ — [e-mail]

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2014/03/05/3307825/ice-storm-timber-damage-ranks.html#storylink=cpy

[SheilaT]

4. How quickly things deteriorate or "return to nature" when not steadily maintained

is something most people just don't get. Try to imagine that after that second photo in your post, no one ever cleaned up. The road surface itself would have remained driveable for some years, but of course with branches and leaf litter over it, not at all.

Thanks for the photos and the link.

[raccoon]

5. I was floored at that second photo too. nt