The South’s Communication Infrastructure Can’t Withstand Climate Change Much of the South’s early communications infrastructure was installed in the 1960s, expanded during the 1980s and 1990s, and is nearing the end of its life span. By Bailey Basham January 18, 2021 Property damage after Hurricane Zeta on Oct. 29, 2020 in Chalmette, Louisiana. Credit: Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images Related When Hurricane Zeta made landfall on the Gulf Coast in October, 2.6 million people in the Southeast U.S. were left in the dark. From the Mississippi coast to Atlanta to smaller cities like Anniston, Alabama, people waited—some for days, others for upward of two weeks—in living rooms and kitchens lit by candlelight for their power to return, reliant on the longevity of cellphone batteries and mobile chargers.