The “sorting out” is the problem, however optimistic a scenario you wish to paint. The book “One Second After” offers a plausible scenario of post EMP chaos and survival. The power will not come back on quickly enough to matter for the sick, frail, or anyone dependent on medication, they will be gone within a month. While we can envision enclaves of technologists (perhaps you and I, for example) who will find ways to spin a water wheel or wind generator, there are more efficient ways to make light and preserve food, especially considering there are a lot more of “them” who would kill and steal to take things of value than there are of “us”. If the majority of the population is reduced to survivalism within a month or two, getting the lights on will be a relatively low priority.
However, generating sufficient power to enable communications would be a top priority, I’m with you there, and ignoring the potential to restore radio communications is one of the few nits I would pick with Forstchen’s book.
“.......The book “One Second After” offers a plausible scenario of post EMP chaos and survival.......”
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Thanks bigbob. I just ordered “”One Second After” from Amazon. Was going to order it in the Kindle edition but decided to instead pay 20 cents more and get the paperback...just in case my wife’s Kindle gets fried by an EMP before I can read the book next week. Just kidding about the EMP—I usually prefer “hard copy”.