I was amazed to see people during Katrina dying of thirst surrounded by water. All they need was a pack of matches, some iodine and a screen. Boil water, add a few drops of iodine, screen water. Voila! Drinking water. Not tasty, but sufficient to preserve life. Apparently there wasn’t a Boy Scout or veteran among them. They preferred to thirst and wait for rescue. A perfect example of learned helplessness.