A hurricane wipes out cell phone service. Here comes the 200-pound drone.

The latest appeal of unmanned aircraft is that they can be deployed in a variety of disaster-ravaged locations. An unmanned drone is prepared to take off March 8 at Woodbine Municipal Airport in South Jersey carrying a "femtocell" that Verizon can fly into an area that loses cellular coverage during a natural or other emergency. CAPE MAY COUNTY, N.J.-- Cell service get clobbered by a hurricane? The rash of devastating storms that knocked out power and phone service to millions in the U.S. last year laid bare how vulnerable those technological lifelines are to extreme weather. Some companies are trying to use one of this decade's coolest developments -- remote-controlled drones -- as a temporary fix.