Living in New England, the blizzards knock out power in harsh cold conditions. A few years back we went without for over a week, and there was no water either since our water came from a well with an electric pump.
We built a fire in the fireplace, cooked over candles (and mostly ate food that didn't need to be cooked) and melted snow for more water. Lounged around in a big pile of blankets playing with our cats, reading books, and talking instead of using TV, computers, and cellphones. It was chilly, and there was a bit of media withdrawal, but it wasn't really all that bad.
But for sick or disabled people who need electricity for their oxygen machines or to run their electric wheelchairs or other things, it could be bad. And without a fireplace (which many people don't have, and we don't have now), it would likely have gotten too cold.
We built a fire in the fireplace, cooked over candles (and mostly ate food that didn't need to be cooked) and melted snow for more water. Lounged around in a big pile of blankets playing with our cats, reading books, and talking instead of using TV, computers, and cellphones. It was chilly, and there was a bit of media withdrawal, but it wasn't really all that bad.
But for sick or disabled people who need electricity for their oxygen machines or to run their electric wheelchairs or other things, it could be bad. And without a fireplace (which many people don't have, and we don't have now), it would likely have gotten too cold.