Flooding Gas Stations and Scrambling for Generators

Yesterday we lost power in Chester CA, due to fire activity. I observed the beginning of madness as everyone was quick on the trigger to start up generators and regain control of their technology driven lives.  In India last week there was some news that maybe didn't gain the attention deserved, two thirds of the country looses power and I believe the people handled it pretty well considering the scope of the event.  Here in Chester we loose power every winter and given some of the people up here now are not accustomed to this, but at any rate I think that we would be more prepared than we where.  Witnessing the pandemonium to get the generators going and gas tanks filled up was quite an event and I fell as tho  if America lost two thirds of its power, this would be far more devastating to people than anyone realizes.  If it where only  for a few days I think that could be handled fairly well but what if we all where to loose power for a week or a month or a year? how would that effect you?

This was all due to something that pretty much no one would have foreseen as a problem, a fire, but of course that makes sense.  How many unforeseen risks like this could effect us directly and how much will it effect you?