So far I have been lucky.

I live in a tower heated by hot water through natural gas and they have a generator to keep the essentials running. So even without electricity I usually keep heating and hot water. And because my building often cuts water for maintenance, I also keep a few liters in my fridge just in case.

Plus, I go camping and hiking and just having some camping equipment and experience makes me think I would be okay. I have a gas stove (providing I open a window), food for meals, warm sleeping bags, emergency blankets, power banks, etc.

Losing heat for my building would be catastrophic and not my problem but at that point I would need to seek shelter from the city or family.

I like to think that I am a bit prepared and informed. However it’s good to remind people about the essentials because every time an event like this happens, we hear about people that died of CO2 poisoning, or others storming stores to make last minute provisions.

It can be caused by the cold of winter, or the heat of summer, but you always have to be prepared to live a few days without electricity or running water.