When the lights go out for a few hours, we call it an inconvenience. When they go out for a week, we call it a disaster. The difference is not the technology. It is preparation.
Few cities have rehearsed a long outage. Hospitals have generators, but pharmacies do not. Water systems have backup pumps, but many have fuel for only a day. Few households know where their neighbours are who rely on powered medical equipment.
We do not need to panic. We need to practise. Fire drills are tedious, and they save lives. A grid drill would be, too.
