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In the wake of violent storms, the power remains out today for millions of Americans across several U.S. states. Governors of Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio have declared a state of emergency. Over a dozen people are now confirmed dead, and millions are sweltering in blistering temperatures while having no air conditioning or refrigeration. As their frozen foods melt into processed goo, they’re waking up to a few lessons that we would all be wise to remember.

See some shocking photos of recent weather events, including a trampoline strung over power lines at: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/shocking-images-follow-sup…

Here are 10 hard lessons we’re all learning (or re-learning, as the case may be) as we watch this situation unfold:

#1) The power grid is ridiculously vulnerable to disruptions and failure

All it takes is Mother Nature unleashing a little wind storm, and entire human cities are cut off from their power grid. Wind and trees, in other words, can destroy in seconds what takes humans years to construct.

#2) Without electricity, acquiring food and water in a major U.S. city can become a difficult task

Right now, masses of people across the Eastern U.S. are scrambling to try to find food and water. Fortunately for them, malls and gas stations are open, providing (processed) food, water and air conditioning. That’s because the power outages are fragmented, affecting some neighborhoods but not others.

In a total grid down scenario, food and water supplies in a given U.S. city will disappear almost overnight. It’s much the same for gasoline, batteries and even ammunition. All these supplies (and many more) will simply be stripped from the shelves.