People might find the bottom link rather fascinating, a post-mortem on the emergency response to the ice storm of 1998 in Quebec and Ontario that left about 4 million without power in the depths of winter.
First, a Wikpedia description of the disaster:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_Canada_ice_storm
Among other things, in the link below, a notation that failed communications and impassable roads were the major stumbling block to not only getting help to where it was needed, but also to know what help was required. It noted that advance preparation and practice on a local and regional level was the key to handling similar crisis. And the curious notation in the Ontario conclusions that people are no longer willing to leave their pets behind, so allowance had to be made for that.
http://www.ocipep.gc.ca/ep/ep_digest/aj_98_fea2_e.asp
Cowperson