for me, it's the Medical Devices thing - sigh

As to #1 - Yes, yes a thousand times YES. A generator is a backup for critical systems - not a replacement for the mains.

As to #2 - Add to your list ingress of the repair vehicles. At one point, they were evaluating the use of helicopters to get replacement poles in...even that didn't work. They needed bulldozers and land clearing machines just to get started on the multi-day power restoration.

As to your last item:

I'm a "local official" and I was unaware of WHO had no power - we just had a count of "142 customers without power" on their web site.

(I call electric utility:
"Addresses of those without power please?"
"Sorry, we can't provide that information."
"Ummm how do you know it's 142 customers if you don't know who they are?"
"Sorry we can't give more information" )

Then people started CALLING ME..."the power is out" - and that's been where the action lies.

Heaters require electricity, even gas fired ones.
If you don't heat your home, your pipes can freeze.

Where many of us live - no electric = no water.

Our outage from Irene was only about 40 hours, but it was enough to convince my wife that we needed a generator. The previous owner of our home had installed a standby generator, but took it with him when he moved. He did, however, leave the transfer switch meaning that all I need to do is have the electrician move a couple more circuits onto the switch and hook up the new generator.

Our big motivator is the sump pump; mine went about 10 hours unpowered until a neighbor brought his generator over to run it, and it seemed like it ran forever. If our basement had flooded the cost of renovation would have exceed the cost of the generator, and that's not even considering loss of refrigerator/freezer contents. We seldom lose power, but it will only take one or two events to make this investment pay off for us.

Ah, RE saying all heaters needing electric - says WHO? My hot water heater doesn't have an electric line even going to it - it's an old fashioned pilot light/mechanical valve water heater - no electric needed

It's true that most gas heaters need electricity, but there are exceptions.

The more modestly priced ones use a piezoelectric lighter and forced air fan, which I assume cuts costs by requiring a less robust heat exchanger. Line power is mandatory for operation.

But there are units (premium cost) that use an old-fashioned pilot light and a heavy duty exchanger. They have forced air fans also, but do not need them to operate. A couple of these units kept my parents' house from freezing after a fire knocked out the main panel. They work.

Gas HEATERS for AIT - I was talking "gas hot water' - my furnace is steam, and the only thing it needs any electric for is to open the main gas valve

It is by your outhouse??

What, I've actually NEVER seen a gas hot water heater that needed electric! Seriously! Steam heat is kinda old, but then again, my house was built in 1947

http://www.lowes.com/pl_Gas+Water+Heater...aters_Pop_Cat_1

Look - not ONE of them has an electric heater

Not an electric heater, an electric igniter. Newer ones are doing away with the pilot light and just igniting the big flame from an electric ignitor when needed. Saves the gas wasted by the pilot.