Nearly Half a Million households without electricity is certainly a potential disaster especially with the long term forecasts predicting the cold weather to last until April. How long will it take to get all these homes and businesses connected back to the electricity grid as it seems many transformers have been damaged.

http://www.accuweather.com/video/90811342001/weak-storms-through-the-weeken.asp

A large metropolitan suburban area without electricity for a couple of weeks with very cold/stormy/wintry weather due in the next week could prove to be very trying for many especially without other heating and cooking resources.