City water tends to work even in power outages because of tanks which have a reserve and generators at some of the wells and pumping stations. I found one in my basement and tried it - no water shortage for me. This can make things very uncomfortable and also cause damage to your home from burst pipes, condensation, etc. It's not a bad idea for every home to have some sort of heat back-up for emergency use. Wood stoves have proven popular with those who enjoy burning a renewable fuel.
Modern stoves give a beautiful view of the fire and are an efficient heating source.
Stoveworks, located in the village area of Medford, is one great place to check out the selection of back-up heating appliances. Lighting - It always pays to have a few flashlights and some batteries around. My opinion only - I think it is be way over hyped and that life will go on in a fairly normal way. 2000 problems are already solved. The point here is the Y2K problem is occurring little by little and being fixed as it goes along.