IF a true SHTF with power out for over 6 months say with an EMP from a major solar flare from the sun or a nuke exploding 250 miles above Kansas, the US government did a study. 100 million Americans would die within that first 6 months with complete power outage. People dependent on power for dialysis, simple heart surgeries like installing splints. The average amount of food stored by people in big cities is only 3 days, average suburb is 2 weeks, average person in the country 6 months. No power means back to 1900 where 90% of the people lived in rural areas without power. The Amish will do fine. People in the country with gardens and maybe chickens, rabbits, maybe a cow or a draft animal can do ok. A major EMP will take 6 months to a year to get back on. Food canning and processing would be the first on followed by refirgeration. Game animals will probably cease to exist for people in the country or small towns will kill them for food. Fish will be in short supply also. A two year supply of canned and dry foods constantly rotating out the oldest is the only real way to get through something like that. Having a solar cooker for Fresnel lens for cooking would help if firewood is in short supply. Having a large propane tank full would also help. Having a supply of rainwater, or a shallow well would be nice for a potable water source. Having a water filtration system with spare filters would also be nice. Check out some prepping websites.
FYI, our power grid is in pitiful shape nationwide. It needs a few million dollars to EMP proof it, and have enough spare transformers and switches, especially large ones for such an occasion. We also need increased capabilities to supply the power, and not necessarily wind or solar, but nuclear if you don't want coal and gas. More people, more electric cars, more appliances, more electronics, all add up to an extreme strain on the power grid. No one in congress seems to care, too political. However Newt Gingrich warned us about the power grid 15-20 years ago, as well as journalist Ted Kopel who wrote a book about it.
