I think you're underestimating the resilience that people and systems have built up in countries where power is unreliable.

For example, I'd be willing to bet that most household don't even have candles or a battery operated flashlight.

When power has been nearly 100% reliable for as long as you've been alive, there's no reason for you to worry about those things and you don't build that resilience.

Someone in Alaska is probably more prepared for surviving a power outage than someone in Manhattan. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that life might continue as normal far longer in remote areas than it would in big cities in the event of a major outage.