The situation in Boston was that everything was fine -- phones OK, electricity OK, transportation OK, refrigeration OK, fine weather, a beautiful weekend in every way!
There was only one thing wrong -- there were microbes in the public water supply. But that was easily dealt with by putting tap water in a pot, putting the pot on your stove and boiling it.
THAT was too much for some people to handle.
An EMP would just wipe these people out.