You don't have to worry about perishable food storage in a winter storm. Nobody should be whining for ice either. Is it possible to have a prefab gas fireplace installed in your home? A friend of mine did that a few years ago--it was a lifesaver after a nasty ice storm.
Definitely wouldn't have to worry about perishable food storage during an extended cold spell. Unfortunately there's no room to place a prefab gas fireplace. I had thought about installing a wood burning free standing stove but after allowing footage for the heat resistant tiles and the venting, that's not an option either. I neglected to mention I rent and while my landlord is all for us doing improvements, we'd run into the problem of where to place a stove since the house is somewhat on the small side. It's just the right size for two people, two dogs and a cat. At Christmas it gets crowded when my son stays for several days and M-I-L and Aunt-In-Law come for the day.
We may need to invest in a small generator; one that can run a few lights, the computer, the television and the microwave. Oh, and I'll buy a couple of new kerosene heaters that fiance won't be allowed to touch or modify in any way! I don't have a clue why he messed with the other two and disabled a couple of safety devices as well as replaced the netting with the wrong size. Hmmmph, men! The things they do and why they do them baffles me at times.