After a freak October snow storm, residents of towns all across the north eastern U.S. are facing days without heat or electricity.

Fallen power lines, branches and even trees litter the streets of several cities. Most towns have also called snow days (giving kids one of the earliest recorded snow days in history) and cancelled Halloween festivities as a protective measure. This due to 21 deaths, including 1 in Canada, accounted for by falling trees, electrocution by live wires and tragic road accidents.

An upward of three million homes and businesses lost power at the height of the storm. Thankfully, by Monday the count went down to 2.2 million. Particular areas that were hit have previously been devastated by Hurricane Irene not more than two months ago.

This meant that some areas were left worse for wear as the trees had yet to lose their leaves and as such captured much of the snow. "The leaves on the trees have made whole trees and huge branches come down and taken down more wires," Chris Christie, governor to New Jersey, confirmed.

Christie has also said that he expects 95 percent of residents from his district can expect the power to be back and in full effect by Thursday of the present week. As the weather gradually warms up, experts are pronouncing the consequences of the storm to last longer than the actual storm itself.

In these cases, it is best to be prepared for any snow storms that may hit in the near future. If one lives in an area that is frequented by these events, the most important thing is to assemble a survival kit. A basic kit should include water, food, flashlight with extra batteries, some sort of lighter in order to start a fire, a knife and if you can, a first aid kit. Assume that a storm lasts 2-3 days and pack the survival kit accordingly.

Keep calm and remember that as soon as it is virtually possible, rescue teams are on the way.