We just talked to my BIL, who lives on 45 wooded acres south of Buffalo, NY. They got over a foot of snow every night for the last week (7 days). Some has melted, but he still has over 6' on the ground. So we have 6 inches of snow, and he has over 6 feet!
Except it's in Erie County.
His gas line froze up and they had no heat and could not use the stove. He has his own wellhead and pipeline (supplied by the Gas Company) and pays nothing for natural gas, but he's responsible for the maintenance. The deep snow prevented him from getting back to the wellhead with a 4x4 farm tractor, a neighbor couldn't get back there with a bigger 4x4 tractor either, and his SIL finally beat his way back with his huge 4x4 Case tractor. They worked for 15 hours to just get back to the wellhead. His SIL works with the gas company, and he used some special liquid to defrost and melt everything. They got the line cleared, and he's now running everything at the maximum temp setting 24x7 to get all of the moisture out of the line; if they need to cool the house(s) [one for them, one for his MIL, another for his FIL (he's sick and almost bedridden)] down, they just open the windows.
And you think YOU have problems...the water heater also crapped out during all of this mess.
Gee - the Rheem water heater I gave him only lasted for 23 years. 
He and I are really glad they no longer have any livestock to worry about. (2 ponies, 3 goats, and a hog.) His daughter (our niece) however, had a goat die, which would normally be no problem. Trouble is: that goat and her horse were REAL close friends and slept in the same stall. They took the tractor, and the backhoe, and buried the goat. Now the horse lies on the ground, whinnying (sp?) and kicking the walls because she misses her goat so much.
I think I need a drink. Jack and water - hold the water and the ice.
