Preparation is the Difference

Snowmageddon 2016 Washington, DC Crater Lake National Park, Tuesday When an author writes a civilization debilitating event into a  story it is critical to have an understanding of particular culture and sub-culture (real or imaginary) that it is affecting. In a rather spectacular example the winter of 2016 has left the capital of the United States crippled  under a few feet of snow. Meanwhile record breaking snowfall in Crater Lake National Park has the snow plow operators a bit tired. 
This is close to an actual difference in magnitude. So why is a massive and well funded city panicking while a little park is shrugging its collective shoulders and calmly raising their snowplow fuel budgets?  It is all about preparation.
In Crater Lake the snowplows are carefully tended all year and ready to go at a moment's notice. The snow will fall and the drits will last till June. The buildings are designed to take a snow load of ten to twenty feet and the plows can chew through five feet of road snow as if it were nothing.  
The snow is less frequent and far less intense in D.C. and so the crews are less able to respond to it. 
When writing a short story this can easily play into the immediate response of the characters. When world building for a larger story remembering to add little details like the damage the snow removal equipment leaves being visible even in the summer is very important. So go make some snow angels and remember that if the internet is knocked out then that is the best time for some undistracted writing!