When power outages hit Montgomery County, so much coverage focuses on how residents are coping. But power outages can be devastating to businesses, too.

In case you were wondering just how bad the loss was from this most recent series of Pepco outages, here is a number to contend with: $2 million. That's the amount that Westfield Wheaton reportedly lost from the Jan. 26 thundersnow power outages.

On the flip side, if a business doesn't lose power there is the potential to cash in on catering to power-hungry residents who need a warm place to eat and charge their cell phones (I'm looking at you, Downtown Silver Spring). But even still, the gamble is far too great to take a cup-half-full perspective on Pepco outages in the county (especially since you may end up paying for the lost power anyway, thanks to state regulations). Need a place to vent your frustrations? You're in luck: the county has extended the deadline for its Pepco survey to Feb. 14.