Final answer:
A 'worst-case scenario' refers to an extreme outcome necessitating a government-declared state of emergency, such as prolonged service disruptions from natural disasters, requiring substantial intervention and recovery efforts.
Step-by-step explanation:
A situation that results in service disruptions for weeks or months, necessitating a government to declare a state of emergency, could be described using the term worst-case scenario. This term often refers to the most extreme outcome of a risky event, such as a natural disaster or catastrophic event. Governors can declare a state of emergency and mobilize resources such as the National Guard to assist in these scenarios. For instance, during severe winter storms or events such as the Texas freeze which led to widespread power failures and infrastructure collapse, the gravity of the situation required significant government intervention and recovery operations that could last for an extended period, illustrating a worst-case scenario in action.