Fill bathtubs and sinks with water. You can use that water to wash your hands and to flush the toilets, as toilets often won't work. Try not to have a refrigerator or freezer full of food, it will all go bad if there is an extended power outage. Cook up what you have and eat it while you still have power. A gas grill in the yard is handy to cook up any food that you think will go bad, and share it with your neighbors. Have a non-electric can opener on hand. Before power goes out, fill your freezer with ice packs, these can go into coolers to keep medications like insulin cool. Have candles and matches, as flashlight batteries eventually die, have pet food, some good books to read, some craft projects, and games/toys for any children.

I've lived tin lots of places all around the US, and hrough multiple hurricanes, with extended power outages. I've also lived through snow and ice storms, when power would be out for a week or more. I had a tree fall on my house during one hurricane, that destroyed the roof, and fell into the bedroom, rain pouring in! Done the tornado thing, too. Also had a 9.1 earthquake crack the foundation of my house, with power out for several days. After all those things, I don't panic. I'm not foolish, but I don't panic. I usually don't have to go to the store for anything after a storm hits, because I have lots of fresh fruit, dried fruit, water in any water bottles that I own, lots of nuts, and canned beans.