in central ms and went through katrina. a few years later we had a bunch of tornados come thorugh.

with katrina the lights went out for 2 weeks. not as big a deal as physical damage to you home or area but was still a pain to deal with. one thing I recommend is having cash on hand. no power means no atm or debit machines. if you are buying anything you will be paying in cash. gas pumps may still work but cash may be the only deal. and if katrina can knock out power for 2 weeks then I can see another storm knocking power out for a month or so.

with the tornados lots of trees came down. can't tell you how many houses I saw cut in half by a huge tree. small houses, big houses, even my dads old shed was smash in by a 40 year old pine tree in his backyard. smashed a bunch of his tools and took out his generator. trees will come down! I suggest as a way of being prepared you look at any trees that could possibly damage your property. there are no guarantees that they will but if the do it won't be pretty. in the exact opposite direction it would come down on their bedrooms. in another direction right into their den. so talk to a professional and if there is a chance any trees will do major damage then take them down! property is one thing but if there is a tree that could come down on your house then take it seriously.

during both katrina and the tornados trees blocked many streets. a chain saw or really strong 1311 arm may be the only things that will let you get out of your driveway or off your street for a few weeks.

also used to keep a emergency light plugged up. basically it a rechargeable light that where the battery stays charged from the wall socket and comes on when the power is interrupted. instant light should the power go out. was pretty cheap but after 10 years or so the batts fried. just need to replace them.

battery/hand powered radio... again lights go out and it will be quiet for a while. for news and entertainment you will want to have a radio. the motors in tape/cd/dvd players tend to drain batteries quicker. also ipods/mp3/phones and portable players can usually be recharged in a car. there has been some talk of solar cell chargers here on the forum. I have seen bs for $20 but don't know how good they are. I also keep intending to get a hand crank radio just to make sure that I have some noise in case the fruit role ups run out and the voices come back. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

lots of candles and ways to safely burn them.

internal peace and peace with those around you! if you can't stand to be by yourself or with the people around you for a couple week with out much distraction then I don't know to tell you. be prepared!!!

and it is crazy quiet when the lights go out! prepare to stay busy and get get more sleep than usual.