JohnC wrote: AT&T sux
You will learn that lots of things suck in the aftermath of a hurricane.
After my first hurricane, I realized just how easily my stupid cockiness could have gotten me killed. Killed. Dead. X's for eyes!
Trees crushed my neighbors's cars, heavy concrete roof tiles too! My car escaped serious damage only by PURE LUCK. I now declutter regularly so that I can always store my car(s) in my garage.
Leaving is best, safest, of course. But even when you come back, you might not have infrastructure except for what you have provided for yourself.
So now I always have some fresh drinking water in the fridge and a case of bottled water in the cupboard. I save the bottled water, but after about a year, I'll drink it all and replace it the next time I go shopping at Sam's Club. Always also have at least some fuel for the gas grill and the charcoal grill. Like others have said, you can cook frozen meat and feed yourself for a day or two before things begin to spoil.
Canned food and cured meats are unhealthy on a day-to-day basis (and I can't stand the taste of the salt), but they don't need refrigeration and they will keep you alive for a very long time assuming that you have fresh water and your stomach can handle an emergency diet change. It doesn't hurt to keep some soups, chicken, beef, or tuna cans on hand. Charlie the Tuna can be your friend! I never eat some of that stuff even though I have it, so at Christmas time, I rotate it out by putting it in the donation bag. I'll restock the cupboard at the same time I buy that bottled water on my next trip to Sam's Club.
I have also considered getting a big ice chest or "kegerator" type icebox just to keep in the garage. Big, but movable; maybe even on wheels so that I can get it out of the heat in an emergency. That way if the power goes out and stays out for more than an hour or two, I can immediately move food from the fridge/freezer to the ice chest.
You might be surprised at how much it will cost to restock your refrigerator. When Charlie hit and I had lost power for about 4 days, about $700 worth of food spoiled in the thawing fridge and icebox. Insurance doesn't cover that, ouch!
With fresh water, food, and fuel, I can sustain myself and even a neighbor or two for several days. Without having to go fishing in the lake or shooting birds or squirrels out of the trees. But if I had to, I could do that too...
There's quite a lot you can do without spending money on a generator, but if you have health concerns or medicines/foods that you must keep chilled, then a generator might be a worthwhile expense. I have even thought about buying a whole-house generator, or at least one large enough to run the refrigerator and an AC or space-heater (depending on your climate). With those two things working and a large fuel tank, I could sustain myself for a couple weeks to a month or more.
Note also that without electricity, gas stations can't pump gas. So a high-mileage car and a couple gallons of gas in the garage will allow me to drive nearly a thousand miles. That's far enough to help loved ones in my area and/or to get as far as I need to to find a gas station with electricity or a place to sleep with Air Conditioning.
If it's a bad one, it's always better to pack your most valuable stuff and LEAVE. Some hurricanes will spawn dozens of tornadoes! For crying out loud, why stay with that sh.. coming after you? I never EVER want to look like those people who didn't listen and who had to be rescued in New Orleans by helicopters, or some dork who had to be found paralyzed or dead under the rubble of his exploded house!
If you're smart, none of that is necessary!
Even without storms, our infrastructure could be disrupted by any number of events, and those who have made at least SOME preparations will be the ones best equipped to avoid serious injury or loss of life.
I could go on here, and it probably won't do much to help at this point.
I sincerely hope everybody in the TR family and readers too, are okay...