http://lds.about.com/library/bl/prep...2_hour_kit.pdf
Mormons have been preaching Emergency Preparedness, food storage, and 72 hour kits for years. They kind of have it down to a science. The link above is for a standard 72 hour kit, although if you have several of them (one bug out bag per person) several of the items can easily be distributed. Obviously, some of the items at the bottom of the list are Mormon (LDS) specific. My 72 hour kit has 5 tubos of Cohibas sealed in SealaMeal with an oxygen absorber instead of Genealogy records etc.
Additionally, something like this
http://www.target.com/p/wagan-900-am...i_sku=10895110
can be a lifesaver. Not a generator, but will work for limited lengths as a power source and has the ability to charge phones as well (you provide the car adapter) In a tough situation, the ability to have communication is vital.
Lastly, in any disaster, the cell system gets overwhelmed with calls. Focus your communication on text messages. They get through even when the calls can't because they can wait for tiny openings in the communication system. They also don't kill your battery trying to call over and over again.