Living in Florida, I have a few of the basics ready at all times.
For those who are on a budget, here's a link how how to buy the basics in 8 weeks. (This is the standard Florida Gov. hurricane prep list.)
http://www.browardredcross.org/docs/hurricane_check_list.pdfAs you can see its a PDF so you can print it out if you like.
Of course I'd adjust it for where you live.
As for water, dont forget you can strain it through a t-shirt into a collander of charcole that drains into a pot that you can add bleach to or boil.
Also, if you're in a small town area and the power does go out while it's warm and you don't expect to get it back for a few days, expect to see a huge bar-b-que of all the meat in the fridge! This is a great way to build up block solidarity and a sense of community. (Unfortunately, this won't work as well in the large inner-city areas.)