In the last 2 years in Seattle I have been:

1) Stuck without electricity and blocked in at home by downed trees for 7 days straight.

2) Flooded out of getting home for 48 hours.

3) Snowed in on a mountain for three days unexpectedly.

That said I have benefited greatly from this site and thank you to all for great input.

Do you have any similar experiences?

CO

how did it take 7 days for the tree to get removed?

after reading this, I think I'm not carrying enough stuff!

I certainly don't think it is silly.
I have been stranded by snow storms, forest fires and floods a few times.
Power outages, yup.
I don't know if they even qualify as emergencies anymore. I think they are normal events.

I have seen lost kids, a few serious accidents and a house fire or two happen to other people. I have been in one serious accident where I was hurt.
Those events qualify as emergencies to me.

Yes to first aid training, basic camping skills and small emergency kit.
Yes to having a well stocked pantry.

A week of ice storms, extreme cold and rolling blackouts.

Camping gear came in handy -- especially sleeping bags.

Absolutely nothing.

1) week without power due to hurricane Ike
2) DW trapped overnight at work due to flooding
3) didn't have to fight crowds for stuff before hurricane Rita

-Blast

1) Power outtages: longest 7 days, 2-3 times one+ days, numerous shorter.
2) Trapped by snow ice: 3 times at work, twice in my car due to stopped/snarled traffic(once for 6 hours, another time for 8).
3) Caught at college dorm by major riot in city.
4) All took place in a major urban and suburban area (D.C.)

Some two or three power outages (including one that left my whole campus in the dark for days), a relatively brief yet highly unpleasant trip through local bush, nation-wide water poisoning scare.

Not much.

• Caught at the college due to snow.
• Snowed in at home for a week due to several feet of snow.
• Unable to get home due to flash flooding of a creek.

None of these were really serious issues tho. Still had electricity and sources of food. For the last one, just had to wait a bit for the water to go down so the road was cleared. Had other places I could go to tho.

My parent's always kept a good stock of food in the house. I do the same thing now.

Nope--all quiet around here..lets see--power went off for a few hours when on a sunny afternoon a rotten tree branch at the end of the block fell on the power lines..about ten years ago i had a slow drive home in a snow storm--nothing really on canoe trips,just pulled off the lake when afternoon thunderstorms came thru or shelter in camp..but thats why i moved to the Midwest when i got out of the Army in 1969--the three "C's"--clean,calm,canoe---