I thought handguns were legal to purchase anywhere but ny city? If possible, it seems having a friend or relative you can stay with outside the affected area would be a much better option for you than a shelter. Especially if you plan on traveling with a weapon, as I'm sure those would not be allowed in a public shelter. And I imagine the penalties could be quite severe if one were caught in violation of the no weapons policy. If you could purchase a handgun, a small .38special (with a proper holster of course) would probably be all you would need. Its about a simple and reliable as it gets and arguably easier to safely transport. You could even install a small, secured lock box in your vehicle.