My suggestion is to know what your expected large event is. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area it's earthquakes first, followed by floods and mud slides in the winter and fires in the summer. Fortunately, I don't live in a flood-, slide-, and fire-prone area, although fires have a way of spreading. That leaves my major problem as quakes. I figure I'll be bugging in for that, as the peninsula has only two roads and one direction out. If the overpasses collapse, both roads will be closed.

We've got a month's worth of food and water for two, along with shelter, clothes, and such -- we hope all we need for a month without government help.

One of the issues about earthquakes is that there's no warning, so no long lines because no one will be "preparing." I figure no electricity, so no gasoline, no charge cards, no nothing that requires electricity. Probably no gas, but probably fires from gas main breaks.

So I'm guessing people will be hunkered down for awhile till the shaking stops, then we'll all step out into the brave new world of New Orleans after Katrina.