Great write up, bat.
The debrief from those that have been through emergencies is a great reality check for people trying to lay the groundwork for a preparedness plan.
Question on one of your bulletpoints:
I know the value of food that needs little preparation and no cooking. You made a comment that you were suprised so many people were cooking in BBQ pits etc. Is there a drawback to that that I am missing?
In my planning, I figure that if sheltering in place with no power, so long as I don't have gas leaks to contend with, I would forfeit my fridge contents after 6 hours or so. Wouldn't the first storehouse you would tap into would be to start cooking the contents of your freezer? I would think that would be the first food to be eaten.
One thing is certain, I would not focus my gas consumption on running a generator that did little more than attempt to salvage my fridge contents.