Here is a post ike report from Houston.

Things I was glad I had (other than your typical things):
1) 2 computer UPS s. They make good backup batteries. Each one lasted a day and was used for small electrical jobs (ummm coffee grinder). These are good because you can use them when the weather outside is bad and you aren't sure you want to go to your car and set up your power inverter.
2) Candle Lantern . I had gotten this about 8 years ago as a gift and its really best for LONG backpacking trips. Which I don't get to do. We hung it in the kitchen, nothing flammable nearby. It worked great and I preferred it to using a battery powered solution. Very long lasting.
3) Cheap power inverter for the car. 200w will power a laptop and another small item (like a DSL modem). Your cigarette lighter is only good for 90W. To get more then 90w you have to wire it directly to your battery.
4) Probe type thermometer. There are many kinds of probe thermometers out there, I just happen to have a Center 304 Type K which I use for my work. Why you ask? Because the CDC recommends that you throw out food that has been over 40 degrees F for 2 hours. This document caused a lot of controversy between my wife and I, because some foods keep longer at warmer temperatures. Of course, getting a case of botulism or salmonella would be problematic after Ike hit. The thermometer helped us with our food management. The nice thing about the probes is that we didn't have to open the refrigerator to check the temps. Sunday morning, my freezer was still at 38 F. We were able to keep it under 40 until the power was restored in the afternoon.
5) I had been hoarding empty plastic bottles for various projects, and used all of them to make large blocks of ice. Large blocks of ice keep longer than ice cubes, although they cool less effectively due to the lower surface area. Regardless, they kept our freezer below 40F for 36 hours, and would have lasted longer but the power came on.
6) The cheap-asp headlamp Merriwether traded to me. It has amazing battery life, and was great for leaving on all night in the bathroom so that people didn't get hurt on the way to the bathroom (I have small children).

I'm not recommending anyone go out and buy anything, thats just what I had that performed better than expected.

In addition, I had MREs, bottled water, battery powered radio, etc... but I think its too mundane to list it all.

Things I wasn't so keen on:
1) My Zebralight . It developed a short and failed very early on.
2) Cheap princeton blast flashlight. These were the kid's flashlights. Really bad battery performance.

Something the wife wishes we had:
Small fan, battery operated or low-power 110v, to help keep the baby cool.

Other observations:

1) "Cold boot" your cell phone, by removing the battery. While carriers and phones may vary, this is what made my cell phone find a signal. Like most modern devices, cell phones are never really "off". They just go into a hibernation state, and the power button is usually a momentary switch which tells a latching relay whether the phone status should change or not.
2) Infrastructure returns VERY quickly.
3) The most important thing after the storm... that we told our kids... was to NOT GET HURT. We were very careful about what we let them do, because it wasn't a good time to have an accident.
4) Only 3 people in my neighborhood of 300+ boarded up windows. Not one home sufferred any damage from projectiles. We live in an area where there are many fences and mature trees. Fences tended to fall in sections, and when pickets fell off separately, they did not become projectiles as people often describe. They just laid on the ground. For a mid-cat 3 or higher I would board up the windows.
5) FEMA will pay for your generator!
6) Expect to go back to work before life returns to normal. My sister's employer actually set up a temporary day care on the 7th floor of her building so that employees could come to work without having to worry about child care. She doesn't have power at home.
7) Automated gas stations are empty at 11pm at night!
8) After the hurricane passes, put as many containers as possible outside to capture rainwater. We used this to flush the toilets (not the tub water). I shaved with rainwater, and the kids shampooed their hair in it. Soon after collection you will only want to use it for flushing.
9) Neighborhood kids are starting to play after dark... on other people's property. Boys will be boys. But with the fear of looters, and other concerns, its really foolish. Someone is going to get accidentally injured or hurt by a property owner.