I can relate to that, Ina ! We are in the area where tornadoes can touch down, and a few years back, a series of tornadoes hit much of northern Alabama, and we were out of power for around 2 weeks. We did have water, so that helped, but only a little gas outdoor fire pit to heat up water. It was a little pedestal about 2' tall and 8" across, and designed for a cute little fire when you were sitting outside on a cool evening; and NOT for cooking anything on, but it worked for heating water.
I think it is important to have foods that you can eat without cooking or refrigeration. Canned foods that you like, such as the chili are great. I have the canned pork and beans, canned spaghetti and ravioli, canned salmon and tuna. Peanut butter and jam, canned fruits and juices are also good. One thing I really like is the food bars, like protein/vitamin bars. They not only provide needed vitamins, but they are tasty, and make a good treat. They are lightweight, and easy to carry if it came to having to evacuate somewhere.
bread doesn't keep, but crackers do, so they are good to stock up on for the tuna fish or peanut butter sandwiches.
Instant coffee, tea, creamer, soup powder, anything that you can pour water on and eat is good. I have some of those little Cup of Noodles things in styrofoam cups, and you just heat up boiling water and you have a meal.
I also have fenugreek seeds to sprout for greens, if you like sprouts.
I have been buying cheap solar lights that you use out in the yard. Walmart has some as cheap as $1 each for little ones, but those barely put out any light. We had some of the ones that go on little stakes along the driveway (or wherever), and put those out every day to charge and then brought them in at night and carried them around like a lantern.
They don't provide much light, but at least you can find your way down a dark hallway to the bathroom.
I also have a battery operated charger that will charge up my phone and iPad. I keep it charged up and ready to go, and if the weather report looks bad, then I make sure everything that can be charged, is charged.
My daughter gave me a flat solar charger that works in the sun, and it can charge up my phone, ipad, or the battery power charger, so between all of that, I can have communication as long as the cell towers are working. I have wi-fi and 4-G on the phone and iPad, so even if power is out and I have no wi-fi, I can still connect with the 4-G.
We also have stockpiled some of the small propane containers, and have a heater that works with that, and I am going to get a little one of the cookers that operate on the propane, like a mini-camp stove.
We didn't have a generator. I washed clothes outside in a big plastic tub, and hung them on the line to dry. It wasn't great; but it worked.
We used the BBQ for cooking, too; so having gas or charcoal on hand for that is also a good idea.
Most of it is stuff you will use anyway, and hopefully won't have any hurricanes; but it is good to be prepared, just in case.
