Hurricane Hanna???

I've spent the last few days watching and preparing for Hanna. It looks like she's petering out and will hit north of us, but it is always good to get prepared- especially if you live in the South in September. So, I stocked up on bottled water and groceries, gassed up the car, and made sure we had a little cash on hand. We now live inland enough that I don't think we'd have to evacuate, but with a strong storm we might lose power so I stocked up on batteries, too.
Each of our family members have a hurricane backpack they can grab and take with them in an emergency. I use old school backpacks and pack them with the following: a change of clothes (usually something wearable but stained and is no longer good for school), a change of tennis shoes (ones that fit but are maybe last year's), toiletries (toilet paper, soap, shampoo, a toothbrush and paste, etc- hotel and trial sizes are perfect), two bottles of water, snacks that don't go bad easily (fruit snacks, pop tarts, trail mix, etc), flashlight and change of batteries, a little money, and emergency contact information. Other things I add to the adult backpacks are a first-aid kit, a weather radio, and a little bit more money. Things I would consider adding if I thought we may have to evacuate are small games like cards for the kids to play, paperback books to read, water purification tablets, foil blankets, and canteens.
Our packs are intended to get us through a rough spot- like a day or two- until we can get to a relative's home or a shelter. As we saw with Hurricane Katrina not all shelters are created equal so I want to be prepared. The reason I put money and emergency contact info in the kid's pack is in case we get separated for some reason. It is important that each child be able to carry their own backpack, so think light. If you have a baby like we do, don't forget about diapers and wipes, too.
So, it looks like Hanna might skirt past us, but we'll still be looking out for Ike and Josephine right after. Better to be prepared and have a plan then caught off guard.