Its not that unlikely that you could be without power for several days. There are some really basic things that you SHOULD have.

 

1. You should have at least 3 days of water! That includes all family members and your pets. The average for each person is 1 gallon per day. A family of three needs 9 gallons of water plus pets. You can assume about that much for them as well if the weather is hot.

 

2. You should also carry 3 days of non-perishable foods. Good things to have would be oatmeal, breakfast bars, peanut butter and bread, ect...

 

Remember, the body can have small doses of food, but you cannot short yourself water.

 

Items that you should keep for emergencies:

1. Portable Radio

2. Tools - Knives, Shovel, saws, portable stove, basic camping gear.

3. Flashlights - One for each member and enough batteries to all twice.

4. 3 Days of food

5. 3 Days drinking water

6. 5 Days of usable water for washing, cleaning, food cooking and medical

7. Enough food for your animals for 3 days.

8. Cooking stone with fuel. 7 days worth optimum. You can use it to boil  water and cook if your power is out longer than 3 days.

9. A good medical kit. You never know what is going to happen. You can purchase large kits from your local pharmacy store.

 

Note: This should be a guide to start with only. The more you can store, the more that you will be prepared for emergencies. Another good long term item would be purification tablets. Great for weeks of clean water.