Oh, I could probably live for a year on what I have stashed in my pantry! What I learned during Ike, though, is that I don't particularly WANT to. I mean, I have canned goods and boxed stuff, and in a true crisis situation, yes, you can eat a cold can of beets, and maybe some uncooked pasta, and live that way for months. But sitting in the dark in the days and weeks after the storm, I didn't feel like "surviving." I COULD have, but I didn't WANT to. I wanted fresh fruit and vegetables, and I wanted better light than what came from the paltry camp lantern I had.
But, you're right - Ike (and Katrina and Rita) was a great learning lesson, and I hope that many people are prepared to be more self-reliant, in case of another disaster. In fact, I would say that people in Houston were much better prepared to take care of themselves than people in New Orleans, partly because we had learned from what happened there three years ago.
