Hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, blizzards are all commonplace in certain parts of the country. Power outages, municipal water supply problems, chemical fires, you name it. There are all sorts of mundane reasons to cause a local disaster. You don't have to be a tinfoiler or believe in the end times to know that preparation makes sense.
The first thing to do is draw up a list of what types of disasters or calamities you want to be prepared for, and for each one identify whether or not it would be prudent to remain in your home.
If you do want to remain in your home, you have the comparatively simple task of stocking up on whatever supplies and tools you think you'll need. The basic supplies incluide water, food, and self defense (which I trust everyone here already has). Secondary supplies include things like flashlights, radios, batteries, soap, toilet paper, kerosene heaters or warm blankets, cash, first aid, and other useful things of that sort.
If the disasters you fear would drive you from your home, then you need to make plans to be able to leave in a hurry. Have a well-maintained vehicle stocked with basics like food, water, a change clothing, blankets, lots of maps, and some cash. Have a bag or a box of additional supplies packed up and ready to go, stored in the basement or garage so that you can load in into the vehicle quickly. Be prepared, mentally and physically, to flee on a moments notice. It makes sense to have a destination or three in mind first, and to fine tune your plans around it. But this isn't strictly necessary. Do the preparations to flee first, the top priority is to be able to get away from home should your life ever depend on that. If necessary you can improvise along the way, AFTER you've left.
