I can answer this one as I am a Disaster Specialist in "real life" job. The 3 best places for ACCURATE, realistic information are:
www.redcross.org
www.Ready.gov
www.fema.gov
The Weather Channel also has good info (of which majority is copied, by agreement, from above 3 partners. The essential info is get a disaster supply kit (since you are in that area I would shoot for 7 day supply for each pet and person in your home), prepare home and property (bring everything inside - gas grills, lawn furniture, plants, garbage pails, etc), move car to higher ground if near shore/low land, get CASH (ATMs will not operate without electricity and resupply routes), get stocked on no-cook foods (Dinty Moore, tune, water, etc) and fill ice chests and freezer with baggies of ice (hints- when it melts you can drink or cook with it).
Around here (near NC Outer Banks and Va Beach) I find this also helps:
refill Rx medicines, buy dog food/cat litter etc for animals, fill up spare LP tank for my gas grill (I must have my coffee and a hot meal each day) but put it in garage and *use it outdoors*, fill up each car (gas pumps are out of order for days!) and buy lots of paper goods (plates, cups, napkins and bath tissue) as these are always needed and won't go bad if you have no damage.
Buy lots of batteries, get a good radio and make it a sort of capm out indoors if you have kids (this makes it "fun" instead of scary). Treat it a bit like a major blizzard and you will be ok. Good luck and God bless! Hope soe of this helps.