The passing far to the south of former Hurricane Carlos reminds us that, here in the hurricane and tsunami zone, we should be concerned about the contents of our pantries. I've been meaning to pay more attention to this since 'Iniki, and in putting this off so long, I'm not alone, I'm sure.

So here's my plan: My grocery shopping trip next week will be devoted to disaster planning. We'll eat out of the freezer and cupboard so the week's budget can go to a just-in-case pantry. It's a bite-the-bullet thing. If you don't make an appointment with yourself to do it, it won't happen. I'm recalling how I searched in vain for a cordless radio the last time there was a storm threat. I started too late and couldn't get one.

I've got to carve out space for all this in a closet, but here's what I'm buying:

Water (experts suggest a gallon per person per day for 14 days).

Canned and freeze-dried foods that don't need cooking: beans, tuna and corned beef for protein; corn to stand in for bread (which could be scarce); green vegetables; crushed and whole tomatoes and bouillon cubes for soups and stews; dried onions if I can find them, or onion powder and garlic powder. Enough for a couple of weeks.

Crackers, rice, grains.

Powdered milk.

Dry food and kitty litter for the cats (don't forget your pets).

My favorite Kashi chewy breakfast bars.

Chips and cookies for treats (these will need to be traded out periodically before they go stale).

Batteries for the radio and flashlights.

A propane-powered burner for cooking and a tank of propane. (Husband will handle this purchase.)

Flashlights — experts recommend two per person. We've already got 'em.

Instant coffee (we have tons of tea bags).

Lots of peanut butter (we have at least 25 jars of jelly).

Bleach (for purifying water).

Lots of paper towels and toilet paper.

Foil and plastic wrap.

Cooking oil and shoyu.

Plastic plates.

Sound like a long list? Not so. If you look at disaster preparedness sites online, you'll see lots more recommendations. But if you do this much, you'll be well ahead of the crowd. Store these items as safely as possible: in a place in the center of the house, unlikely to be blown away.

This list assumes you already have some things that could make a significant difference when the time comes: salt, pepper, spices, condiments, pickles, preserves. Stash a goodly amount of these along with the staples; they'll make life worth living when the world seems to consist only of necessities.