Sandy is coming, and with her, your power is probably going away. Fortunately, all is not lost, because if there were ever anyone qualified to offer advice for managing to make the best of a major storm, it is Danielle Crittenden Frum. A brief excerpt:
[S]hort of the house falling down (or something falling on the house) I think there are ways to survive these disasters in a more civilized fashion -- without panicking, and dare I say, with style? Thus, as a Hurricane Survivor, I offer you the following tips on how to turn an epic disaster into a party.
First off, I'm assuming you've taken whatever precautions are necessary given your proximity to the storm. The house or apartment is sealed up, you've got the water and extra batteries and okay, fine, you've filled up your bathtub. Stop worrying about that tree next door. If it's going to fall, it's going to fall and there ain't nothing you can do about it. You may as well go down having fun.
Second, I've assumed you've also laid in plenty of booze. Remember, red wine and spirits such as Scotch don't require chilling and can be drunk straight up; no need for ice. Good long-term strategy should the power be out for more than a day or two. You can also pour ice cubes (while you have them) in that full bathtub and use it to chill white wine, beer, vodka, gin, and mixers. That'll work for 24 hours.