My paternal grandmother was a Greek refugee from Asia Minor.  She went to Alexandria, Egypt, with her seven sisters, seven sisters, refugees in 1912, they survived.   She always had the feeling of uncertainty and impending danger.  We all inherited that anxiety, either through biology or culture--but we all get those feelings.  

My mother survived two world wars and a number of economic disasters.  I knew when things were strange cause the stores would be checked.  She had a less doomsday feel to her storing, but she was always aware of the "climate", political that is.  She was about 100 kilometers from where the Germans, Rommel, were in El Alamein.  My mother would make the event fun, going to get sacks of sugar and flour.  But, in Egypt, you had to watch it cause if your horded too much the bugs would get it.  So, you had to be wise.  

We learned to pay attention to what they called the political winds.  Listen to what the newspapers say, but read between the lines.  Always be careful and on the ready.  What is the ready?  Well, you have to keep some food stuffs in stock.  So, this was my grandmother's  and mother's prescription, they kept the "stores" under lock and key.  But we knew, where it was.  

 Flour:

 Oil

Beans

Sugar

Rice

 Something they called bull beef, but I found out is corned beef.

 Canned sardines or salmon. 

You can grow your own veggies, well depending where you live.  Cabbage, potatoes, tomatos, peppers, carrots, greens.  

You should keep plenty of salt and some spices.  You can survive world wars, depressions and  dictators.  You can survive ethnic cleansings.   You can take care of those you love and use it to bribe those who don't love you.   

Of course, you should keep some gold jewlery around, you never know, it always comes in handy.  That is why she gave us kids gold at all our birthdays.  

With these ingredients you can get energy and fat.  You get protein and flavor.  There is so much that each cuisine that survived disasters can create with these ingredients.  You cannot horde eggs, so, maybe you get a chicken.  

This is the only time in 42 years living in America, when I had to refresh my memory about the "stores for disaster".  Of course my grandmother was the classic horder.  But, we always felt safe.  There was always her house.  

So, just in case you get the urge to stock up, be wise and pay attention to the winds.