Humans are extremely good at survival. That is the reason we are the most populous species on the planet. We have come up with innovative techniques to somehow thrive even in the harshest of environments. And we still come up with very nifty tricks to survive even when nature shows its full wrath. With a good presence of mind and wits around you, you can use these tricks to survive a natural calamity too. Strap a torch to a 10 liter can of water for ambient light You can easily light up a room with this contraption when the power lines go out during a disaster.

Use nylon leggings as rope or as a filter to separate particles from water

Nylon stockings are very versatile with disaster scenarios. You can use them as ropes, and they stretch well, and you can use them to filter dirt from bad water.

You can use thinner batteries in other devices by using foil as buffer connecting surfaces

Aluminum foil will conduct the electricity fine. Just be sure that the two balls of foils do NOT TOUCH EACH OTHER.