Hurricane Sandy: Comfort Food And Other Calming Rituals

Over the weekend, like thousands of my fellow East Coasters, I made the inevitable trip to Home Depot to prepare for Hurricane Sandy. (Last year we got caught short by the Halloween winter storm, lost power for four days, sent the kids to friends' homes and nearly froze when we ran out of firewood.) Intent on avoiding a repeat, we stocked up on flashlights, logs, water and pumpkin-carving equipment (you don't need electricity for old-fashioned holiday fun).

My husband had his own way to prepare for the storm: He returned from the mobbed grocery store with a two-pound roast. This despite the fact that three of our five family members don't eat meat. I could hardly blame him though. My own comfort rituals involved invading the Halloween loot in search of chocolate and snuggling with the kids and the dog in front of the 1932 Boris Karloff version of "The Mummy." At this writing, the wind is howling and the 200-year-old trees behind our house are swaying in an ominous way. May be time for another chocolate break.

We asked readers where they find comfort in a storm. Check out the slideshow below for their responses -- and let us know your rituals in the comments or by email at SayItOnHuffPost50@huffingtonpost.com.