It seems to me that one of the government agencies was urging the public to be prepared for emergencies like tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. That we should have several days food and water stored. Seems we are damned if we do and damned if we don’t.
Yes, Homeland Security wants us to be prepared for emergencies. FEMA is part of Homeland Security, and if you go to the link below, you will find lists of items you should have for an emergency. They say you may not have time to buy things after the emergency happens, so buy things now so you will have them.
Of course if you buy items for an emergency and someone in the store sees you buying several of something, be prepared to be arrested as a suspected terrorist.
http://www.dhs.gov/how-do-i/prepare-my-family-disaster