Last disaster I had to live through was the 1998 ice storm that knocked out power to most of Quebec and parts of the US in the dead of winter.
I still had power through some weird miracle, and like any decent kid would, I invited my parents to come stay at my place; of course they can bring the beagles.
Had two cats at the time. Shadow was the gentlest, most adorable, cuddly, snuggly loving kitteh you'd have ever seen. The minute those dogs came into the flat, she turned into a all-hairs-on-deck, claws deployed hissing, raging, hateful ball of deck. While Chazz, the alpha, hid under my couch, her sister went full Feline Berserker and chased the dogs across my now suddenly too small place. Put the dogs out long enough to calm her back down, put her and Chazz in my bedroom with food, water, litter, toys, catnip, etc...
The MINUTE the dogs were, hesitantly, coming back into the house Shadow was yowling and trying to Tasmanian Devil her way through the bedroom door.
Cats aren't afraid of shit.