I think perhaps if the internet seems to go down, it's actually the most popular DNS servers being taken offline. It might be time to find an unpopular DNS server. Also you might want to look up the IP addresses of important sites so you can get to them without DNS.

Another thing to remember is that people think of the WWW as being "the Internet." The WWW is just one part. I remember doing things on the internet before the WWW and web browsers began. There is email, Usenet newsgroups, Ping, Finger, Gopher, and many other services that do not rely on DNS servers and will probably still work.

So make sure you have current email addresses for family and friends, and perhaps get on some mailing lists to get info. Download a newsreader program and find some relevant groups. Get a gopher plugin for your browser, learn about it, and practice before you need it.

Subscribe to a solar flare warning mailing list that bypasses the WWW so you will know if the news is correct about a solar storm. Here's a link to info about the one I subscribed to: http://listserver.ips.gov.au/mailman/listinfo/ips-flare-alert