IMHO one of the most important factors in emergency preparedness is planning. I don't know where you live but pre-planning meeting points and destinations (should there be an event) may be an essential part of your bug-out-plan.

Get together, study a map, divide into quadrants or regions and identify different meeting points within these sectors. Make concentric circles on the map; it may be wise to have several options as one travels away from a city. Maps are cheap, make up one these maps for your home and each vehicle.

This planning should take place whether you have communications or not. Without planning, these cool tools we all study with such interest, could be of no use whatsoever. Wouldn't that be a shame.......