That was my thought also. A small AM-FM radio to get information on how bad things really are is all I need. I have a good 4xAA and a few 2xAA radios for that -- they're cheap and easy on batteries.

Emergency comms to get assistance is another issue; I have a PLB for that if I'm off-shore, but don't know how that system would work in a major earthquake; I'm thinking it's not really designed for that. Reliable cell coverage would be good but it would probably be flooded with unnecessary calls crowding out emergency calls.