One thing you need to have in an emergency is a good battery-powered radio.  If you want a great one, consider buying this one:

I purchased a Sony ICF-SW7600GR a few years ago based upon several outstanding recommendations and reviews.  Its an AM/FM/SW radio that is well-built and easy to use.  Many people use this as their everyday radio, especially in more remote areas.  The quality is second to none (Made in Japan), which is great when you have to rely upon it during bad times.

After I purchased mine, I created several lists of channels that I can access during an emergency.  I also set the clock so I can use it as a clock-radio alarm if the power is out for a long period of time.  The AA batteries in it will last over 40 hours, giving you a lot of time between changes.

The only downside to this unit is that the short-wave radio can only be tuned in 1kHz increments.  This isn’t a problem if the radio station you wish to tune in uses whole numbers like BBC (ex. 11910 MHz).  However, many broadcasters like NOAA Weather Radio use fractional frequencies (ex. 162.425 MHz) to transmit their signals.  This can be a problem because you won’t be able to hear broadcasts from FEMA, NOAA, local police, and other official agencies.  Just keep this limitation in mind if you are thinking about purchasing this radio.

Overall Rating:  7/10

Click here to buy the Sony ICF-SW7600GR AM/FM Shortwave World Band Receiver