Who are you going to call if there is a fire? What if you live in an apartment building?
Stay in contact with friends and family when the cell towers go down.
The Landlines work when the power is out, and they're cheap. You probably have one in your closet. If not, your local store typically has one.
Get a old school corded one, not a cordless one that needs charging or power.
It cost about $9 to have, and your internet provider probably sells it already.
I'm surprised FEMA didn't list this in their recent Tweet.
But it does work if the poles are functional. This was the point I was trying to convey.
"Dur hur, your smoke signals won't work when it's raining."
See how asinine this argument is?