We live in a hurricane zone and have weathered many storms without evacuating. Can typical 2-way radios function in a 20–30-mile range if we were hit by a storm or do we need something very expensive.
How difficult would it be to connect with a family member with an off the shelf set.
Check out Rapid Radios. They use LTE network so you can talk up to like 1400 miles away. No subscription or monthly fees
They still need to be in range of a cell tower. If you don't have cell service they won't work. Also read the fine print, the first year the subscription is free, after that it's $50 a year. Cheap but still you need to have a cell signal. If your phone doesn't have service neither will the RRs.