Thanks for the Disaster Survival on the Road article, which made some excellent points, many of which would also apply to a bug-out situation.
An EMP will be evident, due to the majority of cars not running and cell phones not working, but how will we know if the grid has been shut down by a cyber attack? Although power will be out, cars will still run as will their radios. I’m not sure whether cell tower backup generators will keep cellphone service available for a few days, or if grid-tied generators will be disabled.
In short, how will we know that the electricity outage is permanent rather than temporary? I really doubt the government would broadcast the truth, due to fears of panic. And if one waits several days to find out, it will be probably be too late to leave. – RLM
HJL Comments: In a few words, you don’t. Until you collect intel, you have no idea how far reaching a grid failure is, nor how long it will last. Having battery-operated radios will give you the best chance at gathering intel, both from commercial sources and from individuals. Of course, the longer the grid failure lasts, the more likely it is wide spread. Gathering intel is the name of the game at that point.