communications plan

I'm looking for feedback on this--tell me if it's a crazy idea, or someone's already been there/done that, or how to make it better or actually work at all. Thanks in advance for any input. Oh, and if you visit another board(s) and see it there, yeah-I'm on two boards including this one, so...

Ok first off, I am not a techy when it comes to radios and how they operate so simple language please. Second, I want as simple of an answer to my question(s) as possible. My wife works 37 miles away from home and I want something with a preferred 100 mile range no matter what kind of terrain...

Apologies if this is common knowledge or already posted elsewhere, but it seems like having a common rating system for SHTF events would be useful in warning others & general communication. Something along the lines of the Richter scale for earthquakes & the storm category Levels they use for...

Just wondering what everyone's communications plans are for WTSHTF. Right now GlobalStar is less than reliable so that would nix a Sat phone. Cell phone? Ham radio? Smoke signals? Looking for good ideas (or multiple ideas) to put a good communications plan together.