Smaller, portable units are relatively cheap good ones have hand cranks allowing you to recharge them on the fly. (That way you don’t have to actively monitor the radio.) We’ve tested units by Midland Radio that we trust. You can buy larger, standalone units that are stationed in your home and which can signal an alarm when a warning is issued for your area. Note that since it is broadcast over the VHF public service band, regular AM/FM radios do not receive these transmissions. Transmissions include weather forecasts and warnings about dangers such as severe storms, earthquakes and tsunamis and - at the request of state or local officials - fires. These radios are specialized receivers that tune into the National Weather Service’s All Hazards warning system 24 hours a day. We recommend buying a NOAA weather radio. A portable radio is an essential item in a disaster kit. While radios aren’t able to send communications, they are a reliable way to get news. After all, it’s how we communicated nationally once upon a time,” she said. “Radio is a very efficient way to receive up-to-date information. “The same methods of communication that worked for our grandparents are also useful in a modern disaster,” said Flynn-Nevins, noting that telephone landlines, communicating over amateur “ham” radio and simply listening to the radio are all useful options when your cellphone no longer works.
First responders use that information for lifesaving search-and-rescue purposes,” she said. “We consistently see instances of people posting that they need help, along with their location. She also points out that information can then be relayed to first responders.
“Change your status on Facebook or Twitter and basically everyone you know can be alerted that you are OK.” “There are many ways that social media is useful in an emergency,” said Montano. Social media can be extremely useful for updating lots of people in one fell swoop. Now is not the time to play Fortnite or listen to Spotify.
You want your phone functioning and able to receive alerts from authorities, so turn off Bluetooth and any applications that suck up lots of battery power. “If you can get through to your own voicemail message, and change it to, ‘Hi, I’m fine,’ it will answer the initial question that you’re OK,” said Montano. “While you’re at it, write down key phone numbers and put that in the kit, too.”Ī clever hack, Montano said, is to change your outgoing voicemail message. “Include an external battery charger in your emergency kit,” said Samantha Montano, an assistant professor of Emergency Management and Disaster Science at University of Nebraska Omaha. One important tip: Learn the number of that out-of-state contact by heart.
We use the messaging software Slack a lot at work, so perhaps set up a Slack family channel.” “Or consider a method that specifically works for your family.
“That out-of-state contact can do group texts or use social media to update everyone’s safety and whereabouts,” said Flynn-Nevins. That person can operate as an off-site coordinator, relaying locations and the safety of all the other participants. They suggest picking an out-of-state contact to whom all members of your family or social group can reach out individually. Trying to contact someone who is also inside the disaster area can present challenges, say experts. “For instance, following an earthquake, the only time to call is for life-threatening emergencies so you don’t clutter communications.” “It’s essential to know when it’s appropriate to call 911,” said Flynn-Nevins. She also counsels restraint when dialing emergency services. If we all take smaller quantities, we can share that resource more broadly.” SMS texts can also wait in queues, she says, versus calls that may continually drop. “It’s kind of like taking a drink of water from a lake. “Everybody is sharing the same source,” she said. “We emergency managers certainly want you to reach out to your loved ones, but choose a SMS text, which keeps cell towers more open.”įlynn-Nevins explains that SMS texts use only tiny bits of data versus the larger data demands of voice communications. “Typical human behavior is to call loved ones right way,” said Flynn-Nevins. The answer? Use SMS texts rather than an actual call. The result is dropped calls or sluggish data connections. You’ve probably experienced this at a concert or other crowded event: Everyone gets on their cell at the same time and the local networks become overwhelmed.