Get Tech Ready
Technology has made it easier than ever to prepare for emergencies, but
it can be unreliable during emergency circumstances if you haven’t
planned to keep your gadgets protected and powered up. Here are some tips
to make sure you are tech ready:
Download the FEMA app. Receive weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five
different locations anywhere in the United States.
Sign up for FEMA text messages. Use your cell phone’s text messaging capability to receive text
message updates from FEMA (standard message and data rates apply). Here
are basic commands to get started:
To sign up to receive preparedness tips: text
To search for open shelters (for disaster survivors): text
a Zip Code to
List of all keywords you can subscribe to: text
To unsubscribe (at any time): text
Before a disaster,
follow local government on social media to stay up-to-date with official information before, during, and after
a disaster. Sign up for Twitter Alerts from trusted government agencies
to get notified when critical information goes out. Visit the Alerts setup
page of the agency you want to receive notifications from. For example:
Make a Plan
Use text messages, social media and email to connect with friends and family
during emergencies. Please minimize voice calls on your cell phone during emergencies.
- Mobile networks can become overwhelmed during emergencies, making it difficult
to place and receive phone calls. Text messages require less bandwidth,
which means they are able to be transmitted more reliably during situations
when many people are trying to use their mobile phones at the same time.
Social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter can also be an effective
way to update family and friends during emergencies.
Facebook’s Safety Check feature allows users to easily post a status update indicating that they are safe
during a time of disaster.
Consider an app like
Life360 to know where your family members are, inform them, and call for help
with a couple of clicks. (No product endorsement)
Register with American Red Cross’s Safe & Well
site to let family and friends know you’re okay. After registering, you can select a message to let family and friends know
you’re OK. Concerned family and friends can search this list to
find their loved one’s first name, last name, an “as of date”
and the “safe and well” message.
Have an emergency charging option for your phone and other mobile devices. Smartphones have become a vital tool to receive emergency
alerts and warnings, so it’s important to make sure you can keep them powered up in
an emergency. In Puerto Rico, after hurricane Maria, cell service came
up before electricity, so portable solar charger/batteries saved the day
for some people who thought ahead.
- At home: Prior to severe weather, make sure that all of your electronic
devices are fully charged. If the power goes out, preserve battery power
by minimizing device use. Keep a back-up power source on hand to recharge
your phone so that you can stay connected even during an extended power outage.
- In your car: Keep a portable phone charger in your vehicle at all times,
and consider purchasing a back-up power supply to keep in your vehicle as well.
- Change the settings on your phone to low power mode or place it on airplane
mode to conserve energy.
Store important documents in a secure, password-protected jump drive or
in the cloud.
- There are a number of productivity apps for mobile devices that make this
easier than ever, using your phone’s camera as a scanning device.
Capture electronic versions of important documents such as insurance policies,
identification documents, and medical records. Don’t forget to include
your pet’s information.
- Back-up your computer to protect photos and other personally important
- Scan old photos to protect them from loss.
- Keep your contacts updated and synced across all of your channels, including
phone, email and social media. This will make it easy to reach out to
the right people quickly to get information and supply updates. Consider
creating a group listserv of your top contacts.
- Create a group chat via a texting app or a thread for family/friends/coworkers
to communicate quickly during a disaster.
Most of the major
insurance companies offer a phone app that will give you access to your policies, numbers, claims filing, etc.,
even when there isn’t an emergency.
Sign up for Direct Deposit and electronic banking through your financial institution so you can access your payroll funds
and make electronic payments wherever you are. Federal benefit recipients can sign up by calling (800) 333-1795 or at