Essential Technology to Have During Natural Disasters

The Disaster Alert app and website from the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) in Kihei, Hawaii, offers a real-time map that shows active or impending incidents deemed “potentially hazardous to people, property or assets” according to the PDC DisasterAWARE platform. These include drought, earthquakes, extreme temperature, floods, forest fires, severe storms, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. DisasterAWARE offers a robust and reliable early warning system, multi-hazard monitoring and tools to aid in decision-making.

Google Maps’ offline feature lets you select an area, even an entire city, to download and view on your smartphone if cell service or Wi-Fi is offline. iPhone users of Apple Maps now have access to its offline feature with the launch of iOS 17.

Consider satellite phone features

A communications device that relies totally on satellite service rather than cellphone towers on land that can be damaged during disasters is an expensive investment. Satellite phones start at about $600 and run into the thousands.

Two-way satellite text messengers start at $300. Devices, such as the Motorola Defy Satellite Link and Zoleo Satellite Communicator, bluetooth accessories that can connect your smartphone to satellite service through each company's app start at $150. And all of these devices need monthly subscriptions to connect to the satellites. New iPhones — the iPhone 15 and its Plus, Pro and Pro Max models have an emergency SOS via satellite feature that allows you to communicate by text message with emergency responders. The service, not available on older iPhones, is free for two years after the phone is activated; the least expensive iPhone 15 starts at $799 with the Pro Max topping out at $1,200.

Satellite SOS service isn’t a failsafe. Apple points out that a message with an unobstructed satellite connection can take 15 seconds to send and more than a minute if trees with even a light cover of leaves obstruct your view of the sky. In a dense forest, you might not be able to connect at all.

Pro tip: Don’t forget that you can call 911 using cell service from your mobile phone even if you don’t have an active mobile plan. Keep an old, deactivated phone in your emergency kit or your vehicle’s glove compartment, but make sure it’s charged. If it’s not, use your car charger but make sure you have the correct cable for the car in advance.

If you have power and Wi-Fi but no cellular service, some apps let you make video and audio calls for help, including Facebook Messenger, Google Duo, FaceTime, TextNow and WhatsApp Messenger.

Low- and high-tech gadgets to have on hand

Your smartphone can be your lifeline during a major weather incident, so make sure it has an Ingress Protection (IP) rating of at least 68, which means the phone can withstand dust, dirt and sand, and can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes. If your phone isn’t waterproof, consider putting a couple of thick plastic ziplock bags in your emergency kit to protect it.

A portable battery booster, also called a power bank, is a smart idea when you need to be away from an electrical outlet for a while or if the power goes out in your area. Make sure these backup battery packs are charged when you need them. They can hold a charge for a couple of months, so top them off every so often.

Prices start at about $40 for a brand-name battery. Keep in mind that the higher the milliamp hours (mAh), the more times the battery can charge a smartphone. Some have more than one USB port to plug into in case you want to juice up two phones simultaneously, or a phone plus a tablet or wireless earbuds.

Use your car’s USB port or 12-volt port to charge your devices during a power outage. But unplug them whenever you turn the car off so they won’t drain the vehicle’s battery.

The Duracell 800 Watt High Power Inverter ($119.99), which can jump-start your car’s dead battery, is also helpful in an emergency. Plus it houses two electrical outlets and one USB port to convert your car’s battery current into electricity that your devices can use. Another Duracell model can add air to your tires, too. Bestek, Maxpart, Potek and Ysolx make similar inverters.

Make sure your home is protected

Storm-related power outages can significantly increase the chance for a house fire or carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, says Stephanie Berzinski, fire safety educator at Kidde, a manufacturer of fire safety products named after founder Walter Kidde, a pioneer in early smoke detection and suppression. “At home, be sure to have working battery-operated carbon monoxide and smoke alarms as well as fire extinguishers before a storm strikes,” Berzinski says.

Portable generators, candles and downed power lines all pose a risk. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says deaths involving portable generators have been on the rise since 1999, when they became widely available to consumers. The majority of these occur as a result of using a generator inside a home or attached garage.

Kidde’s Smoke + Carbon Monoxide Alarm + Indoor Air Quality Monitor ($128.99) is billed as the first all-in-one smart home safety device to integrate smoke and CO detection with indoor air quality monitoring, to detect multiple airborne threats to home health and safety. The Wi-Fi-enabled and smart speaker-supported device includes a 10-year lithium backup battery in the event of a power outage. 

Battery-based generators, such as a line from Anker portable battery company, often have emergency lighting and optional solar-powered attachments that can charge up or run virtually any device during an emergency or when you’re off the grid, such as when camping or RVing. Branded as PowerHouse products, they’re also ideal if you live in an apartment, where a gas generator is not an option, and can power lights, laptops, medical equipment such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, and small appliances. The Anker PowerHouse 521 ($199.99) offers two three-prong electrical outlets, a car socket and multiple USB ports. EcoFlow, Jackery and Bluetti offer similar products. 

And consider a hand-crank and solar-powered radio, like the Etón FRX3+ Multi-Powered Weather Alert Radio ($60), which features an AM/FM digital radio, all seven National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Environment Canada weather bands, and a function that broadcasts emergency weather alerts. The hand turbine and small solar panel keep it charged during emergencies; it also takes batteries. The FRX3+ has a USB port to charge a smartphone, an LED flashlight, an emergency red LED flashing beacon, an alarm clock, a headphone jack and more. Midland, FosPower, Kaito and Puiuisoul have similar products.

This story, originally published February 7, 2022, was updated with new features, models and prices.