Prepare for disaster: How your smartphone can help in an emergency
By Marc Saltzman, USA TODAY
Hurricane Harvey has knocked out a lot of the regular communications
infrastructure in parts of Texas, but a walkie talkie-like app has emerged
to fill the need. USA TODAY Patrick Tobias seals his phone in a bag after
taking a picture of his flooded car, behind, as he stands in floodwater from
Tropical Storm Harvey Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Kingwood, Texas. (Photo:
AP Photo/Gregory Bull) The catastrophic events caused by Hurricane Harvey
put smartphones to the test , raising the question about what our trusty
mobile companions can do to help in crises like these. After all, we rely on
these pocket-sized supercomputers for much of our lives, in a normal state,
so surely they can be useful during natural disasters, among other grave
situations one might find themselves in. Your survival plan should include
your smartphone, and there are a few things you can do in advance for
emergency preparedness, but you won't be able to rely on your mobile device
for everything. Some thoughts, tips, and tricks to consider for the future:
Rhonda Worthington talks on her cell phone with a 911 dispatcher as she gets
out of her car after her vehicle become stalled in rising floodwaters from
Harvey in Houston on Aug. 28. (Photo: LM Otero, AP) According to the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC), only 4% of the nearly 7,800 cell sites in
Harvey's path were knocked out, affecting nearly 150,000 people. By
comparison, more than 1,000 cell sites were inoperable during Hurricane
Katrina in 2005, leaving millions without connectivity. In other words,
communications networks are getting better at weathering major natural
events like hurricanes. It's not perfect ' residents in Rockport, Texas,
suffered the biggest outage last week, and therefore you can't assume you'll
have service in these situations. You do not need to have an active phone
plan to call 9-1-1 from any smartphone. (Photo: AT&T/Handout) Presuming
there is cellular service, people are encouraged to send text messages and
emails and posts notifications to Facebook and Twitter about their
whereabouts and immediate needs, or to look up where local shelters are. If
your smartphone doesn't have coverage in the area you're in during an
emergency, or you don't have an active cell plan, you can still reach 9-1-1
from your mobile phone. You can also text 9-1-1, perhaps if you're unable to
talk or need to be silent (perhaps in a terrorist situation), but you must
first be registered for the T9-1-1 service with your wireless service
provider. Because you don't need to pay for cell service to call 9-1-1, it's
not a bad idea to keep an old and deactivated phone in your emergency kit.
More: Why you might want to own a 'burner phone In the event you have power
and Wi-Fi but no cellular, there are apps that let you make video and audio
calls for help. (Photo: Skype/handout) While not as likely, you might find
yourself in a situation where you've got Wi-Fi, but no cellular service. But
that doesn't mean you can't still make phone calls. Using apps like Facebook
Messenger, Google Duo, Viber, and Fring lets you make free phone calls over
Wi-Fi ' even if there's no cell service. Some may require you setting this
up ahead of time. Skype is also free to another Skype user, and in the event
you need to call a landline or mobile phone, it's dirt cheap to do so at
about 10 cents per call (if that), but it does require you to deposit a bit
of cash ('Skype Credits') into your account. Some phones are waterproof,
which could help during some natural disaster, or else pick up a waterproof
case or seal your electronics in a Ziploc bag. (Photo: Samsung/handout) But
if your phone can't withstand water, none of this may matter, and so you
have a few choices to make going forward. One is to invest in a waterproof
phone, such as the latest Samsung Galaxy or iPhone models. Samsung's latest
crop of devices are IP68-rated ('Ingress Protection'), meaning it could be
submerged in water up to 5 feet and for up to 30 minutes, while iPhone 7 is
IP67-certified for water resistance up to 3 feet, up to 30 minutes. If your
current smartphone isn't waterproof, consider a waterproof case for it. As a
last resort, have some thick Ziploc bags as part of your emergency kit to
lock your phone into. More: Your smartphone got wet. Here's what not to do
first More: A cellphone drying company drove 1,000 miles to rescue
Harvey-soaked phones Back-up batteries are essential in an emergency
situation, but if power is out you might consider one of the hand-crank
models like this product from Et'n. (Photo: Eton/Handout) Even if you have
cellular service in your area, you may not have power, or be able to access
a working power outlet. And without power, your smartphone is as useless as
the box it came in. And so it's important to have a backup power solution,
such as a portable battery charger (a.k.a. 'booster') on hand, and keep it
charged up, too. An even better idea is to pick up a battery booster for
your phone with a hand-crank, such as this $29 Eton model, so you can charge
up the battery using the integrated hand turbine power generator. If your
vehicle is around during an emergency, you can plug your devices into your
car's 12-volt port ('cigarette lighter'). You might also consider a backup
phone that takes batteries. Some also keep a cell signal booster for their
home or vehicle. More: Any port ' or bowling alley ' in a storm: Harvey
evacuees flock to unlikely places Download maps to access offline, in case
you're unable to get reception ' but you need to do this before there's a
problem. (Photo: Google/Handout) If you don't have cell service and need to
find a way out of town in case of an emergency, will your mapping function
work on your smartphone? Yes it can. Just like the standalone GPS navigation
units we used to mount to our windshields or dashboards, your smartphone can
still help you get from point A to point B without cell service ' by solely
relying on the GPS sensor inside the device. But there's two things you need
to know. One, you'll need to download map apps that don't require service '
such as Navmii, CoPilot Premium, or Navigon ' or take advantage of Google
Maps' new offline feature, but you'll need to download maps ahead of time.
Secondly, while GPS directions will work without service, some of the
extras, like real-time traffic, will not work without a mobile data
connection. Accuracy may also be off as smartphone use GPS-A ('assisted')
technology, aided by cell towers to help you in areas with tall buildings,
tunnels, and other challenges to communicating with satellites about the
Earth. If downloaded before you need them, these free emergency preparedness
apps are important to keep on your smartphone (Photo: Red Cross/screenshot)
A handful of free emergency preparedness apps can help you in the event of a
crisis ' even if you don't have cell service. Red Cross offers numerous
apps, in fact, including a Shelter Finder app, First Aid, Hurricane app,
Earthquake, Wildfire, and others. Each one includes checklists, advice
during emergency situations (from performing first aid and CPR to handling
food and water during power outages), quizzes, signing up for emergency
notifications, and more. Similarly, the official FEMA (Federal Emergency
Management Agency) includes information for all kinds of disasters,
including tips to creating an emergency kit, and emergency meeting
locations, maps of important locations, and so on. Finally, the aptly-named
Disaster Alert app offers a real-time map that shows activate (or impending)
incidents, deemed as 'potentially hazardous to people, property, or assets'
according to the PDC DisasterAWARE application. This includes hurricanes,
floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanos, as well as 'manmade' emergency
situations. Follow Marc on Twitter: @marc_saltzman.
