There’s little doubt that transmission channels will be tested during an extreme weather emergency. Still, in an age where communication seems so effortless and natural with mobile devices at hand 24/7, you might panic when you lose power at home, and you’re left without a way to get in contact with other people.
Whether you were trying to listen for information from emergency services, or you were trying to check on your friends and family, not being able to communicate is a big deal. You’re likely to feel isolated, left in the dark. And the not knowing is a scary feeling under the challenging circumstances.
Of course, there’s a way to avoid getting caught out of the loop. Being prepared is the key. Simply get a few devices that don’t rely on your house having power to work. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Rechargeable phone case or a battery pack to charge your phone.
Some of these rechargeable phone cases and battery packs can last you for up to 7 full charges, which is hopefully enough time for you to communicate the information that you need to, or for power to be restored.
If you get multiple backups, you can be set on your phone’s power for quite a while.
2. Hand crank devices like emergency radios.
These hand crank radios are simple AM/FM radios which usually use AA batteries. But we’re we’re going to go old-school here.
In the even that you run out of batteries or don’t have any on hand, these hand crank devices will have a handle on them that you can crank quickly in order to supply it with just enough power for you to listen to the radio.
- These radios aren’t really meant for entertainment, like listening to your favorite song station, but rather listening in on emergency AM stations that will give weather updates and emergency weather warnings or news.
3. Solar based chargers are more products that would certainly come in handy during a heat wave.
The solar based chargers come in case form, so you would leave the case in the sun, without the phone in it, then grab the case and put your phone in it.
The case would then supply your phone with power that it generates from a solar panel, allowing you to keep your phone charged, even if your house doesn’t have power going to the outlets.
4. Batteries
It’s a good idea to keep a few crucial battery-powered items around the house and slowly stock up on batteries.
Packs of batteries can be pricey, but if you slowly stockpile them, you’ll have plenty for when you need them. Batteries can be used up quickly, but if you have a lot of them, you can rest assured knowing that you’ll have enough to make it through the outage. You can also find solar rechargeable batteries if you want to invest in those.
