Prepare for Communication

Plan for how you will communicate with family, friends and loved ones after a disaster:

• Long-distance phone lines often work before local phone lines, so identify an out-of-area contact and provide this person with the contact information of people you want to keep informed of your situation. Share this information with your family and friends locally.
• Avoid making non-urgent phone calls after a disaster - even if phone lines are un-damaged, increased phone traffic can jam phone circuits.
• Cordless phones or phone systems require electricity; make sure you have a backup phone that requires no electricity.
• Keep coins in your go-bag. Payphones may work before other phone lines.
• Don't count on your cell phone - increased traffic on cell phone networks can quickly overload wireless capacity.
• Learn how to use text messaging. It uses a different part of the cell phone network and it might be possible to send and receive text messages when voice channels for mobile phones and land lines are jammed.