Essential technology to have during natural disasters

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 Meet, FaceTime, TextNow and WhatsApp Messenger. LOW- AND HIGH-TECH GADGETS TO GET YOU POWER 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 up to 30

minutes. If your phone isn’t waterproof, consider putting a couple of thick plastic zipper 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. A

POWER INVERTER, such as the Duracell 800 Watt High Power Inverter ($139.99) that 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. 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. The

manufacturer of fire safety products is 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,” she says. Portable generators, candles and downed power lines all pose a risk. The Consumer Product Safety

Commission warns about the danger of death involving portable generators, especially inside a home or attached garage. THREE PURPOSES, ONE DEVICE. 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 camping or RVing. If you live in an apartment, where a gas generator is not an option, a generator that uses a battery is ideal. It can power lights,

laptops, medical equipment such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, and small appliances. The Anker SOLIX C300 Portable Power Station ($199.99) offers three three-prong

electrical outlets, a car socket and multiple USB-C ports. Bluetti, EcoFlow and Jackery offer similar products.  A HAND-CRANK AND SOLAR-POWERED RADIO, like the Etón Quest solar-powered

NOAA weather radio and emergency flashlight ($129.99), features an AM-FM digital radio, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather bands, and a shortwave radio. The hand turbine

and small solar panel keep it charged during emergencies. The Quest has an alarm clock, an emergency red LED flashing beacon, a headphone jack, an LED flashlight and a USB port to charge a

smartphone. FosPower, Kaito, Midland and Puiuisoul have similar products.