How to Communicate Without a Phone or Internet in a Disaster

Have you ever been unable to get a hold of someone and started worrying needlessly for hours just to find out they were safe all along? Let’s imagine an emergency situation when thousands of people are trying to contact their loved ones, but to no avail. Realistically, in a post-disaster scenario phone lines will be down, internet connection might be slow or unavailable. The devastating effects of the disaster alone will give us a greater reason to panic and worry if we cannot reach our family or friends.

I think we take for granted how much we use our phones and how valuable they are to us. They’re basically our lifeline to the outside world. If you’re lost, Google will help you find your way. If you’re in need of help, you can call 911 plus an unlimited amount of people. If you want to check up on someone without contacting them directly, you can visit their social media profiles. Communication is accessible even throughout many remote parts of the world. But no matter where you live, when a disaster occurs there is no guarantee that our typical forms of communication will be available. 

Natural disasters aren’t the only times mobile networks can fail, in fact they can go down during big sporting events and terrorists attack. No matter the situation however, it’s imperative that we have a family plan already in place to make re-unification after a disaster feasible and avoid any unnecessary worry in the meantime.

There is no better way to assure the communication and reunification of your loved ones than to establish a plan together. Things will become very messy if you’re up against a high stress situation without a plan. Do yourself and your family the favor of preparing an Emergency Family Plan now and save yourself from unneeded fear and worry in the future. Being at peace in difficult times is priceless but hopefully we don’t have to learn this the hard way.

Natural disasters and terrorist attacks are mostly unpredictable yet inevitable. It should become our priority to learn the best communication methods that are not limited to our smartphones because mobile telecommunication networks are not reliable in mass catastrophes. To help our families survive and reunite quickly, practice the steps outlined above and develop your own family response procedures.