Storms are coming; get your tech gear ready
As we’ve learned from life in the pandemic, technology has become a critical lifeline. And as two storms that may intensify into hurricanes barrel across the Gulf of Mexico in our direction, it’s about to become even more important.
Smartphones, computers, tablets and internet can keep you informed, connected with family and friends and deliver life-saving information when you need it most. When the time comes to rely on tech before, during or after a storm, your gear needs to be ready.
Take these steps to prepare for the coming storm.
Charge everything
In a tropical storm or hurricane, the power can and will go out, and may stay out for days. While you have electricity, charge everything.
Make sure the smartphones, tablets, laptops and mobile hot spots you own are fully charged as the storm approaches. Do you have older gear that’s stored in a closet or sock drawer? Drag those items out and charge them, too. A smartphone you’re no longer using may be able to
take the SIM from your current one and keep your cellular connection alive for a while longer.
If you’ve got a portable battery pack that can recharge tablets and smartphones you use for travel or emergencies, find it and charge that, too. If you’ve not touched it in the past few months (or even years), it may be drained. Larger
battery packs can sometimes take a full day to charge, so get started now.
Your car is a battery
Experts advise topping off your car’s gas tank before a hurricane hits so you can evacuate if needed, and because fuel may be hard to find after a storm. But it’s also useful techwise, because your car can be used to power and charge devices.
Modern vehicles have a USB port in them for charging, and you can buy at most drug and discount stores USB chargers that fit in a car’s 12-volt power socket. Plug your devices cable into the port and use it, or let the car run for a while to charge it a bit.
(Remember not to run the car in your garage with the door closed.)
Get a battery backup
While it may be a little late, it’s a good idea to buy an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), aka a battery backup. Typically this is used to keep your computer running in a power failure long enough to shut it down, and can cost from around $40 to several hundred dollars, depending on how powerful it is. Devices that don’t draw much power can run for quite a while on one.
For example, your internet connection’s modem and/or router can run for an hour or two on a UPS, depending on the size of its
internal battery. They also provide good surge protection in the event of a lightning strike.
Back up everything
If you haven’t made a backup of your computer, tablet and smartphone data, do so now — and the more backups you can make, the better. Both Windows and Apple Mac computers have built-in backup systems that make it easy to connect an external hard drive to your desktop or laptop. You should also consider using a cloud-based service such as iDrive, Backblaze or Acronis True Image that backs up data to a remote server.
Both iPhones and Android-based smartphones and tablets offer cloud syncing services that allow you to restore data and apps if you must replace your device, and now’s a good time to turn on that feature.
If your home has flooded in the past, take the physical backup you make to an external drive, wrap it in plastic wrap and put that into a water-resistant, sealable plastic bag. Put it in the highest location in your hom. Remember where it is and grab if it you are forced to leave.
Limit cellular data
To prolong your phone’s battery life during and after a storm, you’ll want to limit which apps can work over cellular data. Figure out which apps are essential —
a web browser, email, messaging, weather, etc. — and set those that aren’t important so they will only work over WiFi.
On an Android device, go to settings and search for “data usage.” The precise setting depends on your device and the version of Android, but look for something like “Restrict background data” or “Data saver” and toggle it on.
On an iOS device, go to Settings > Cellular and scroll down to see a list of your apps. Turn off the slider for those apps that don’t need running in an emergency.
Alternate access
Remember that most smartphones have the ability to turn into WiFi hot spots, allowing other devices to share your phone’s cellular connection, which can be useful if home internet access isn’t available. But many data plans — even those with “unlimited” data — have limits on hot spot usage, so use it sparingly. In addition, using your phone as a hot spot will be a drain on its battery.
You might consider buying a dedicated cellular hot spot, though those can be expensive, come with data usage contracts and have extra charges if you go over their data limits. If you do this, use it sparingly.