Staying in Touch When Phones Struggle
How to get warnings and reach your people when cell service is jammed or the power is out.
⚠ Turn on emergency alerts today
Wireless Emergency Alerts are short warnings that local, state and federal agencies push to phones in the danger area. You don't have to sign up, they're free, and they still arrive when the network is too busy for calls and texts.[2] Open your phone's notification settings and make sure emergency alerts haven't been switched off.[2]
In a big storm or outage, phone lines can get overloaded or go down, and a power cut can knock out home internet and chargers too.[1][6] The fix is layers: alerts on your phone, a radio that works without wall power, and a written plan so everyone knows who to contact and where to meet.
How much do I need?
Aim for at least three ways to get a warning (phone alerts, local text alerts, and a weather radio) and two ways to reach family (text and an out-of-area contact).[2][1] For printed contact cards, count one per person plus one per go-bag and car: a family of 4 with 2 go-bags and 1 car needs 7 cards. For radios, keep at least one full spare set of batteries per device.
When the network is jammed
When local lines are swamped, a short text or a call to someone far away can get through more easily than a local call.[1] Keep messages brief so they go out on the first try.
- Text first, call only if you need to talk.
- Check in with your people to say you're OK, and ask if they need help.[6]
- Sign up for your local government's text or email alerts on top of the phone alerts. Those often carry more detail than a phone alert's short message.[2][6]
Radios that work without wall power
A battery-powered or hand-crank radio belongs in every kit, ideally one that also gets NOAA Weather Radio.[5][6]
- NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is a government network that broadcasts warnings, watches and forecasts from your nearest National Weather Service office around the clock. It also carries non-weather alerts like chemical spills and 911 outages.[3] It needs a special receiver (or a scanner) that tunes seven channels between 162.400 and 162.550 MHz.[3]
- SAME codes (Specific Area Message Encoding) are county codes you program into a weather radio so it only sounds off for your area. Look up your county's code on the NWS county list.[4]
- Reception usually reaches about 40 miles from a transmitter on flat ground; hills and mountains can block it, so test yours at home.[4]
- AM/FM gets you local news stations. World-band (shortwave) radios also pick up stations from far away, which helps when local stations are off the air.
- Hand-crank and small solar radios charge themselves, so you're not stuck when batteries run out.
Two-way radios: FRS and GMRS
Handheld two-way radios let family members talk to each other without any phone network.
- FRS (Family Radio Service) needs no license. FCC rules describe it as a short-distance, low-power service for families and groups.[7]
- GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) does need an FCC license. You must be at least 18 to get one, there are application fees, and your license lets your immediate family members use your radios.[7]
- Don't trust the miles printed on the box. Walk around your neighborhood with a family member and learn your real range.
- Sending a fake distress call over these radios breaks FCC rules.[7]
Scanners for listening in
A scanner is a receive-only radio that can listen to channels like fire, police and weather radio.[3] It can tell you what's happening nearby before the news does. Check your state and local rules before you use one, especially in a car.
Your written household contact plan
Phones die and memories blank under stress, so put the plan on paper.[6]
- Choose one out-of-area contact: someone far enough away that the same disaster won't hit them. Everyone checks in with that person.[1]
- Pick two meeting spots: one right outside your home for something sudden like a fire, and one outside your neighborhood in case you can't get home.[1]
- Make a pocket contact card for each person with work, school and cell numbers.[8] Save the same numbers in every phone, and give copies to schools and daycares.[1]
- Keep a copy of the plan in your emergency kit.[9]
Cash for when card readers are down
The Red Cross includes extra cash in its basic kit list.[5] Power outages can shut down banks and stores, so card readers and cash machines may not work.[6] Keep it in small bills so you can pay for small things without needing change.
Checklist
Mistakes to avoid
- Turning off emergency alerts because they're loud, then missing a real one
- Keeping every phone number only in your phone
- Picking an out-of-area contact who lives close enough to be hit by the same storm
- Buying two-way radios and never testing how far they really reach
- Using GMRS channels without getting the FCC license first
- Leaving the weather radio in a closet with dead batteries
Do this this weekend
Sit down with your household for 20 minutes, pick your out-of-area contact and two meeting spots, and write everyone's numbers on contact cards.[1][8] Then have each person send that out-of-area contact a test text.
Gear that helps
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. We list items for why they matter, never by price or ratings. Disclosure
- NOAA and world-band radiosNOAA weather radio with alert (SAME)Wakes you for warnings in your county even when cell service is down.Check it (opens retailer site)
- NOAA and world-band radiosHand-crank / solar emergency radioAM/FM and weather bands with no batteries needed.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Scanners and handheld radiosFRS two-way radios (no license)Lets family members talk nearby without cell service; FRS needs no license.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Scanners and handheld radiosDigital scannerLets you listen to local emergency radio traffic where it is legal to do so.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Batteries and USB-C chargersRechargeable AA/AAA batteriesRechargeables plus a charger mean you aren't relying only on what's in the drawer.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Batteries and USB-C chargersUSB-C multi-battery chargerCharges AA and AAA batteries from a power bank or solar panel when the grid is down.Check it (opens retailer site)
Sources
- Make a Disaster Preparedness Plan American Red Cross
- Wireless Emergency Alerts NOAA National Weather Service
- NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards NOAA National Weather Service
- NOAA Weather Radio County Coverage and SAME Codes NOAA National Weather Service
- What Do You Need in a Survival Kit American Red Cross
- Power Outage Safety American Red Cross
- FCC Rules, 47 CFR Part 95: Personal Radio Services (FRS and GMRS) Federal Communications Commission, via U.S. Government Publishing Office
- Be Informed: Know Important Information to Stay Safe American Red Cross
- What to Do Before a Tropical Storm or Hurricane NOAA National Weather Service
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