Gadgets you need in case of disaster

Zucker lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, and left both hurricanes, Irene and Sandy, at home with her husband and young children. "As I had my smartphone and my laptop, as well as a battery backup / gigantic power supply to power them, I've never lost contact with the outside world for the whole storm, that was all. "

While Hurricane Florence broke off North Carolina earlier this week, novelist Christina Wood was busy loading windows and reloading gadgets. She had planned to deal with the storm in her Wilmington area apartment. "The most important technological gadgets of this [disaster situation] are batteries! The bigger it is, the better it is. "Wood m wrote by email. "We could be without electricity for a long time. Many locals have generators. But if you do not do it, the electric bricks are like gold!

Forecasters predict that more than a dozen storms will hit the states this year. Add to that an already devastating year of wildfires, floods, ice storms, landslides and other major disasters, and it's clear: it's time to make sure your technology disaster is ready to leave.

Start with your smartphone

Your smartphone can be your lifeline – but not if the battery dies. Keep it plugged in and charging as long as you're on, "but as soon as the storm comes in, unplug everything," warns Wood. "Lightning is dangerous. I know someone who has been struck by lightning through his keyboard!

Make sure you have more than one rear battery charger as well. I'm warning some of them, including the Mophie Charge Stream powerstation ($ 80), and the Savage Outxe ($ 56), which has a handy little solar panel when there's no other source of available energy. In addition to these two, I keep the Cobra JumPack XL H20 ($ 130) in my car at all times. It is a portable gadget that allows you to start V8 gasoline and diesel engines several times, has two USB ports to power your smartphone and a built-in flashlight with SOS modes and strobe.

At least twice a year, I remove all my backup batteries and I also charge them to make sure they are almost full if a disaster strikes. If your phone is breathing its last breath, remember that a laptop can charge it as long as you have the proper charging cables. I'm using a MacBook Pro that requires an extra dongle to charge my iPhone – so I've tidied an extra, as well as an extra charge cable – into a Ziploc from my pack. emergency.

Life saving applications

While you want to make sure your smartphone's battery lasts as long as possible – by reducing screen brightness, disabling unnecessary applications, and turning on low-power mode – you need a few applications.

For weather-related emergencies, it's hard to beat the newly redesigned Weather Channel app (free, iOS, Android). The application has always provided real-time weather monitoring, alerts and updates on extreme weather conditions. Now, the new and improved version uses IBM AI to provide the most relevant alerts and forecasts, right in the palm of your hand.

"It breaks the mess," says Sheri Bachstein, global business manager for The Weather Company. "When you try to survive, you can not search for information every few seconds everywhere. Our new app highlights major climate changes and preemptively warns you with a push alert. We can deliver targeted messages and geofenities to users to provide more specific information when and where they need it most.

An app called Zello (free, iOS, Android) turns your smartphone into a kind of hybrid scanner / walkie-talkie. As long as you have a cellular network or a WiFi connection, you can use Zello as a two-way radio to keep in touch with a predefined group of people or rescuers via a specific channel. I listened to a channel called "Hurricane Florence Information Channel" for about an hour and I heard people asking for help to evacuate, find fresh water and save people. elderly.

Zello's CEO, Bill Moore, said that the app had reached the top spot in the Apple App Store this week, while posting a strong trend on Google Play. He also said that what really stood out in last year's Harvey and Irma hurricanes is how essential it is to have two-way conversations at the touch of a button. small battery

"He could use 10% more than normal, it's a pretty low draw," said Moore. "We put a lot of effort into using the battery." "Set it up and add the people you need to be in contact with before an emergency," he says.

FireChat (Free, iOS, Android) is another great communication tool and allows you to connect to other people without an internet connection or cellular coverage, but you must be within 200 feet of other users of the Internet. 39; application.

Keep the FEMA app (free, iOS, Android) at your fingertips. It's a great resource before the storm, with guides on how to prepare emergency kits and tips to prepare for the hardships that bad weather can bring.

GasBuddy (free, iOS, Android) will take you to the nearest and cheapest gasoline, and Airbnb is great for finding "Open Homes" where you can stay for free.

Go-to gadgets

Your smartphone may be your most important gadget, but it does not have to be the only one to help you weather the storm. There are a few other things I keep on hand for all kinds of emergencies, like the Eton FRX3 weather radio ($ 50). It captures AM and FM signals, has an integrated LED flashlight and solar panel. If you do not have sunlight, you can simply recharge it by turning the integrated crank. As a bonus, a USB port on the side can also charge your other gadgets.

Zucker said she's always looking for multitasking gadgets. "I'm obsessed with the UPC Pika Lantern ($ 25). It's tiny, converts from flashlight to lantern mode and you have a USB port to charge your other gadgets.

When night falls and power is no longer available, LuminAID emergency lanterns ($ 20) are a light in the dark. They have built-in solar panels to charge from sunlight and can last up to 24 hours on a full charge. They are inflatable for easy storage and you can stick them almost anywhere.

Both of these devices can use the sun for electricity, but if you want to take your solar game to the next level, choose the Goal Zero Venture 30 Solar Charging Kit with Nomad 7 Solar Panel (starting at $ 199) . These are portable solar panels that power a backup battery large enough to charge your phone up to three times. Just lay in the sun and never worry about a dead phone.

And do not forget camping and survival items such as the BioLite CampStove 2 ($ 130), which turns the heat of a small fire into electricity, and the LifeStraw ($ 20) that cleans the air. Water can also save your life. .

Getting out of a weather disaster when you have the opportunity to evacuate is rarely a good idea, but if you find yourself stuck between a rock and a hurricane, you'll be better able to do it without damage with some- some of these practical technologies. tools.

"I'm scared, we're all scared," Wood wrote at the end of his last email, "But we did not choose between that and the perfect security." Being on the road in this is also We will be as ready as possible and we will have a good company.If I am talking to you next week, we will all know that we are alive in a way that you can not know if you have not got it. is facing Mother Nature. "

More: Hurricane Florence has been weakened but far from weak: what do you need to know about the power of the storm?

Related: The force of Hurricane Florence begins to hit North Carolina; "life-threatening" conditions

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