All Things Tech: Part 1: Hurricanes, tech and you

Mari-Elain Ebitz

All Things Tech

What do technology and you have to do with hurricanes or other weather events? Technology can literally be a life saver.

I have several tips to help you, should we have a hurricane hit Citrus County this year.

Cellphone battery chargers are a must during hurricane season. They are inexpensive and you might consider having two. Some even attach directly to your phone, like a case.

Depending on the unit, they usually can charge a cell up to four times before they will need to be recharged.

The good news is that they are rechargeable. The bad news is they are rechargeable. Meaning that you need electricity to recharge them. So, be sure to check that they are fully charged before the hurricane arrives.

Additionally, there are solar battery banks. These are really what you should have on hand, since they do not require electricity to recharge, only the sun.

Recently, they have come down in price dramatically and range from less than $20 to $50, depending on the mAH, which is the measure of a battery's capacity. In short, mAH tells us how long a bank will run before it needs to be recharged. The larger the number, the longer it will run.

Additionally, most come with an integral flashlight, which is handy. And some come with two outlets for phones and tablets or two phones. No matter the weather, there's usually some sunlight so you can recharge and know you’ll have a working phone.

Keep the solar banks near a window at all times during hurricane season. And consider having chargers for each cell phone in your home.

You can find solar battery banks everywhere, The Walmart store and online, Amazon, eBay, Best Buy store and online, Newegg and others.

However, my favorite is the relatively new magnetic wireless charger. I was gifted a 5,000-mAH magnetic wireless power bank. This magnetic charger is only for iPhone 12 and above. My son knew I have an iPhone 12 and that the charger would work for me.

Instead of trying to place phone calls during a hurricane, send text messages. Between damage to cell towers and power lines, and the strain that will be put on the network as first responders focus on an area, getting a phone call through is going to be hit or miss.

Text messages, however, require far fewer network resources and have a better chance of going through. If you have a VOIP phone system (Voice Over Internet Protocol, that's the Spectrum internet home phones) and you lose your electricity, you will have to rely on your cell.

Remember to conserve your phone's battery. Start by turning off all apps and services that aren't needed during a hurricane.

Where you have no cellular coverage, use the airplane mode to prevent your phone from constantly searching for a signal.

The weather-related apps you should have on your phone:

MyRadar Weather Radar – my favorite weather app.

Weather Underground

Disaster Alert – not a weather app but notifies you about upcoming weather events.

WeatherNation – While it's not an app, if you have streaming TV but don't have The Weather Channel, this is your solution. It's available on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and Sling TV. If you don't have any of those, you can still view WeatherNation on demand on your computer at weathernation.com. The .com is not live but still gives you an idea of what is going on.

Turn off push notifications! Also close your open apps, if you don't know how to do either, call your cell company or do a search online.

Now this may seem obvious, but don't use your phone. Your phone is a crucial survival device, not an entertainment system during weather events.

Resist the temptation to check email, take selfies and post on social media; leave the phone alone except for periodic updates on the progress of the storm. And by periodic, I don't mean every 10 minutes. Remember, your power could be out for days.

Next time, I’ll discuss apps for both Android and iOS that are a big help during hurricanes.

Mari-Elain Ebitz was the first editor of the Greenbelt Gazette, which serves Sugarmill Woods, and is a past member of the College of Central Florida College Board of Trustees. She also does web design, specializing in not-for-profit organizations. You can email her at [email protected].

Mari-Elain Ebitz

All Things Tech

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