Prepare for Hurricane Milton: with these tech tips for natural disasters

As many millions in Florida are bracing for Hurricane Milton – expected to be a “deadly and catastrophic” Category 5 storm by the time it makes landfall tonight, cautions Florida officials − it’s a good reminder to prepare for any natural disasters that may hit your community.

Along with signing up for local alerts and having a clear evacuation plan (and in-home shelter area), every home should have emergency kits that include candles/flashlights, bottled water, non-perishable food, first-aid kits, medication, and batteries.

And tech can help, too.

How can my phone help during a hurricane?

In the event of a natural disaster, your survival plan should include your smartphone at the very least. It could be a lifeline during an emergency.

Many smartphones are waterproof or water-resistant, which could help during some natural disasters, like Hurricane Milton.

If your current smartphone isn’t waterproof, consider a fitted waterproof case for it, or a sealable and reusable solution, such as the Nite Ize RunOff Waterproof Phone Case ($39.99) or Nite Ize RunOff Waterproof Phone Pouch ($34.99).

As a last resort, have some thick Ziploc bags as part of your emergency kit to drop your phone into.

If you’re currently in the market for a new smartphone, consider one that's water-resistant. For example, the latest Apple iPhone 16, Samsung Galaxy S24 and Google Pixel 9 models are all IP68-rated (the "IP" stands for “Ingress Protection”), meaning it could be submerged in fresh water up to 5 feet and for up to 30 minutes.

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Backup power is key

A backup power solution is essential in a weather-related emergency.

After all, even if you have cellular service in your area, you may not have power or be able to access a working power outlet. And without power, your smartphone is as useless as the box it came in.

Anker’s “power banks,” for example, start at about $20 and can juice up a smartphone at least once, if not more than that Rule of thumb: the higher the number of milliamps (mAh), the more times it can charge up a phone or other device.

Hurricane Milton tracker:Follow the latest path of the storm

The company’s Solix-branded devices, on the other hand, are portable power generators to charge up or run virtually any device during an emergency (or when off the grid, such as when camping). They're also ideal for those who live in an apartment where a gas generator is not an option. They can power everything from lights to laptops as well as small appliances and medical equipment, like CPAP machines.

The Anker Solix C800 ($399.99), for example, lets you plug in up to 10 appliances all at once (plus it has USB ports, too) and no energy limits under 1600 watts. There are solar accessories to charge up the backup battery, if needed.

Other recommended gear during a severe weather event includes a hand-crank and/or solar radio and a waterproof flashlight.

“Swiss Army Knife” gadget American Red Cross Etón FRX3+ Multi-Powered Weather Alert Radio ($59.99) houses an AM/FM (digital radio), all seven NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather band stations and an alert function that broadcasts emergency weather alerts.

While it has an internal lithium-ion battery (2600mAh), you can also use the hand crank and small solar panel to keep it charged during emergencies.

The FRX3+ also features a USB port to charge a smartphone, auxiliary input, LED flashlight, emergency red LED flashing beacon, alarm clock, headphone jack and more.

Call 911 without a plan

Did you know you can still call 911 from your mobile phone, even if you don’t have an active plan?

Because you don’t need to pay for cell service to call 911, it’s not a bad idea to keep an old and deactivated phone in your emergency kit or vehicle’s glove compartment. Just make sure it’s charged up first and store it with the appropriate charger.

There are a couple of downsides to this plan: A deactivated phone won't send your location to 911, so you will have to give that information to the dispatcher yourself. The person on the other end of the line won't be able to call you back if you get disconnected either.

Watch Hurricane Milton live cameras:Storm approaches Florida

You can also text 911, perhaps if you’re unable to talk or need to be silent, but you must first be registered for the 911 service with your wireless service provider.

Presuming there is cellular service, people are also encouraged to send text messages and emails and post notifications to social media about their whereabouts and immediate needs, to look up where local shelters are and to check in on vulnerable relatives and friends.

Proactively discuss a contingency plan with loved ones.

Some phones, like iPhone 16 and some Android devices, also support emergency messages via satellite service, in the event you need to reach someone and there’s no cellular service available.

Use Wi-Fi for calls

In the event you have power and Wi-Fi but no cellular, there are apps that let you make video and audio calls for help.

Use apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Meet, FaceTime, or Viber to make free phone calls over Wi-Fi – even if there’s no cell service. All these apps will require you to set up an account ahead of time, which might be as easy as signing into Google Meet with your Gmail address, or Facebook Messenger with your Facebook ID. In some cases, you need to call someone who is also on the same service, but other solutions, like TextNow, let you call any 10-digit mobile phone or landline number.

Apps and maps play a role, too

A handful of free emergency preparedness apps can help you in the event of a crisis. Be sure to download them ahead of a severe storm, in case you’re without service.

The Red Cross offers numerous apps, including ones for finding shelter and first aid, as what to do in case of hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires. Each one includes checklists, advice during emergency situations (from performing first aid and CPR to handling food and water during power outages), quizzes, signing up for emergency alerts and more.

If you own a smart speaker, you can also enable Red Cross severe weather warnings, such as saying “Alexa, enable Hurricane Alerts by the American Red Cross” (on an Amazon Echo device) You can also find nearby blood drives or schedule an appointment to give blood. You can also do this on Google Nest speakers or displays by saying, “Hey Google, talk to Red Cross Blood Donation.”

Similarly, the official FEMA App, available for both Apple and Android devices, includes information for all kinds of disasters, including receiving real-time alerts from the National Weather Service and the location of shelters in your area. The app also offers maps of important locations as well as tips on how to formulate your family's emergency plan, what to put in an emergency kit and suggestions for emergency meeting locations.

Another good one: the aptly-named Disaster Alert app and website offers a real-time map that shows active (or impending) incidents, deemed as “potentially hazardous to people, property, or assets” according to the PDC DisasterAWARE platform. This includes hurricanes and tropical storms, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, volcano eruptions and more.

Speaking of apps, it’s a good idea to take advantage of Google Maps’ offline feature, which lets you select an area (even an entire city) to download and view on your smartphone in the event there’s no cell service or Wi-Fi.

Follow Marc on X:@marc_saltzman.Email him or subscribe to hisTech It Out podcast. The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.