Develop a plan for how you will communicate with loved ones after a disaster.
Identify an out-of-state contact–long distance phone lines often work before local phone lines are restored, so using an out-of-state contact is a good idea. Provide this person with the contact information of people you want to keep informed of your situation. Have everyone in your family check-in with the out-of-state contact as soon as possible after disaster strikes.
Avoid making non-urgent phone calls after a disaster – even if phone lines are un-damaged, increased phone traffic can jam phone circuits.
Don’t count on your cell phone – increased traffic on cell phone networks can quickly overload wireless capacity. Record an outgoing message on your voicemail so that callers can be re-assured of your safety status.
Have a backup phone that does not require electricity–cordless phones require electricity, so make sure you have at least one phone that requires no electricity (landline type phone that can operate directly from the phone jack).
After an earthquake check all your telephones to be sure they have not shaken off the hook and are tying up a line.
Sometimes Simple Message Service texts (SMS) will work when voice calls don’t.
