Phone dead in a disaster or evacuation: reach your family¶

In a flood, wildfire, earthquake, storm or other disaster, your phone is the tool you reach for first. It carries your alerts, your maps, your family's numbers and your way to call for help. It is also one of the first things to fail, because batteries drain, towers lose power and networks fill with people trying to reach each other at once.

This guide explains how to keep in touch and stay informed when the phone dies or the network fails. It covers what to do in the first minutes, why text messages work better than calls, how an out of area contact helps, how to use radios and emergency alerts, how to find family and meeting places, and how to prepare so that you do not depend on one device. If you are in immediate danger, call your local emergency number (911 in the United States and Canada, 112 across the European Union, 999 in the United Kingdom) while you still can. See അടിയന്തര നമ്പറുകൾ മറ്റ് രാജ്യങ്ങൾക്ക്.

ഇപ്പോൾ ഇത് ചെയ്യുക¶

1. Get safe before you try to fix your phone. Follow evacuation orders, move to higher ground or shelter as the situation requires, and bring your family. A phone is not worth a risk.
2. Send one short text to your family contact. Say that you are safe, where you are and where you are going. Texts often get through when calls fail, and a short text uses little battery.
3. Switch the phone to low power mode and dim the screen. Keep the battery for texts, alerts and emergency calls.
4. Limit calls to real emergencies. Free the network for people in danger, and use text for everything else.
5. Turn on a battery or hand crank radio if you have one, and listen for official instructions and shelter locations.
6. Charge when you can. Use a power bank, a car charger outside and in the open, or a community charging point at a shelter.

Why phones fail in disasters¶

Disasters hit communication in several ways at once. Knowing the pattern helps you choose the right tool.

• The network gets overloaded. After a major event, millions of people call at the same time. Calls may fail or drop, while short text messages often go through because they use much less capacity.
• Towers and lines are damaged. Wind, flood, fire and earthquakes can break masts, power lines and fibre cables. Cell towers have backup batteries, but these last hours, not days.
• Power goes out. Without electricity, home routers, landlines with cordless bases and phone chargers stop working.
• Your battery runs down. Searching for a signal, using maps and constant checking drain it fast.
• You have to leave in a hurry. Many people forget chargers and cables, and leave the house with half a battery.
• Information gets confused. Rumours spread, and official updates can be hard to find without a signal.

Because of this, relying on the phone alone is risky. A plan with several layers is much safer.

Text first, call second¶

Official guidance from agencies such as Ready.gov and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the United States advises people to text rather than call during a disaster, unless there is an emergency. The Red Cross gives the same advice.

Why text works better¶

A text message is small. It can wait in a queue and be delivered when a signal appears, while a call needs a steady connection for the whole conversation. This means a text can arrive even if you have only one bar, or if the network is crowded.

How to text well in a crisis¶

1. Keep it short. Write "Safe at Oak St school. Phone low. Will text at 6." Not a long story.
2. Give the key facts. Who you are if it is not obvious, that you are safe, where you are, and your next step.
3. Send once, then wait. Resending again and again adds to the load.
4. Do not send photos or videos. They use more data and power.
5. If a message fails, try again later. Some phones will resend automatically when a signal appears.
6. Ask people to reply by text, not by call.
7. Use group messages sparingly. One message to a group of key people is better than many.
8. Be patient. A reply can take minutes or hours.

Other ways to message¶

• Messaging apps and social media can work over Wi-Fi or mobile data, even when voice calls fail. They need a data connection.
• Check in tools. Some social platforms and agencies have "I am safe" tools. The Red Cross also offers a service in some countries to register that you are safe. Check whether this exists where you live.
• Email may work at a library, shelter or business with internet.
• Satellite messaging. Some recent phones and devices can send short messages by satellite when there is no mobile signal. It requires a clear view of the sky, and not all phones or countries support it.

The out of area contact¶

One of the most effective tools in any disaster plan is a single person outside your region who everyone agrees to call or text. Local lines are often jammed while long distance and text routes still work, and an out of area contact becomes a message hub.

How to set it up¶

1. മറ്റൊരു നഗരത്തിലോ പ്രദേശത്തോ രാജ്യത്തിലോ താമസിക്കുന്ന ഒരാളെ തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കുക. അവർ വിശ്വസനീയവും ശക്തിയും ഫോണും ഉണ്ടായിരിക്കാൻ സാധ്യതയുള്ളവരായിരിക്കണം.
2. Ask them first. Explain that in an emergency, family members will contact them to check in, and that they should pass messages on.
3. Give everyone their number. Put it on the paper card, in the phone and in the wallet of each family member, including children.
4. Agree what to say. "I am safe. I am at the shelter on Main Street. Please tell the others."
5. Agree how often to check in. For example, send a text each evening at a set time.
6. Ask the contact to keep a log. They can write down who has checked in and who has not.

കാണുക അടിയന്തര കോൺടാക്റ്റ് കാർഡ് ജനറേറ്റർ to make a card.

What to do in the first hour¶

In a sudden event, such as an earthquake, flash flood or fire, move fast and think in order.

Minutes one to five¶

Protect yourself and those with you. Follow the protective actions for the hazard: drop, cover and hold on in an earthquake, move to higher ground in a flood, leave at once in a wildfire evacuation. Do not stop to look for your phone if it puts you at risk.

Minutes five to fifteen¶

When you are safe, check for injuries and call your local emergency number only if someone needs urgent help. Send a short text to your family contact. Turn on low power mode and, if you are not using the phone, put it in airplane mode to save the battery.

Minutes fifteen to sixty¶

Listen for alerts and instructions. Use a radio if you have one. Check the official sources you trust, in short windows. Plan your next steps: stay, shelter or evacuate.

Note where family members are expected to be.

Emergency alerts¶

Alerts tell you what to do and where to go. They use very little battery, and you do not need to subscribe to the main national systems.

• Wireless emergency alerts. In many countries, governments send alerts to every compatible phone in an area. In the United States this is Wireless Emergency Alerts, in the United Kingdom it is Emergency Alerts, and in the European Union it is EU-Alert, though the names and details vary by country. These use a broadcast signal that works even when the network is crowded.
• Make sure alerts are switched on. Check your phone's settings for government or emergency alerts, and leave them on.
• Local authority alerts. Many councils, counties and cities offer text or app alerts. Sign up before a disaster, not during one.
• Weather alerts. National weather services issue warnings by radio, apps and websites. NOAA Weather Radio in the United States and similar services elsewhere broadcast all day and night.
• Sirens. Some communities use sirens. Learn what they mean. See community siren sounding.
• Radio and television. Local stations carry official announcements, and many use an emergency broadcast system.

If you hear an alert but cannot read it, ask someone nearby or turn on the radio. Do not assume that no news means no danger.

Radios when phones fail¶

A radio does not depend on the mobile network, and it uses very little power. It is the most reliable way to get information.

Types of radio¶

• Battery powered radio. Choose a model that takes common batteries, and store spare ones.
• Hand crank or solar radio. It has a built in generator or panel. A minute of cranking gives some listening time, and many models include a USB port and a torch.
• Weather radio. In some countries, such as the United States, there are dedicated weather radios with alert tones. Others use a normal AM or FM radio.
• Car radio. If you are in a car, a radio can tell you about road closures and shelters. Run the engine outdoors only, and watch your fuel.

How to use a radio in an emergency¶

1. Tune to local news stations on AM or FM. Many cities have a station that carries emergency information.
2. Listen in short sessions, to save batteries, for example for 10 minutes each hour.
3. Write down instructions, such as shelter locations and routes.
4. Share what you hear with neighbours who have no radio.
5. Do not trust rumours. Wait for official sources.

Two way radios and amateur radio¶

യുണൈറ്റഡ് സ്റ്റേറ്റ്സിലെ FRS, GMRS അല്ലെങ്കിൽ യൂറോപ്പിലെ PMR446 പോലെയുള്ള ഹ്രസ്വദൂര ടൂ-വേ റേഡിയോകൾ, കുടുംബാംഗങ്ങളെ ഏതാനും കിലോമീറ്ററുകൾക്കപ്പുറം സംസാരിക്കാൻ അനുവദിക്കുന്നു. നെറ്റ്‌വർക്കുകൾ പരാജയപ്പെടുമ്പോൾ അമച്വർ (ഹാം) റേഡിയോ ഓപ്പറേറ്റർമാർ പലപ്പോഴും അടിയന്തര ആശയവിനിമയം നൽകുന്നു. ഈ ഉപകരണങ്ങൾക്ക് പരിശീലനവും ചില സന്ദർഭങ്ങളിൽ ലൈസൻസും ആവശ്യമാണ്. വായിക്കുക off grid emergency communications for details.

Satellite and emergency beacons¶

If you travel or live in remote areas, a satellite messenger or a personal locator beacon can send an emergency signal without a phone network. Read the instructions, register the device if required and test it according to the maker's guidance.

Staying charged during an evacuation¶

Power is the limiting factor. A few steps help you keep communication alive.

1. Charge everything before you leave, if you have warning. Phones, power banks, radios and torches.
2. Pack chargers and cables. Put them in your go bag. See go bag and evacuation pack.
3. Carry a power bank, ideally two, fully charged.
4. Use the car charger, with the engine on and the car outdoors and in the open. Do not idle for long periods.
5. Use low power mode and airplane mode to save power while travelling.
6. Ask at shelters and relief centres for charging stations. Many have them, with queues.
7. Use a hand crank or solar charger as a backup.
8. Keep the phone warm and dry, in a zip bag in the cold or rain.
9. Charge to about 80 percent and let others have a turn.
10. Use your own cable and adapter at public points. See പൊതു ചാർജിംഗ് കിയോസ്കുകളും ഡാറ്റ ബ്ലോക്കറുകളും.

For longer outages at home, read വീട്ടിൽ വൈദ്യുതി മുടക്കവും ഫോൺ ചാർജിംഗും.

Finding family and meeting places¶

Phones make us forget how to meet. In a disaster, you may need to find each other without them.

Agree meeting places in advance¶

1. A place near home. For a sudden event such as a fire, for example a neighbour's house, a tree or a mailbox.
2. A place outside the neighbourhood. For when you cannot go home, for example a library, a school or a relative's house.
3. A place outside the region. For a long evacuation, for example a relative's home in another town.
4. Write all three on the paper card, and make sure children know them.

Know where children and others will be¶

Find out the emergency plans of schools, childcare and workplaces. Ask where children will be taken, how you will be told, and who is allowed to collect them. Keep your contact details current with the school. See നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ട കുട്ടി if a child is separated from you.

Register and check in¶

After a major disaster, some agencies and charities run family reunification services. In the United States, the Red Cross runs a Safe and Well service, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children helps with children. Other countries have similar tools. Look for official announcements on the radio and at shelters.

Leave a note¶

If you must leave home and cannot reach others, leave a note in a visible place. Write your names, the date and time, where you are going and a contact number. Use waterproof ink or a plastic bag.

Use trusted people and places¶

Shelters, police, fire services and relief workers keep lists of people and can help you find family. Give your name, a description and the person you seek. Do not share personal details with strangers who are not part of the official effort.

Decision guide¶

flowchart TD
    A["Disaster strikes and the phone is failing"] --> B["Get safe first"]
    B --> C{"Is someone in immediate danger?"}
    C -- "അതെ" --> D["Call your local emergency number if the phone works"]
    C -- "ഇല്ല" --> E["Send one short text to your out of area contact"]
    D --> E
    E --> F["Switch to low power mode and save battery"]
    F --> G["Listen to a radio and check official alerts"]
    G --> H{"Do you need to move?"}
    H -- "അതെ" --> I["Evacuate with chargers, power bank and paper card"]
    H -- "ഇല്ല" --> J["Shelter in place and check in at set times"]
    I --> K["Charge at a shelter and meet family at the agreed place"]
    J --> K

Table: communication tools in a disaster¶

Special situations¶

Wildfire¶

Evacuation orders can arrive quickly. Keep your phone charged and alerts on, and leave when told. Carry chargers and a power bank in the go bag, and keep the car charger in the vehicle. Read കാട്ടുതീ.

Flood¶

Floodwater can damage phones and cut power. Keep your phone in a waterproof pouch if you must wade or evacuate, and never drive through floodwater. Read വെള്ളപ്പൊക്കം ഒപ്പം phone dropped in water.

Earthquake¶

Networks can be overloaded or damaged. Text, keep calls short, and expect aftershocks. Read ഭൂകമ്പങ്ങൾ.

Hurricanes and tropical storms¶

Hurricane warnings usually give days of notice, so charge devices, fill the car's tank and download maps. For storm specific detail, see ചുഴലിക്കാറ്റ്.വഴികാട്ടി. This site and hurricane.guide use the same advice on staying in touch.

Winter storms and power cuts¶

Keep warm and keep the phone warm. Use low power mode and radios. Read winter storms ഒപ്പം power outage.

When emergency numbers fail¶

In rare cases, emergency dispatch lines can fail. Local authorities usually publish alternatives, such as walking to a fire station. Read 911 എമർജൻസി ഡിസ്പാച്ച് മുടക്കം.

മറ്റൊരു രാജ്യത്ത് യാത്ര ചെയ്യുന്നു¶

Know the local emergency number and the location of your embassy. Register with your government's travel service if there is one, and carry a paper card. Read travel emergencies abroad.

People with disabilities or medical needs¶

People who rely on text relay, hearing devices, powered medical equipment or mobility aids need a plan with extra power and a buddy system. Register with local services if they offer priority support, and keep a list of medicines and contacts. Read power outage for oxygen concentrators, ventilators and CPAP.

Pets¶

Keep pet contact details and a recent photo on paper. Plan where pets can stay, since many shelters do not take them. Keep a tag with a phone number on the collar.

Prepare before a disaster¶

1. Choose an out of area contact, and give the number to everyone.
2. Write a family communication plan. Include who calls whom, meeting places and what to do if you are apart.
3. Make a paper card for each person, including children.
4. Turn on emergency alerts on every phone, and sign up for local alerts.
5. Buy a battery or hand crank radio and spare batteries, and learn how it works.
6. പവർ ബാങ്കുകൾ ചാർജ്ജ് ചെയ്യുക, ഗോ ബാഗിലും കാറിലും കേബിളുകളും കാർ ചാർജറും സൂക്ഷിക്കുക.
7. ഒരു മുന്നറിയിപ്പ് നൽകുമ്പോൾ ഉപകരണങ്ങൾ ചാർജ് ചെയ്യുക.
8. നിങ്ങളുടെ പ്രദേശത്തിൻ്റെയും കുടിയൊഴിപ്പിക്കൽ വഴികളുടെയും ഓഫ്‌ലൈൻ മാപ്പുകൾ ഡൗൺലോഡ് ചെയ്യുക.
9. നിങ്ങളുടെ ഫോണും ഫോട്ടോകളും ബാക്കപ്പ് ചെയ്യുക, പ്രധാന പ്രമാണങ്ങളുടെ പകർപ്പുകൾ സൂക്ഷിക്കുക.
10. Set up Medical ID and emergency contacts on each phone.
11. Learn two phone numbers by heart.
12. Practise a family drill once a year. Test the text plan, the meeting places and the radio.
13. Know your evacuation routes and shelters, and check them with local authorities.
14. Build an emergency kit and a go bag. Read എമർജൻസി കിറ്റ് ഒപ്പം go bag and evacuation pack.
15. Read about related problems, such as emergency call with a dead or low battery phone.

Worked examples¶

Wildfire evacuation at night with 15 percent battery¶

The alert tells you to leave now. Put the phone on low power mode, grab the go bag with the power bank and cable, and get everyone into the car. Once you are on the road and safe, send one text to your out of area contact: "Safe, leaving north on Route 9, going to the school shelter." Plug the phone into the car charger while you drive, and listen to the radio for road closures. When you reach the shelter, check in with staff and charge to about 80 percent.

Earthquake during the working day, with children at school¶

Take cover first, and move to a safe place when the shaking stops. Do not call the school, because the line will be busy. Send a short text to your out of area contact and your partner, and check the school's emergency page or the radio for instructions. Go to the collection point that the school has told you about, with photo ID.

Flash flood with a failing phone¶

Move to higher ground at once and do not walk or drive through moving water. When you are safe, send a short text with your location. If the phone has been wet, switch it off and dry it, as in phone dropped in water. Use a radio or ask nearby people for news.

Multi day outage after a storm¶

Switch to the saving routine in വീട്ടിൽ വൈദ്യുതി മുടക്കവും ഫോൺ ചാർജിംഗും. Check the phone only at set times, use a radio for news, and walk to the community charging point at the library when it opens. Take your own cable and a power bank, charge to 80 percent, and leave space for the next person.

Separated from a family member in a crowd evacuation¶

Stay calm and stay in a safe, visible place. Text them where you are, and go to the meeting place if it is safe. Tell a uniformed worker, a police officer or a volunteer at the shelter who you are looking for, and give a description and a recent photo if you have one.

Talking with children and others about the plan¶

A plan only works if people remember it. Children, older relatives and visitors need a simple version they can repeat.

1. Use plain words. "If we cannot find each other, go to the library and wait at the front desk."
2. Practise once or twice a year. A short drill at the dinner table is enough.
3. Give each child a card. Put it in a school bag or pocket, with the out of area contact and the meeting places.
4. Teach them to ask for help. A police officer, a teacher, a person in uniform or a parent with children is a safe choice.
5. Make sure they know their full name and your phone number.
6. Explain that phones may not work, and that this is normal and not their fault.
7. Include babysitters and guests. Give them the plan and the card.
8. Keep it calm. Say that the plan is for safety and not because anything is wrong.

ഒഴിവാക്കേണ്ട സാധാരണ തെറ്റുകൾ¶

• Calling instead of texting. Calls fill the network.
• Spending battery on social media and rumours.
• Forgetting chargers and cables when you leave.
• Having no out of area contact.
• Keeping all numbers only in the phone.
• Not agreeing a meeting place.
• ബാറ്ററി ലാഭിക്കാൻ അലേർട്ടുകൾ സ്വിച്ച് ഓഫ് ചെയ്യുന്നു. അവ വളരെ കുറച്ച് വൈദ്യുതി മാത്രമേ ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്നുള്ളൂ.
• അപകടകരമായ സ്ഥലത്ത് ഫോണിനായി തിരികെ പോകുന്നു.
• ചാർജിനായി കാർ ഒരു ഗാരേജിൽ നിഷ്‌ക്രിയമാക്കുന്നു.
• Trusting unverified messages and forwarding them.
• Waiting for a signal before you leave. Follow official orders.
• പഴയ രീതിയിലുള്ള റേഡിയോകളെ അവഗണിക്കുന്നു. മറ്റെന്തെങ്കിലും ചെയ്യാത്തപ്പോൾ അവ പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്നു.

ഓർമ്മിക്കേണ്ട പ്രധാന പോയിൻ്റുകൾ¶

• Your safety comes before your phone, and a phone is easier to replace than a person.
• ആദ്യം ടെക്‌സ്‌റ്റ് ചെയ്യുക, യഥാർത്ഥ അടിയന്തര സാഹചര്യങ്ങൾക്ക് മാത്രം വിളിക്കുക, കാരണം കോളുകൾ പരാജയപ്പെടുമ്പോൾ ടെക്‌സ്‌റ്റുകൾ ലഭിക്കും.
• Name one out of area contact and give the number to everyone.
• Keep alerts on, since they use almost no battery and arrive when networks are crowded.
• A battery or hand crank radio works when the network does not.
• Charge before you leave, pack cables and a power bank, and use low power mode.
• Agree three meeting places, and put them on a paper card.
• Practise the plan once a year with everyone in the household, including guests and children.
• After the event, update the plan with what you learned, and replace the supplies that you used.
• Help others when you can, by sharing a charge, passing on official news and checking on neighbours who may be alone.

ഉറവിടങ്ങൾ പരിശോധിച്ചു¶

• Ready.gov and FEMA (United States): make a plan, family communication plan, text instead of calling and keep phones charged.
• American Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: family communication and the Safe and Well service.
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC, United States): Wireless Emergency Alerts, emergency communications and network congestion.
• UK Government (United Kingdom): Emergency Alerts and the guide to preparing for emergencies.
• European Commission: EU-Alert and the 112 emergency number.
• National Weather Service and NOAA Weather Radio (United States), and national weather services elsewhere.

Systems differ by country, so follow your local authorities for the tools available where you live.

പതിവായി ചോദിക്കുന്ന ചോദ്യങ്ങൾ¶

Why should I text instead of calling in a disaster?¶

Text messages are small and use little network capacity, so they often get through when calls fail. Official guidance from Ready.gov, FEMA and the Red Cross is to text for check ins and keep calls for real emergencies. Keep messages short and send them once.

What is an out of area contact?¶

An out of area contact is a trusted person who lives in another region or country, and who your family agrees to contact in a disaster. Local lines are often jammed while long distance and text routes still work, so this person can pass messages between family members. Give their number to everyone, including children, and write it on a paper card.

How can I get information if my phone is dead and the network is down?¶

Use a battery powered or hand crank radio, and tune to local news or a weather radio channel. Listen in short sessions to save batteries, and follow instructions from official sources. You can also go to a shelter, a fire station or a relief centre, where staff and volunteers share updates and often have charging stations.

How do I find my family if we are separated and phones do not work?¶

Go to the meeting place you agreed in advance, such as a place near home, one outside the neighbourhood and one outside the region. Leave a note if you have to move, and check in with your out of area contact when you can. After a major disaster, shelters and agencies such as the Red Cross may run family reunification services.

ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട ഗൈഡുകൾ¶

• Power outage and phone charging at home
• ഒരു ഡെഡ് അല്ലെങ്കിൽ കുറഞ്ഞ ബാറ്ററി ഫോണുമായി അടിയന്തര കോൾ
• Go bag and evacuation pack
• Off grid emergency communications
• വെള്ളപ്പൊക്കം