Analog and Digital Storm Survival Kit
Christopher Carter
Interesting past two weeks. First a Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy strikes the region, making an unprecedented left turn towards the Jersey Shore. And then a snow storm, named Athena (who comes up with these?) buries my town in 4-6 inches of snow. Come ON! Powerless for 8 days, one has to find ways to continue the activities of daily living, or ADLs in healthcare parlance, Here are some things that helped me make it through the storm. Good old analog phone that plugs directly into the wall jack. Telephone company supplies its own power to the home via its phone line so this phone works, assuming the phone lines are not on the ground.
Battery powered radio. Gotta have one, or two, or three. Need batteries too. This became my lifeline to changing events as the powerless days wore on.
A place to work? The local hospital. My town is fortunate to have a beautiful hospital with a great cafeteria and free wifi! The waiting area for outpatient surgery is large, has a lovely fish tank and is quiet. Please keep this between us! Let the rest of the town folks go to the library, also a lovely place to hang out in my town.
Smartphone. Kudos to Verizon Wireless. The network did not fail in my area so I was able to keep up to date on Twitter and Facebook and emails when not at the "office".
iPad with 3G. While my neighbors were in the dark with no TV my wife and I used this device to watch the storms live on The Weather Channel and to catch up on TV shows we were unable to record on our DVR since Power was out. I highly recommend to anyone buying a tablet get the 3G or LTE versions.
Access to Social Media. As the powerless days wore on and the frustrations of my neighbors grew, they tried to storm the Bastille of the local power company, a sub station about 1/4 of a mile away. The local police intercepted them each time. Some got through by calling customer service. Me? Facebook and Twitter again! By voicing my issues and concerns with the power situation at my community on Facebook I was able to connect with a power company representative who continued a dialogue with me even after power was restored. I have read many times how entrepid travelers do this when flights are canceled or postponed. So I tried it. And it worked! Power was restored the next night. Keep this in mind people.
Patience. Losing power is one thing. Lost homes and lives are quite another. By using a combination of analog and digital technologies one can stay in touch with the world during disasters and manage their lives at the same time. The ability to adapt and use the tools at one's disposal is key.