Phones 

• Keep your contacts up to date on your phone;
• Ensure all cell phones are charged especially if extreme weather is forecast;
• Ensure portable batteries and booster packs are available;
• Conserve your cell phone’s battery by reducing the screen’s brightness, placing it in airplane mode, and closing apps you are not using; and
• Invest in a vehicle charger for your phone.

If you have a land line, keep an older style corded telephone on hand as it will likely work during a power failure. The connection is direct to the telephone company, which has extensive back-up power, while cordless phones rely on electricity on site. Mobile phones may work if cell towers are still functional, but often system overload causes lost connections.