Staying Prepared: Verizon Offers Hurricane Season/Strong Storm Tips

Last year, Coastal Georgia and many areas around the Peach State again saw the power and devastation a hurricane can cause when Matthew roared up the East Coast. Verizon was proud to stand with our communities during and in the aftermath of Matthew to ensure our customers, first responders and families impacted by the storm were able to communicate when they needed it most.

With the start of hurricane season quickly approaching (June 1), Verizon’s Cornelius Miller offers the following tips to help people stay connected and be prepared their personal for potential severe weather:

Get ready for Atlantic Hurricane/severe weather season:

• Store phones, tablets, batteries, chargers and other equipment in a dry, accessible location. Simple zip-lock storage bags will shield devices, and today there are many waterproof phones, cases and other protective accessories.
• Keep phone and tablet batteries fully charged – in case local power is lost – well before warnings are issued.
• Have additional spare batteries and car-charger adapters available for back-up power. Pair your spare Mophies with inexpensive USB powered lighting and you won’t be left in the dark.
• Make sure to review the power outage checklist from the American Red Cross (or better yet, download the Red Cross app for mobile tips when a storm strikes)
• Maintain a list of emergency numbers – police and fire agencies; power and insurance companies; family, friends and co-workers; etc. – and program them into your wireless devices before an emergency arises.
• Use your mobile device to photograph and catalogue your valuables and other household belongings for possible insurance claims and back them up to the Verizon Cloud or Google Photos.
• Choose from hundreds of free weather-, news- and safety-related apps and services for smartphones and tablets, the American Red Cross app, Weather: Universal Forecast, The Weather Channel, Weather Underground, and NOAA Now and other mobile resources from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• Become familiar with your phone’s free flashlight app and know how to turn it on (hint: many devices let you use an audio command, like “Ok Google, turn on my flashlight”)
• Listen to your local TV or radio station for the latest news about the storm. Know which ones broadcast over the internet and make sure you have those addresses or apps saved on your device.
• Be prepared to entertain. Sometimes the storm isn’t so bad but power still goes out. Learn how to turn your device into a mobile hotspot and stream movies or TV to your laptop. (And do so without worry about overages when you have Verizon Unlimited.)