In the span of a week in August 2026, powerful storms and deadly flooding knocked out power to a half-million people across the Midwest; Tropical Storm Lala cut power to thousands more in Hawaii amid dangerous wind and flooding; wildfires forced evacuations in the western U.S.; and a powerful earthquake struck Colombia.

All were reminders of how quickly ordinary routines can give way to crisis, and how crucial mobile phones are today as people deal with disasters.

Smartphones have become part of just about everyone’s emergency infrastructure. We use them to receive warnings, follow evacuation routes and road closures, locate shelters, contact family and track rapidly changing conditions. When people are hurt, they’re essential for calling 911.

But when disasters hit – during an earthquake, hurricane or wildfire evacuation, for example – cellphones can be easily lost or forgotten, their batteries can run down with no way to recharge them, and cell service can become unreliable.

Those risks expose another dimension of the “digital divide”: The issue is no longer simply whether someone has technology or knows how to use it, but what happens when access to essential information and services depends on technology and it suddenly stops working.

Preparedness needs to include redundancy

The solution is not less technology. Digital alerts, online maps and rapidly updated information can save lives. Instead, disaster resilience depends on redundancy – having backup sources of the same information that don’t require electricity or a cellphone connection to see.

For individuals, this means planning for the possibility of being without your cellphone.

Emergency response planners need to ask not only who has access to technology, but who is dependent on access they might lose in a disaster.

To reach more people, alerts normally sent by cellphone or email can also be provided through other communication channels, such as radio broadcasts, television alerts and community groups. Some communities flash warnings and evacuation details onto traffic signs. In many places, community centers become hubs for information and spots to charge cellphones when the power goes down.

New York City’s Notify NYC program, for example, distributes emergency information through text messages, email, telephone calls, its website, social media and American Sign Language videos, as well as sending information though television and radio stations. Its Advance Warning System also reaches organizations serving people with disabilities and other special needs. In Florida, Miami-Dade County also combines digital emergency alerts with television, radio and local networks.

Sources providing information about emergency responses and recovery can also offer alternatives for people to access the same information available on websites through a telephone call and communities centers, such as applications for disasters assistance, emergency housing, financial aid and other recovery resources.

What to do so you’re ready for a crisis

As part of your own disaster preparation:

• Keep a printed or handwritten list of essential phone numbers and your basic medical information somewhere easily accessible, where you’ll remember it.

• Agree on where family members will meet if communication is disrupted.

• Know your evacuation route options and make sure you have multiple ways to get emergency information.

Ask yourself: If I had to evacuate fast and couldn’t take my phone, what information would I need?

Then, make sure you have backups of that information in your emergency go-bag, ideally in a waterproof baggie or container to protect them.

That one question could reveal gaps in even a well-developed disaster plan.

And remember: During an emergency, save your cellphone for only essential uses to conserve battery power. If you don’t have a list of contact numbers with you, write down the most important ones while you still can.

Think about others who might need help

When you receive an emergency alert, remember, too, that not everyone around you might get the same warning.

When it is safe to do so, check on neighbors, friends or family, particularly those in more rural or isolated areas and those with less mobility. That can help information travel when technology fails.

Lee Ann Rawlins Williams does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.