NEW ORLEANS — While there’s no active hurricane threat to Southeast Louisiana right now, we’re still in the thick of hurricane season.
And there are some preparations you can make way ahead of time with the device in your pocket.
We talked with Kourtney Garret-Blossom, AT&T Director of Sales for Louisiana, to give you some ways to use your smartphone to prepare for severe weather.
“Technology is here to help us during things like this, and during times of disasters,” Garrett-Blossom said.
- Your Camera Phone is your Best Friend
Take photos of important documents and save them to the cloud or to your notes app. You can include insurance documents, important medical information, and pet records.
Then use your camera phone to document your home. Take photos or videos of everything pre-storm, because you might need them for insurance later, especially if you’ve recently made updates or remodeled.
Then, stock up on selfies. Garrett-Blossom said having up-to-date photos of yourself and your family on hand could help if someone is looking for you after a hurricane.
- Head to the App Store
There are plenty of apps we all use on a daily basis to make life more convenient. When a hurricane hits, make sure you’re staying on top of breaking news and the latest forecast models. We recommend downloading the WWL-TV app and making sure you have push notifications turned ‘on’.
The Google Drive App is another good app to have in your digital hurricane kit. Use it to upload the photos or documents you saved earlier, and share them with family members who may need access.
The ‘Find My’ App, available on Apple devices, is also a good way to keep track of family and friends who may evacuate during the storm. It allows iPhones to see each others’ locations, with permission from both parties.
The Google Maps app on your phone will also allow you to save map areas for offline use. This is handy if you plan to evacuate and don’t know the area, or if you lose cell service or WiFi but still need to get around. You can find a full tutorial on how to do that here.
You can also sign up for alerts through NOLA Ready to make sure you have the information you need. Just text “NOLAREADY” to 77295 to get emergency alerts via text, email, or phone call.
- Charge Up and Back Up
As the storm gets closer, make sure to charge your devices. Garrett-Blossom recommends having an external battery or charger on hand, which can power devices long after the lights have gone out.
Before a hurricane hits, make sure your phone’s data is backed up so you can access it from another device if needed.
She also said that if cell towers stop working after a hurricane, you can log into your phone’s settings and switch to ‘WiFi Calling’. But remember, texting could be more efficient and leave phone lines for emergencies.
“If something were to come through, it’s always good to text versus calling. And the reason we recommend that is because if you do too many calls, those emergency calls that really need to go through – in order for us to get to loved ones or people that may be stranded or need some help, it’s going to make it a little bit harder for those calls to go through,” Garrett-Blossom said.
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