Quote Originally Posted by bmccasland View Post
One thing we learned after Hurricane Katrina - cell phone towers get clogged, or go down completely. So have an emergency contact number with someone in a different area code. I have friends who live here (New Orleans metro area), but now have cell phone numbers from Texas - where they bought new phones while they were evacuated post storm.
In terms of standard POTS (plain 'ol telephone service) a little known factoid is central office systems were never meant to provide dial tone for everyone whose lines are served outa the CO. When disaster strikes our instinct is to pick up the phone and call our Mom and Dad's or someone.

When everyone does that at once .... you overload the system and it just plain goes kaflump. It's the same for your cell tower regardless of who/where you call.

If you simply must call within the first 72 hours or so pick up the phone .... if there is no dial tone wait. Don't hang up. It'll be a while. Don't hang up. It should be there. Then call that one person your family has already established as the emergency contact when you did the family emergency drill. Cause you all have each others numbers, right?

Tell them you're ok .... or not. If not tell them what you need and let them take care of it.

The other thing I think we've all learned from Katrina is in a true emergency, Cat 5 tornado, 8.0 quake .... you may be on your own for a while.

Are you prepared? http://72hours.org