Dodge The Disaster: A Five-Step Guide To Technology-Based Disaster Preparation

Disasters are unpredictable and unpreventable. Being prepared to face the inevitable, whenever it strikes, is definitely judicious. In the modern-day world of incredible breakthroughs in every field, technology has progressed with rapid strides and given us the ingenious ways to safeguard against disasters. Read on to learn the five simple steps and ways in which you can harness the power of technology to keep disaster at bay.

Cover the Basics

The FEMA app is the most basic disaster preparation tool that can be of immense use in times of need.  It enlists information for all the known disasters and what you need to fight against them – including details of checklists, meeting places, maps, and so on. It is available free of cost on Android and iPhone. Many first aid apps are also available that describe directions for particular cases.

Finding Your Kith And Kin

When disaster strikes, you would naturally wish to ensure that your loved ones are safe and sound. Family organization apps have been developed keeping this in mind. They provide the location of your friends and family members after you call them. The Lost Person Finder is another app which is integrated with the database in the United States National Library of Medicine’s People Locator website.

Keep a Tab on The Necessities

Keeping a sufficient stock of water and food items in hand would prove to be really wise when disaster strike. These commodities are indispensable in times of disaster and a boon in hard times. Technology has helped with this aspect of disaster management as well. For example, one gadget that makes sure you get pure drinking water is the SteriPEN. All you have to do is put it in a glass of water and behold – the water is cleansed in no more than a minute!
An app called Wild Edibles furnishes information regarding recipes and the natural food items which are good to eat and how can they be eaten in times of need. Red Cross provides an app called Shelter View, which allows you to locate the nearby shelters and their capacity.

Survive the Dark, Cold, Disconnected World

Disasters may often deprive you of heat, light, and electricity. Technology has provided quite a few innovative answers to this problem as well. For instance, the LuminAID is a solar, inflatable source of LED light. It is convenient, light, waterproof and not a pocket-strain.

Having an extra battery on your phone, turning off Wi Fi to conserve battery, using voice messages to inform friends and family of your status and other such simple tactics can also be of help in times of disaster. One all-round solution to disaster preparation with your phone is the VAULTkase, which is an iPhone case equipped with tools like a 2GB USB flash drive, etc.

Be Informed

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are precautions and warnings with respect to natural and man-made disasters, which are sent by the concerned government authorities to your phone in the form of SMSes. Having these systems activated on your phone can be of great help.

Take the aforementioned steps and you shall be well-equipped to survive most of the disasters!