Dealing with disasters increasingly requires a smartphone – losing access can be a nightmare, but there are ways to prepare

Dealing with disasters increasingly requires a smartphone – losing access can be a nightmare, but there are ways to prepare

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 d…