Verizon Wireless offers the following tips to help wireless customers prepare an emergency communications plan and stay connected in the event of an emergency:

• Purchase additional batteries and car-charger adapters for your wireless devices; make sure to keep the batteries fully charged.
• Keep phones, laptops, PDAs, batteries, chargers and other equipment in a dry, accessible location. It is a good idea to keep them in a sealable, plastic bag.
• Maintain a list of emergency phone numbers – police, fire, and rescue agencies; power companies; insurance providers; family, friends and co-workers; etc. – and program them into your phone.
• Distribute wireless phone numbers to family members and friends.
• Forward your home phone calls to your wireless number if you will be away from your home or have to evacuate.
• If your wireless device has texting capabilities, practice sending text messages. (Most have texting capability, but check before you need it.)
• Develop a systematic evacuation and communications plan with family and friends that includes what to do, who calls who, where to go and what supplies and items you will take with you.

• Limit non-emergency calls to conserve battery power and free-up wireless networks for emergency agencies and operations.
• Send brief text messages rather than voice calls —often text messages get through when wireless networks are overtaxed during a crisis.
• Check weather and news reports available through many Internet-connected wireless phones, and through other wireless phone applications, when power is out.

• Take photos or videos of all personal possessions for insurance purposes. * Have at least $200 in cash in the house for emergencies.
• Store several gallons of water.
• Make sure a trusted neighbor or friend has a spare key to your home, cars, boats, recreational vehicles and safe deposit boxes.
• Have an emergency plan for pets.
• Place emergency items in car trunk.
• Purchase enough food to last at least seven days in your home.
• Have two flashlights with extra batteries strategically located in your home.
• Purchase plywood to cover windows now.  

Source: Verizon Wireless, October 2010