How To Stay Connected During Weather-Related Disasters

(StatePoint) While the summer season often signifies the start of hurricane season and wildfires, the rise in natural disasters has made preparedness a year-long process. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administation (NOAA) reported 2021 was the third-most active hurricane season on record, with 21 named storms. According to CoreLogic, about one in every 10 homes in the United States was impacted to some degree by natural disasters in 2021.

Companies like T-Mobile have emergency response teams working tirelessly to ensure they are ready to keep communities, first responders and customers connected when it’s needed most.

T-Mobile works with weather forecasters, including StormGeo, to accurately track weather events and potential severity. T-Mobile’s network switches, data centers, points of presence and other critical sites are equipped with thousands of new backup generators, thanks to a multi-year network hardening investment that also added advanced relief and recovery tools in hurricane-prone areas. And its Network Operations Centers provide 24/7 monitoring so technicians and engineers can watch network traffic demands and weather impacts.

When it comes to weather-related disasters, even with all T-Mobile’s preparations and the network’s increased capacity, power outages and other service interruptions can still occur. The good news is that you can also take steps to ensure you stay connected during weather events:

• If you have a network connection, keep calls to a minimum and as short as possible.

• Send a text instead of making a call. Text messages get through more easily during times of congestion.

• If you have home broadband and power but no mobile service, turn on Wi-Fi calling, which allows T-Mobile, Sprint, and Metro by T-Mobile customers with capable devices to text and make and receive voice calls via any capable Wi-Fi connection. If you need to call 911 using Wi-Fi, be sure to give your address to the operator.

There are additional weather monitoring resources available to alert you of upcoming severe weather. You can receive the latest storm forecasts from NOAA’s National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center. You can also download The Weather ChannelTV app on your smart TV or streaming device. To learn more about how T-Mobile prepares for and responds to disaster events, visit T-Mobile’s disaster relief website at t-mobile.com.

Taking a few minutes to brush up on best practices during inclement weather will help keep you connected, come what may.