Maintaining a Mobile Lifestyle despite Disaster
Using technology to get things done is great. But becoming dependent on electricity isn't. Most of us will be caught off-guard when a disaster strikes and cuts of services, realizing how much we rely on our gadgets when we suddenly can't use them.
That happened to a lot of us over here in the Philippines when Typhoon Xanasage (known locally as Milenyo) struck. It was the strongest typhoon in 11 years, and basically left half the country without power-and thus connectivity. A lot of people don't see their gadgets as expensive toys to show off, but crucial tools that get the job done. Without power and internet access, these tools simply can't be used.
I found myself on a quest for electricity and connectivity, traveling between restaurants, cafes, malls, and even friends' houses (services were restored in some areas sooner). Most of my living depends on the Internet; aside from writing for this blog, I also work for foreign clients. It was a hard journey, but I learned:
Not to Go Out Until It's Safe. Before I begin, let me make it clear I'm not saying that braving the elements is ok. Milenyo was strong enough to uproot oak trees and tip over steel-framed billboards. Most of the fatalities involved people who were unfortunately caught outside when heck broke loose. Embark on your quest only when the danger has passed.
Why Wireless is Great. A lot of us know the advantages of wireless over wired: cheap to build and maintain, easy to put up, yada yada yada. But seeing ruined power poles everywhere made it clear how wireless is more reliable. That's why our GSM networks continued working, despite power, cable TV, and even landline failures. There were deadspots here and there, but grateful subscribers kept in touch wirelessly. A friend even did some surfing via GPRS.
Keep Your Stuff Charged. People usually charge their gadgets when they're almost out of battery. I say charge whenever you can, especially with today's power-hungry gadgets that last only a day (and laptops that only last a few hours). Staying near a socket for while? Plug in your gadget(s), because you never know when the electricity will give out. Ok, this may sound a little paranoid, but it's always better to have and not need, than to need and not have.
Extra Chargers Are Your Best Friend. Spending a little money for extra chargers won't hurt. You'll be sure everything's charged up no matter where you are, at work or home. I'd also really recommend getting car chargers for all your gadgets. That way, when you're driving around town on your quest for internet access, you'll have all the power you need once you've found connectivity.
Portability is King. As the typhoon struck, people working on their desktops found themselves out of luck when the blackouts started. I've noticed, from personal experience and friends' "war stories," that portable gadgets-especially smartphones and PDAs- allowed us to adapt to the disaster and keep working, since we were able to bring our work around.
Hopefully, what I've written here will help you cope when disaster strikes. If there's anything I learned from my Milenyo experience, it's that you should never take power and internet access for granted, especially when you rely on these things to get the job done.
PDA Reviews Ed
October 5th, 2006 at 9:09 am #
Excellent tips. I can remember the blackout we experienced here three years ago. It would have been nice to have been more prepared. I know that I was definitely wishing we had an emergency generator on hand.
Rico
October 6th, 2006 at 12:31 am #
You know what I wish? I wish there was a way to broadcast power, so that we’d no longer need to use wires. That’s the only way I think power failures due to knocked down wires will become a thing of the past.