August 30, 2019
Whether it’s at home, or at the office keeping your devices safe is a top priority during a natural disaster. Besides being your lifeline, they also contain important information that you want to keep safe. So, let's look at a few ways of making sure your devices weather the storm.
Keeping dry is crucial to avoid damage to your devices. Moisture is public enemy #1 for all electronics, and during a hurricane there's multiple ways your devices could come I contact with water. One way to prepare is to put your devices in airtight plastic containers in an elevated location away from any windows.
Don’t leave devices plugged in, because not only are they vulnerable to water damage by flooding but a power surge could fry them. Seal up cables, batteries, and chargers in Ziplock's to keep them safe from water damage. Throwing in silica packets is a great way to prevent humidity and moisture build up and are available at most hardware stores.
The one thing you should do immediately after learning about a natural disaster coming your way is to perform backups of all your devices. Both physical and to the cloud in order to increase your chances of keeping your information safe from danger.
You should also double check the backups you perform periodically to make sure that they have been saved properly. Because if the worst comes to happen and your physical devices are compromised you will still be able to access your information and get it downloaded to a new device.
Your devices are your lifeline in cases of an emergency, which means you need to conserve battery life and extend it as much as possible. Buying an external battery and keeping it charged is a great way to make sure that you will have access to your device even if your power goes out in case you need to contact someone. And if you still have power make sure you are only charging your devices from a power surge protector, so you don’t fry your devices if there is a surge.
Download helpful map apps that can help you locate the nearest hospital or emergency centers. If you don’t have access to a radio or tv you can find apps that can get you the information that you need. If you’re having trouble finding gas, there’s also apps that can let you know where people recently found it called GasBuddy.
Technology is a great asset during a natural disaster because it gives us not only a direct line to help and support but can keep us updated on the current news. It can make the difference in an emergency, so you should keep your devices charged up and safe.