Do this first: register for local alerts
Most counties run an alert system you sign up for, tied to the addresses you register. Add your home, your work and every school or daycare. Search for your county name plus "emergency alerts" to find the sign-up.
Leave Wireless Emergency Alerts switched on in your phone settings. Authorities use them to send short alerts to phones in a targeted area (Ready.gov).
Layers, from free to Best
| Layer | Good | Better | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warnings | County alerts; phone emergency alerts on | NOAA weather radio with battery backup | Same, plus a scanner app saved for offline use |
| News with no internet | A hand-crank AM/FM radio | ||
| Family contact | A group text and one out-of-area contact | Printed contact cards in every wallet and backpack | |
| Short range, cell down | None needed | FRS walkie-talkies | GMRS radios for neighborhood range |
| Navigation | Offline maps on every phone | A paper county map in each car | |
The out-of-area contact rule
Pick one relative or friend who lives outside your region. Everyone in the household calls or texts that person to check in. When local lines are jammed, a text or a long-distance call often gets through when a local call won't. Teach kids the rule: if you can't reach a parent, call the out-of-area contact.
Walkie-talkies and GMRS
FRS walkie-talkies work out of the box. GMRS radios reach farther and need an FCC license: you must be 18 or older, the license runs ten years, and any family member can then use radios in your licensed system (FCC).
What to look for
NOAA weather radio
- Alert mode that sounds an alarm for warnings
- County-level (SAME) programming
- Battery backup, ideally with hand-crank or solar charging
Walkie-talkies
- One radio per person who'd be separated
- Rechargeable, plus a way to run on AA batteries