Winter storms can knock out your tech fast: Prepare now

Weather forecasters are informing that a large wintertime tempest is expected to interaction ample portions of the United States starting Friday. Forecasts telephone for snow, freezing rainfall and crystal stretching from Texas and the Southern Plains done the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and into the Northeast. This strategy is concerning due to the fact that it combines crystal accumulation, gusty winds and plunging temperatures. In galore regions, particularly crossed the South and parts of the Mid-Atlantic, infrastructure is not designed to grip prolonged crystal events.

That increases the hazard of extended powerfulness outages and disrupted compartment service. When the grid goes down, mundane tech becomes critical. Phones, alerts, vehicles and apps whitethorn beryllium your lone transportation to updates and exigency help. Preparing present matters acold much than reacting later.

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RUSSIAN WINTER STRIKE LEAVES NEARLY 800K HOMES WITHOUT POWER AND HEAT IN UKRAINE’S DNIPRO REGION

Ice storms tin instrumentality down powerfulness lines fast, leaving homes without energy and compartment work for hours oregon adjacent days.  (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Why crystal storms are particularly disruptive

Ice storms origin much harm than astir radical expect. Unlike snow, crystal sticks to everything and adds important weight. Ice builds up connected trees and powerfulness lines, causing branches to drawback and lines to fall. Utility crews often cannot statesman repairs until conditions improve, which delays restoration. Forecasters astatine Fox Weather pass that freezing rainfall crossed the South and interior Southeast could beryllium peculiarly damaging, portion snowfall and upwind farther northbound whitethorn dilatory exigency response. 

Even if compartment towers stay standing, networks often overload during terrible weather. When thousands of radical effort to telephone astatine once, connections fail. Texts and alerts usually person a amended accidental of getting through. That is wherefore you should presume you whitethorn beryllium offline longer than expected.

Immediate tech actions to instrumentality earlier the tempest hits

These steps are simple, but timing matters. Do them earlier the upwind conditions worsen.

Charge devices and hole backup power

• Charge each phones, laptops, tablets and artillery packs
• Fully complaint wearable devices similar smartwatches
• Turn connected Low Power Mode connected phones now
• Lower surface brightness to widen artillery life, and cheque retired these different tips to support your telephone artillery charged longer
• Make definite you person a reliable portable charger connected hand, similar those highlighted successful our 5 champion portable chargers for emergencies connected Cyberguy.com.
• For outages that could past days successful this wintertime storm, a bully generator tin support your location powered the longest and safest.
• Reliable lighting matters during storms and blackouts. Invest successful a high-output flashlight and hats with built-in lights that tin beryllium particularly utile erstwhile visibility is poor.
• Keep a battery-powered upwind vigor connected manus truthful you tin person exigency updates adjacent if powerfulness and compartment work spell out.

A afloat charged phone, astute powerfulness settings and a reliable portable charger tin support you connected aboriginal successful an outage portion longer-term location powerfulness solutions transportation you done the days ahead.

A pistillate walks with an umbrella successful the rainfall successful the Manhattan borough of New York, Feb. 5, 2014.  (REUTERS/Carlo Allegri)

Plan for offline connection and constricted compartment service

• Download offline maps for your area
• Save exigency contacts locally connected your device
• Write down cardinal telephone numbers connected paper
• Plan to substance alternatively of calling if networks are congested. Text messages usage little bandwidth and often spell done erstwhile calls fail.
• Cold upwind tin besides marque phones harder to use. Touchscreen-compatible wintertime gloves fto you enactment connected without exposing your hands to the cold.

Set up a household check-in program earlier the storm

• Agree connected circumstantial check-in times
• Choose 1 out-of-area interaction everyone tin message
• Avoid changeless calling, which tin overload networks

Clear expectations trim panic and unnecessary telephone use.

Make definite exigency alerts are enabled

Emergency alerts tin scope your telephone adjacent erstwhile apps and societal media cannot. They are designed to chopped done web congestion and present captious warnings.

How to crook connected exigency alerts connected iPhone

• Open Settings
• Tap Notifications
• Scroll to Government Alerts
• Turn connected Emergency Alerts
• Enable Always Play Sound
• Turn connected Imminent Threat Alerts nether Enhanced Safety Alerts

US POWER CRUNCH LOOMS AS OKLO CEO SAYS GRID CAN’T KEEP UP WITHOUT NEW INVESTMENT

Ice storms adhd dense value to trees and powerfulness lines, causing wide harm and outages that tin overwhelm repair crews and connection networks for longer than expected. (AP/Craig Ruttle)

How to crook connected exigency alerts connected Android

Settings whitethorn alteration depending connected your Android phone’s manufacturer

• Open Settings
• Tap Safety and exigency or Notifications
• Select Wireless exigency alerts
• Turn connected Severe threats and Extreme threats
• Enable Allow alerts and Alert sound

On immoderate phones, you whitethorn besides spot options for Public information messages oregon Emergency alerts, which should beryllium turned on. These alerts whitethorn see evacuation notices, structure updates and terrible upwind warnings.

Both iPhone and Android fto you preview alert sounds and settings successful these menus, truthful instrumentality a infinitesimal to trial them present and marque definite alerts are large capable earlier terrible upwind hits.

Know however to usage Emergency SOS connected your phone

If you request assistance during a wintertime storm, Emergency SOS tin interaction exigency services adjacent erstwhile you cannot unlock your telephone oregon marque a mean call. Set this up now. Do not hold until you are stressed, acold oregon without power.

How to acceptable up and usage Emergency SOS connected iPhone

• Open Settings
• Tap Emergency SOS
• Turn connected Call with Hold and Release oregon Call with 5 Button Presses
• Scroll down and adhd emergency contacts

To activate Emergency SOS during an emergency, press and clasp the broadside fastener and a measurement button, oregon quickly property the broadside fastener 5 times, depending connected your settings.

How to acceptable up and usage Emergency SOS connected Android

Settings whitethorn alteration depending connected your Android phone’s manufacturer

• Open Settings
• Tap Safety and emergency oregon Privacy and safety
• Select Emergency SOS
• Turn connected Use Emergency SOS 
• Choose however SOS is triggered, specified arsenic Require to swipe to call
• Add emergency contacts and medical accusation by clicking Emergency sharing settings 

On galore Android phones, pressing the powerfulness fastener 5 times volition trigger Emergency SOS. Emergency SOS tin telephone for help, stock your determination and alert exigency contacts erstwhile conditions are dangerous.

If compartment towers spell down during this storm, features similar Emergency SOS tin inactive assistance you scope exigency services. Our usher explains successful much item however these lifesaving settings work.

Apps you should person installed up of time

The close apps tin present captious updates erstwhile powerfulness is out, compartment networks are strained and societal media is unreliable. Install and acceptable these up before the tempest arrives.

Weather and terrible alert apps

• Fox Weather app: A trusted enactment for real-time forecasts, wintertime tempest alerts, radar tracking and location-based notifications. Make definite section alerts are turned on.
• MyRadar Weather Radar: A highly rated radar app that shows tempest question successful existent clip and sends propulsion alerts erstwhile terrible upwind is approaching your area.
• Storm Shield Severe Weather App: Delivers National Weather Service alerts based connected your nonstop location, akin to NOAA upwind vigor warnings, with wide propulsion notifications for wintertime storms and crystal events.
• NOAA Weather Radio apps (iPhone and Android): These apps watercourse authoritative NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts, providing continuous updates, watches and warnings straight from the National Weather Service. Weather vigor streams often stay disposable adjacent during large outages.

Using much than 1 upwind app tin springiness you redundancy if 1 work is delayed oregon overloaded.

Utility and outage tracking apps

• Your section powerfulness inferior app: Most utilities connection apps that let you to study outages, presumption outage maps and way restoration advancement successful existent time.
• FEMA App: Provides authoritative upwind alerts, catastrophe resources, structure locations and information guidance during terrible upwind events.

These apps tin corroborate outages, supply restoration updates and trim unnecessary calls to utilities erstwhile systems are overwhelmed.

Do not place conveyance tech and preparedness

Your conveyance whitethorn go a captious assets during extended outages.

Prep your car earlier conditions worsen

• Fill your state vessel early. A afloat vessel allows you to tally the motor concisely for vigor oregon charging if needed.
• Keep a telephone charger successful the car.
• Store a afloat charged portable powerfulness slope successful the mitt container oregon halfway console. This gives you exigency telephone powerfulness if your car artillery dies oregon you cannot tally the engine.
• Download upwind and roadworthy information alerts.
• Also, see buying a Snow brushwood and crystal scraper, jumper cables, a acceptable of 6 LED Road Flares Emergency Lights and a First Aid Trauma Pack with QuikCloth, truthful you are not caught disconnected defender successful an emergency.
• There are besides portable tech solutions designed to assistance you enactment lukewarm and powered during outages oregon roadside delays, including heated cogwheel worthy purchasing successful advance.

Storms besides bring scams and fraud attempts

Severe upwind creates perfect conditions for scams. Power outages, delayed responses and anxiousness marque radical much apt to spot messages that look urgent oregon official.

Fake inferior and restoration scams

Scammers often impersonate electric, state oregon h2o utilities.

• Texts oregon calls claiming your powerfulness volition beryllium restored faster if you pay
• Messages informing work volition beryllium unopen disconnected unless you enactment immediately
• Spoofed telephone numbers that look similar your section utility

What to know: Utilities bash not complaint fees to reconstruct powerfulness and bash not request outgo by text, acquisition cards oregon apps.

Emergency assistance and catastrophe alleviation scams

These scams spike close aft storms hit.

• Messages promising exigency funds, substance vouchers oregon edifice assistance
• Fake foundation links claiming to assistance tempest victims
• Social media posts asking for donations utilizing stolen images

What to know: Legitimate assistance is announced done authoritative authorities oregon well-known nonprofit channels, not unsolicited messages.

Fake delivery, substance and repair work scams

Storms disrupt mean services, which scammers exploit.

• Links claiming substance transportation is disposable successful your area
• Messages astir delayed packages that necessitate confirmation
• Ads for exigency location repairs that inquire for upfront payment

What to know: Do not click links oregon wage deposits without verifying the institution independently.

Charging your devices and lining up backup powerfulness present tin marque the quality betwixt staying informed during an outage and being chopped disconnected erstwhile the tempest hits. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

Account takeover and individuality theft attempts

Storm chaos makes it easier for attackers to gaffe done unnoticed.

• Password reset emails pretending to beryllium from banks oregon retailers
• Login alerts asking you to "secure" your relationship immediately
• Calls claiming suspicious enactment that propulsion you to stock codes

What to know: Never stock one-time codes oregon login details, adjacent if the connection looks legitimate.

How to support yourself earlier and during the storm

Taking a fewer precautions present tin assistance you debar costly mistakes erstwhile outages, delays, and scam messages commencement piling up.

1) Slow down and verify each urgent message

Scammers trust connected panic. If a connection pressures you to enactment fast, halt and verify it done a trusted source.

2) Avoid clicking links successful unsolicited messages and usage beardown antivirus software 

Go straight to authoritative websites oregon apps alternatively of tapping links successful texts oregon emails. Keep your operating strategy up to day and usage beardown antivirus bundle to artifact malicious links and fake websites.

The champion mode to safeguard yourself from malicious links that instal malware, perchance accessing your backstage information, is to person beardown antivirus bundle installed connected each your devices. This extortion tin besides alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your idiosyncratic accusation and integer assets safe.

Get my picks for the champion 2026 antivirus extortion winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices astatine Cyberguy.com.

3) Lock down accounts earlier outages hit

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) connected email, banking, and inferior accounts truthful stolen passwords cannot beryllium utilized alone.

4) Reduce your vulnerability with a information removal service

Many tempest scams enactment due to the fact that criminals already person your telephone number, code oregon email. Using a information removal work to opt retired of information broker sites tin trim however easy scammers people you during emergencies.

While nary work tin warrant the implicit removal of your information from the internet, a information removal work is truly a astute choice. They aren't cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services bash each the enactment for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your idiosyncratic accusation from hundreds of websites. It's what gives maine bid of caput and has proven to beryllium the astir effectual mode to erase your idiosyncratic information from the internet. By limiting the accusation available, you trim the hazard of scammers cross-referencing information from breaches with accusation they mightiness find connected the acheronian web, making it harder for them to people you.

Check retired my apical picks for information removal services and get a escaped scan to find retired if your idiosyncratic accusation is already retired connected the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

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5) Never wage to reconstruct powerfulness oregon person aid

Utilities and authorities agencies bash not complaint fees to reconstruct work oregon merchandise exigency assistance.

When powerfulness and net entree are limited, it is harder to verify messages quickly. That makes mentation conscionable arsenic important arsenic awareness. A small skepticism present tin forestall fiscal nonaccomplishment and individuality theft erstwhile assistance is hardest to reach.

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Kurt's cardinal takeaways

Winter storms tin crook tiny tech decisions into captious ones. Ice, powerfulness outages and overloaded compartment networks tin permission radical chopped disconnected faster than expected, particularly successful regions not built for prolonged wintertime weather. Preparing your devices, alerts, vehicles and accounts up of clip gives you much power erstwhile conditions worsen. It besides reduces panic and limits your vulnerability to scams that thrive during emergencies. A small readying present tin marque a large quality erstwhile assistance is harder to reach.

Have you taken steps to hole your tech for this wintertime storm, oregon did this checklist item thing you inactive request to do? Let america cognize by penning to america astatine Cyberguy.com.

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