How do I still get information and reach people?
You do not need every kind of radio. Start with a free family plan, then add only the communication layers your household actually needs.
Make the plan before you need it
FEMA recommends keeping a paper copy of household contact information and making sure family members carry a copy in a wallet, purse or backpack. Our versions keep the essentials short enough to actually use under stress.
Print Family Emergency Plan →Print Wallet Cards →Why these free steps matter
During a regional emergency, calls may fail or networks may be overloaded. Texts can sometimes get through when calls do not. A paper plan still works if a phone is dead, lost or inaccessible. Everyone should know where to meet and who the out-of-area contact is before an emergency starts.
1. Hear emergency information
You want more than one path to local information. NOAA radio is excellent for weather and alerts. A small battery-powered television with an over-the-air antenna can be another surprisingly useful layer because local broadcast stations do not require your home internet connection.
If you already own a small TV, check whether it has an antenna input and test local over-the-air channels now. If the TV needs household power, know which battery station or inverter can run it. Keep an AM/FM radio as a lower-power backup rather than making television your only information source.
Raynic CR1009 Solar Crank Radio
This is the inexpensive hand-crank radio we own. It packs NOAA weather reception, AM/FM/shortwave, a 5,000mAh rechargeable battery, flashlight, reading lamp, SOS siren and emergency USB phone charging into one small box. It can run from its rechargeable battery or AAA batteries, with hand-crank and solar as backup charging methods.
Raddy SL10 Emergency Radio
Spend more when weather resistance and extra capability matter. The SL10 adds an IPX6 water-resistance rating, 10,000mAh battery, AM/FM plus all seven NOAA weather frequencies, USB-C charging, hand-crank and solar backup, a 360-degree lantern, flashlight, Bluetooth speaker and USB phone charging.
Find Raddy SL10 on Amazon →Manufacturer details →Midland WR120
A simple S.A.M.E. NOAA alert radio. Program your county and leave it plugged in with backup batteries. This is the better choice if your priority is a dedicated radio sitting at home waiting to alert you.
Buy on Amazon →2. Talk to family or neighbors nearby
Rocky Talkie Mountain Radio
You are talking directly to another person with a compatible FRS radio, such as a partner, child, neighbor or another car in your group. You generally need at least two radios unless the other person already owns one.
This does not automatically reach 911. Terrain, hills, trees and buildings can dramatically reduce range, so test the places you care about.
Find Rocky Talkie on Amazon →Manufacturer details →3. Reach someone far away when local networks fail
ZOLEO
Pair it with your phone for two-way messaging over the Iridium satellite network when cellular and Wi-Fi are unavailable. It also has check-in and SOS functions.
Buy ZOLEO on Amazon →Garmin inReach Messenger Plus
A more capable satellite messenger that can add photo and voice messaging through the Garmin Messenger app with a compatible phone.
Buy on Amazon →4. Want ham capability?
TIDRADIO TD-H3
This is the compact starter radio we own and are currently learning. It is a 5W handheld with USB-C charging/programming, Bluetooth phone programming, repeater capability, NOAA weather reception, scanning and a 2500mAh rechargeable battery. It is inexpensive enough to learn on without committing to a big radio setup.
You can own it and listen without an amateur-radio license. In normal U.S. use, transmitting on amateur frequencies requires the appropriate FCC amateur license. Learn the controls, program local frequencies and repeaters, and practice legally before you ever need it in an emergency.
5. Keep your phone useful without service
Download offline maps before a storm or trip. Save critical addresses, contacts, medical information and meeting locations locally. GPS can still determine your position without cellular data, but the map itself needs to already be stored on the device.
Also download the things that keep people occupied. Save a few movies, shows, podcasts, audiobooks, music playlists and kid entertainment directly to devices while broadband still works. Audio generally lets you stretch limited battery much farther than hours of screen use.
Download maps before you need them →6. Make a tiny offline instruction library
Do not assume Google will be available when you finally need the equipment you bought. Print or save offline the short instructions for your generator, inverter, power station, radios, water-treatment method and any unfamiliar emergency equipment.
For communications, write down local frequencies or channels you intend to monitor, family radio channels, important phone numbers and the exact steps needed to activate or use less-familiar equipment. Put paper instructions with the device whenever possible.
NOAA + local broadcast = hear what is happening.
FRS radios = talk to your own people nearby.
Satellite messenger = reach people beyond the local outage.
Ham = powerful, but requires learning.
Offline phone + paper = navigation, instructions and information when networks disappear.
Before you put the gear away
1. Charge it.
2. Activate anything requiring a subscription.
3. Program contacts and channels.
4. Test it where you expect to use it.
5. Put the instructions and charging cable with the device.
6. Test the antenna and local broadcast channels before an emergency.