Dealing with disasters increasingly requires a smartphone – losing access can be a nightmare, but there are ways to prepare

In the span of a week in August 2026, powerful storms and deadly flooding knocked out power to a half-million people across the Midwest; Tropical Storm Lala cut power to thousands more in Hawaii amid dangerous wind and flooding; wildfires forced evacuations in the western U.S.; and a powerful earthquake struck Colombia. All were reminders of how quickly ordinary routines can give way to crisis, and how crucial mobile phones are today as people deal with disasters. Smartphones have become part…