Prepare / Internet outage
How do you prepare for an internet outage?
Almost everything a modern household does runs through a connection: money, maps, messages, work.
A serious outage does not make those needs disappear. It just moves them offline.
The preparation is cheap and mostly paper.
The first hour
- Check your cash. Card readers and digital payments may stop working; small bills and some coins make change when nobody has a till.
- Switch on a battery or hand-crank AM/FM radio for official information.
- Activate your family plan: the agreed meeting point and fixed daily check-in times.
- Get your paper contact list out. You will not be able to look numbers up online.
- Save your battery: pre-downloaded offline maps help, but never rely on the phone lasting.
What to stock
| Item | How much | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash in small bills | Enough for 1 to 2 weeks of essentials | Include coins. Making change is hard when nobody has a till. |
| Paper map and compass | 1 set per household | Practice with the compass before you need it. |
| Printed documents | 1 pouch per household | IDs, insurance, medical info, account numbers, and key phone numbers in a waterproof pouch with a spare house or car key. |
| Battery or hand-crank radio | 1 per household | Learn your local emergency station numbers now. |
| Written contact list | 1 copy per person | Phone numbers on paper, not in the cloud. |
| Two-way or CB radio | Optional, 1 set | Short-range contact for your group when phones are down. |
Skills to learn now
- Navigating on paper: your area's map, key landmarks, and the routes between home, work, and your meeting point.
- A family communication plan that needs no network: one meeting point, fixed daily check-in times.
- Knowing which local businesses you trust, with a written list of essentials to buy.
- Operating a two-way radio for short-range group contact.
If you have kids, elderly, or pets
- Children and elderly family members: add comfort items, extra warmth, and familiar routines, and increase your water and medication buffers.
- Pets: store a week or more of food per animal, any pet medication, and pack a leash or carrier with your emergency kit.
- Teach children the meeting point and check-in times. A plan only works if everyone knows it without a phone.
Common mistakes
- Keeping every phone number, account, and document only in the cloud.
- Holding no cash because cards always worked so far.
- Downloading offline maps but never practicing with the paper map and compass.
- Having no agreed meeting point, so everyone improvises in different directions.
FAQ
How much cash should I keep at home?
Enough small bills and coins to buy 1 to 2 weeks of essentials. Small denominations matter because making change is hard when nobody has a working till.
What documents should I print?
IDs, insurance, medical information, account numbers, and important phone numbers. Store them in a waterproof pouch with your cash and a spare house or car key.
How does my family stay in contact without the internet?
Agree on a meeting point and fixed daily check-in times in advance, keep a written contact list, and consider a two-way or CB radio for short-range group contact.
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