Overview

Hurricane Irene Planning Tips

Our customers' and employees' safety is a top priority. To help customers prepare, AT&T is providing important communication tips for use before, during and after a storm.

Keep your wireless phone batteries charged at all times. Have an alternative plan to recharge your battery in case of a power outage, such as charging your wireless device by using your car charger or having extra mobile phone batteries or disposable mobile phone batteries on hand.

Keep your wireless phone dry. The biggest threat to your device during a hurricane or tornado is water, so keep your equipment safe from the elements by storing it in a baggie or some other type of protective covering.

Have a family communication plan in place. Designate someone out of the area as a central contact, and make certain that all family members know who to contact if they become separated. Most important, practice your emergency plan in advance.

Program all of your emergency contact numbers and e-mail addresses into your mobile phone. Numbers should include the police department, fire station and hospital, as well as your family members.

Forward your home number to your wireless number in the event of an evacuation. Because call forwarding is based out of the telephone central office, you will get incoming calls from your landline phone even if your local telephone service is disrupted at your home. In the unlikely event that the central office is not operational, services such as Voicemail, Call Forwarding, Remote Access call forwarding and call forwarding busy line/don't answer may be useful.

Track the storm and access weather information on your wireless device. Many homes lose power during severe weather. If you have a wireless device that provides access to the Internet, you can watch weather reports through AT&T U-verse Live TV or keep updated with local radar and severe weather alerts through My-Cast® Weather, if you subscribe to those services.

Camera phones provide assistance. If you have a camera phone, take, store and send photos - even video clips - of damaged property to your insurance company from your device.

Take advantage of location-based mapping technology. Services such as AT&T Navigator and AT&T FamilyMap can help you seek evacuation routes or avoid traffic congestion from downed trees or power lines, as well as track a family member's wireless device in case you get separated.

Hurricane Season 2011

We want to be able to respond swiftly when disaster strikes, so we're constantly working to maximize network reliability through extensive preparations.

AT&T continues to enhance network redundancy in hurricane-prone areas. These efforts include installation of more back-up and permanent generators at critical cell sites and switching facilities, location of critical equipment to less vulnerable areas, upgrade of electronics in many locations, replacement of copper wiring with fiber optic cable, elevation of switches critical to network operations above expected flood levels and protection of physical facilities against flooding.

Read our hurricane preparedness tips for consumers and small business owners.