Having experienced the East Coast Earthquake and Hurricane Irene in succession I have observed a number of activities that hampered communications during these events. I would like to share some advice on communicating during events, both expected and especially unexpected.

1. Refrain from using the phone system, both land lines and cell. Both of these infrastructures suffered a denial of service (DoS) during the earthquake and for some time afterwards. Update your family/friend/work communication plan to include alternate methods of communication such as text messaging and social media. Text messages often go through even when cell calls aren’t. Instant messaging, twitter, and Facebook were working flawlessly during and after the earthquake and I used those methods to connect with people. This is how I found out the phone systems were down. People were tweeting that they couldn’t make calls and people were IMing me saying they were trying to call me. Use internet technology if it is available during the event to connect, let others know you are ok, and move on. Leave the phone lines for those who need emergency assistance.

2. Don’t call 911 unless it is a real emergency. Local 911 communications were also suffering from a denial of service because loads of people were calling to report the earthquake, or to ask if that was an earthquake. Do not call 911 unless you need emergency assistance.

3. Have a two-way radio/walkie talkie plan. We created a neighborhood two-way radio communication plan in the event of an emergency or cell/land line disruption. We agreed in advance on the channel to use for communicating and we break out the two-way radios when needed. You can get two-way radios now that cover many miles (for example 35 miles). Its a good idea to keep one in your car too.

4. Make sure these tips are incorporated into your business/IT disaster response plan. After the earthquake I heard many IT teams and businesses stating a huge flaw in their disaster plan. Most plans involve carrying a list of key personnel and their cell phone numbers. With cell service disrupted, team members without a backup plan were unable to communicate. Make sure to incorporate the tips above into your professional life as well.