Experts Warn 57% of Americans Lack Plans for Likely Power or Internet Outages
Updated
Updated · HuffPost · Jul 25
Experts Warn 57% of Americans Lack Plans for Likely Power or Internet Outages
2 articles · Updated · HuffPost · Jul 25
Summary
FEMA’s 2024 preparedness survey of 7,525 Americans found 57% are not prepared for disasters and are not planning to prepare, a gap experts say leaves households exposed to likely internet or electricity failures.
Robert Siciliano and other emergency specialists said outages are a matter of when, not if, citing cyberattack risks, an aging grid and regional brownouts that can disrupt power and connectivity for extended periods.
Sean Gold said households should build backup access before a crisis, starting with phone hotspots for short outages and satellite internet for wider failures; Starlink service runs about $80-$120 a month plus $349 in equipment.
Chris Reynolds said prolonged outages can also block access to bank accounts, ATMs and digital payments, prompting advice to keep small emergency cash reserves and separate backup payment options.
Jeremy Gocke urged families to set meeting points, check-in schedules and backup communication tools such as satellite messengers, radios or landlines so contact plans do not depend on the internet staying up.