Coastal states in India like West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha along with Andaman and Nicobar Islands are bracing for cyclone Yaas. The cyclonic storm is expected to make landfall on the coming Wednesday, May 26, 2021. It is important for residents in these regions to prepare accordingly to avoid major inconveniences. Cyclones usually cause disruptions in power and water supply. Also, telecommunications, internet services and other essential services may also get affected during a cyclone. Here are a few things you must take care of while preparing for cyclone Yaas.
Few steps you can take to avoid inconvenience during Cyclone Yaas:
- Keep your smartphones and power banks fully charged: It is important to keep all smartphones and power banks fully charged, so that you don’t run out of battery while making crucial calls. Also, it may be a good idea to keep a backup phone fully charged and switched off. Or, if you don’t have a spare handset, switch off one phone of any one of your family members and keep it for emergency use.
2. Disabling the 4G and 2G internet connection on your phone may help you save phone battery for even longer. So, for a day, keep your phone aside or at least use it on power saver mode with minimal brightness.
3. Backup all your important documents and files on Google Drive, iCloud or any other cloud storage app as a precautionary measure. Ensure that the physical copies of all these documents are kept safe in a waterproof pouch. You can also save your IDs on DigiLocker.
4. Use a portable Wi-Fi hotspot, if possible: In case of power cuts, your home Wi-Fi will stop working as most routers/modems need a power source. In this case, having a portable mobile hotspot with rechargeable battery will come handy when you need to use internet services.
5. This is very crucial. Keep an emergency light source handy. You can opt for LED lights that work by charging on mobile phones and power banks if you don’t want to invest in expensive battery-powered lights. It is also a good idea to keep candles and matches handy, in case all else fails.
Apart from gadget emergencies, one must also keep Bisleri cans ready as the cyclone may affect the water supply.
