Hurricane Isaias is coming, and Verizon just revealed how it plans to keep your phone connected
Verizon is preparing for the coming storm.
Verizon logo on a smartphone. | Image by PhoneArena
Tropical Storm Isaias is an active tropical cyclone that formed in eastern Mexico and is currently heading toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. When it makes contact with land, it could cause heavy rainfall, tornadoes, and strong winds. All of these could eventually take down cell service as well. Fortunately, carriers like Verizon are taking the necessary steps to ensure that you remain connected with your loved ones and first responders during this time.
Verizon released a post sharing everything it has planned to keep everyone connected when Isaias makes landfall. First of all, the carrier's engineers are reportedly tracking the storm 24/7 on their monitoring systems. It is positioning portable equipment near the storm-prone areas and has also stockpiled fuel to make sure that its generators keep running without any interruption, even if the local power supply gets disrupted by the storm.
In addition to everything mentioned above, the carrier has positioned important equipment, such as Cell on Light Trucks (COLT), MatSing Equipment on Wheels (MEOWs) and Business Inclusive Satellite Onboard Nomadic (BISON), in areas like North Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. These devices will be deployed if Isaias destroys cellular connectivity. The storm could also impact terrestrial fiber, so, to ensure that connectivity isn't hampered because of it, network traffic will be redirected using backup microwave assets.
It's being monitored regularly
Verizon also mentions that all its macro locations have backup batteries, in addition to backup generators. All of these measures will make sure that the cell sites keep operating as normal, even during the worst-case scenario of a local power grid failure.
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Other important preparation by Verizon
Furthermore, Verizon will work with specialized teams like DIRT to make sure the wireless connection is quickly restored if the storm causes major damage. Experienced volunteers and teams have been stationed in Pensacola to take care of the network traffic.
In situations like this, when the traditional cellular network is most likely to be impacted, satellite connectivity could turn out to be really helpful. Almost all the latest smartphones come with this feature, and Verizon mentions that its customers can take advantage of this capability on compatible devices to reach out to their loved ones and first responders through text messages. The iPhone 14 and later Apple phones are compatible with satellite connectivity. You just need to make sure that they are running on at least iOS 18.
Take advantage of satellite connectivity
It's available on the Samsung Galaxy S25 and the newer Galaxy phones as well. Pixel 9 and later Pixel phones also support this capability.
In situations like this, residents should also be prepared beforehand. You should make sure that all your devices, including smartphones, smartwatches, and power banks, are fully charged. Check the instructions on how to use satellite messaging so that you don't face any sort of inconvenience when the storm hits. You should also have important weather-tracking and news apps, as well as the American Red Cross safety app, installed on your phone, as they can turn out to be lifesavers in emergency situations.
Similar to Verizon, AT&T has also released a blog post explaining all the actions it is taking to ensure that its customers remain connected when Storm Isaias makes landfall. For instance, it is also testing and making sure that its backup batteries are functioning properly and that new generators are deployed and refueled at the cell sites.
What are other carriers up to?
The company's SVP, Corey Anthony, said, "Our priority during any disaster is the safety of our employees and keeping first responders, our customers, and communities connected." T-Mobile has also published a post explaining its course of action to tackle Isaias.
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