Texting Loved Ones During an Emergency

Most wireless phones today are text messaging capable and permit the sending of short messages (also known as text messages) between mobile phones, other handheld devices, and even landline telephones.

During an emergency, such as a natural disaster, voice networks can become congested or overloaded with an influx of people trying to call each other. Unfortunately, this may result in people not being able to talk to people they need or want to talk to, such as friends and loved ones.  In some rare instances, this also can result in emergency service personal not being able to communicate with each other.

Text messages, however, use far less bandwidth than a normal voice call and therefore, are more reliable in trying to communicate with loved ones in these types of circumstances. So, even if a network is over congested with voice calls, your text message to your friends and family will have a much higher likelihood of getting through than a phone call. It also means that during an emergency, you are freeing up the voice lines for public safety officials to use.