The study found that 80 percent of those polled agree that it is extremely important to be prepared in the event of a natural disaster, and 56 percent are more prepared for a natural disaster than they were last year. Yet, more than 35 percent of respondents said they are not confident that they will be able to find a way to communicate with friends and family in an emergency.
When asked what technologies they would have at their disposal to use if either a home phone or wireless phone were not accessible during a natural disaster, respondents named voice mailbox as their No. 1 choice (54 percent), followed by wireless phone with instant messaging (44 percent), Wi-Fi access or a wireless Internet connection (38 percent) and prepaid long distance phone cards (38 percent).
When asked what communications tools are essential for respondents to maintain and use in a disaster, the following topped the list: phone numbers for all key contacts (73 percent), car charger for wireless phone (71 percent), noncordless phone to plug in to landline if electricity fails (60 percent) and an extra wireless phone battery (46 percent).
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