In the past five years, Texans have faced not only hurricanes, but also devastating flash floods, tornadoes, winter storms, and severe thunderstorms. Disasters that don’t just threaten property and safety, but also the systems we rely on every single day. As a seasoned emergency manager, I’ve witnessed first-hand how quickly power and communications infrastructure can vanish, in both metro and rural areas, leaving families isolated, anxious and unable to reach loved ones or access basic services.
While hurricanes grab the headlines, it’s often the sudden, severe events like flash floods, tornadoes, or wildfires that catch communities off guard. I’ve seen floodwaters destroy cell tower infrastructure and knock out critical power stations in minutes. In some rural counties, a single substation or tower might connect thousands of residents. Damage then ripples through the whole region, and the silence on the other end of your cell phone becomes all too real.
It’s not just winds, fire, and water. The infamous 2021 winter storm crippled power across most of Texas, leading to cascading failures in cellphone and internet service as batteries ran out and infrastructure froze. Whether it’s the aftermath of a derecho, an ice storm, a fast-moving grassland fire, or a barrage of tornadoes, these outages can last for days or sometimes longer.
During any large-scale emergency, cellular networks face two main threats: physical destruction and traffic overload. In nearly every crisis, we’ve seen cell towers or their power sources washed away, knocked down, or rendered inoperable.
But even when towers remain functional, cell networks almost always become saturated very quickly. Public safety professionals: police, fire, and EMS have priority access to make calls and use data on those towers to coordinate response aid for those in crisis. While this system is essential for saving lives, it also means that regular civilians can find themselves unable to send a text or make a call, sometimes for hours, days, or weeks. Those hyper-local towers weren’t engineered to handle the sudden influx of users, thus crashing the infrastructure. It’s like having ten people on an old dial-up modem.
We depend on internet and phone connectivity for nearly everything these days: banking, bill payments, food and pharmacy orders, even doctor’s appointments. When those connections fail, sometimes with little to no warning, life comes to a standstill for those without a backup plan. This is even more critical for those who are homebound and rely on connected services to monitor vital signs, oxygen levels, and more.
Let me ask you: If a flash flood took out the local power station tomorrow, how would you pay your bills, contact your bank, or refill a prescription? If tornadoes shredded the towers near your home, how would you keep up with changing news or let relatives know you’re safe?
Over the last five years, Texans have seen:
Each of these incidents left thousands of regular people unable to communicate, access news, or take care of daily needs.
Satellite internet systems like Starlink are becoming a viable, portable option for emergency backup and have restored connectivity in disaster zones where nothing else worked. But Starlink (or other satellite services) only helps if you have it set up in advance and know how to use it. There is also a monthly subscription required.
Radios, whether it's ham radio, GMRS, FRS, or neighborhood mesh networks like Meshtastic can keep you in touch locally during regional outages. Each has its own learning curve and limitations, but they work best when they’re practiced ahead of time.
The bottom line is: No single technology fits every need. What counts is that your family has a backup plan tailored to your situation.
Build Your Plan—And Practice It
Ask yourself:
Write down phone numbers and addresses. Don’t trust only your phone’s contacts app.
Establish a communication tree: who checks in on whom, and by what method if phones don’t work.
Set up and test your backup tech before an emergency. Show everyone in the family how to use it.
Keep backup batteries and charging options on hand where you know they are.
Practice your plan as part of everyday life. Combine it with a camping trip, a long drive, or a routine power outage. That’s the only way to make sure it works under pressure.
Every disaster reminds us: technology is wonderful - until it isn’t. Having a plan isn’t just about comfort; it’s about survival, resilience, and peace of mind when the worst happens. As someone who’s seen technology fail neighbors, colleagues, and even first responders, I urge you, don’t put this off for the next storm, flood, wildfire, or power failure. Take steps now, rehearse with your family, and be ready for whatever Texas weather throws our way.
Because when the grid goes down, your plan might be all that stands between confusion and confidence.
For additional resources on making your emergency communication plan, connect with your city or county emergency management office, local ham radio clubs, or search for “Meshtastic” to plug into local networks.
Stay safe, stay connected, and most importantly, stay prepared, Texas.
Editor’s Note: The above guest column was penned by Jason Arms, a San Antonio-based risk assessment and crisis management expert dedicated to building community resilience. In his work, Arms evaluates emergency and continuity operations plans against rigorous federal NIMS standards. With extensive technical experience conducting IT (data/security/P25 radio infrastructure) reviews and cybersecurity audits mapped to NIST frameworks, Arms works to ensure systems remain secure and resilient before a disaster occurs. Leveraging decades of operational safety expertise and specialized industry certifications, he actively guides organizations and communities through proactive crisis planning, logistics management, and strategic infrastructure defense to minimize severe communication disruptions.
