(AP) -- Phone service often cuts out when it's needed the most - when disaster strikes.
That applies to cellphones too, even though they seem independent of power and phone lines.
Here are some tips for communicating with emergency services and loved ones as Irene sweeps up the East Coast:
- Cellphones may work even if the power goes out, but you can't count on them. The phones themselves, of course, have batteries. And the cell towers that relay your calls and other messages are often equipped with backup batteries and some have generators. Verizon says all its sites have at least eight hours of backup power.
That applies to cellphones too, even though they seem independent of power and phone lines.
Here are some tips for communicating with emergency services and loved ones as Irene sweeps up the East Coast:
- Cellphones may work even if the power goes out, but you can't count on them. The phones themselves, of course, have batteries. And the cell towers that relay your calls and other messages are often equipped with backup batteries and some have generators. Verizon says all its sites have at least eight hours of backup power.