A few weeks ago we had a big scare when hurricane Irma started heading towards Florida and it was not just scary but unnerving…All you could hear about was the storm and how much damage it was causing everywhere.
I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, so hurricanes and tropical storms were a big part of my life growing up and I never had any issues or got really scared during a hurricane, not even when hurricane George blew one of my windows and I ended up with water everywhere in the apartment.
But now, I am a mom with two children and live right next to the water and saying that I was on edge during the week prior to the arrival of the hurricane would be an understatement.
Be prepared and do not wait for the last minute
Never wait for the last minute to get the supplies and things you will need to keep you and your family safe and prepared for a hurricane.
Make a list of supplies that will get you through an emergency for a few days and even a week if possible.
Do not forget any regular medication you or any family member might be taking. It is also a good idea to keep a few over the counter medications like Ibuprofen for fever, antibiotic ointment and even some pepto for possible stomach issues.
Water and nonperishable foods!
One of the big things you need to be aware of, is that you will more than likely lose power and you need to make plans to be informed of what is going on outside and be alert at all times.
We stayed in our condo as did several other people in our community.
There are 2 buildings with over three hundred apartments and keeping in touch with each other was a priority for us, so we made a list of the people that were staying and their apartment number for these people.
Stay connected
We wanted to stay connected in case of something happening. Everyone has cell phones, but what do you do if the cell phone towers become inoperable? Some neighbors were going to download a walk-talkie app to their cell phone until they realized that if you have no internet and no cell phone signal, not only will it now work, but it would also kill the battery on your cell phone. We then thought that the best way to do so was through walkie talkies and we established a channel in which any resident staying for the hurricane could communicate with the rest of the community.
It was a real relief to know we could communicate even if we lost power or the phone reception.
The right devices
Walkie talkies are a great thing to have, but there are a few things to keep in mind when you are purchasing something like this and we found that a walkie like Motorola TALKABOUT T480
FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radios were just a great thing to have during an emergency like the hurricane Irma.
Why?
Very simple, these two way radios are a lot more than just a walkie talkie…They actually feature FM Radio as well as Two-way Radio that would keep you informed and updated about what is going on. The radio signal is really good and you can follow all the news updates so you know how things are going at any time, whether you have power or not.
The unit also features a very handy built-in LED flashlight that is amazing when you lose power as it can provide a small but good source of light to avoid stumbling and falling in the dark…As a matter of fact, this is one of my favorite features as the flashlight automatically turns on during a blackout if the unit is plugged in.
I keep my units on the charger at all times so they are ready to go in case of an emergency. The unit can be charged using the cable included with the unit. The base can stand or be mounted on the wall and the cable can be easily rolled up and tucked away at the bottom of the stand which makes it tangle free.
You can also use regular batteries to power up your radio in the event that you do not have an electric power source…I really like that and the fact that to open the battery compartment which is tightly close, all you need is a coin.
IP54 Weatherproof
To make the radios even more convenient, they have an IP54 weatherproof design, which protects it against of rain, snow and other weather conditions.
Easy to find channels. Two -way radios, have 22 Channels, each with 121 Privacy Codes, totaling 2,662 combinations, which makes it really easy to find an available channel.
More great features
I especially like the ask for help feature which I hope I never need and that allows you to press a button to transmit a siren followed by a spoken or secondary sounds to alert others of danger.
The two-way radios, are lightweight, have a great range and include a clip so you can easily attach them to your pants, belt or camping gear in case you are taking it on an outdoors adventure!
Win it!
Motorola Solutions has kindly offered one lucky Born 2 Impress reader, the chance to win 2 free Motorola TALKABOUT T480 FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radios
You know, the Sr600 IN-CAR POLICE VIDEO CAMERA could be pretty useful to civilians, too. In an age when people sometimes deliberately cause car accidents, that could be useful. –And these 2 Way Radios look great, too. We only use cell phones now, so when they are not working, an emergency is worrying. Before my Mom passed away, she was pretty ill, & I worried about her getting ill when something was wrong with the cellphone service (which happens too often.) My brothers family is right across the street, so these radios would’ve been great.
The TALKABOUT T600 H2O SERIES RADIO is another product I would like to own. It’s fully waterproof and has a 35 mile range, and would be a good set for my daughter and her husband who work as white water raft guides.
We definitely could have used these radios when we were deep in the woods picking berries over the summer. We went several times and got separated more than once. I hurt my ankle and had to call for my husband to help me out, it would have been awesome to have these then.
I would also like to try the Talkabout MT352TPR. I like the battery life. I love to use two ways when we are out jeeping or rock climbing.
I’d like to try the TALKABOUT T600 H2O SERIES! I think this would be perfect for the beach! These would be nice to own so I can give one to my husband while he is at the pool with my son & i’m at the beach with my daughter!
I would also like the TALKABOUT T600 H2O SERIES. It sounds like a great outdoor radio, good around water. Would be good to have for our travels and keeping in communication with each other. Some great products here!
My grandson races quarter midget cars. At the racetrack we are always looking for him when it’s time for his race. if he had one of these, we could just call him.
I like the talkabout t400. My brother and I went to PA a couple of years ago and these would have been handy when we were in separate vehicles.
We go hiking and camping and these would be wonderful to have! We would also love to have the TALKABOUT T600 H2O SERIES.
I just like the two way radios. These would be good to use when skiing.
We really need these at our house. We love to have children over from the family. They want to play all the time. They would love these so much. Thank you for the offer! I love your blog!
I’d like to have the T600 H2O Series. These would be great for keeping in touch with family and friends while hiking.
I would like to try the Talkabout T600 H2O radios. Thanks for the giveaway!
I’ve been wanting a dash cam for so long so I think I’d like to try the sr-600 in car police video camera. I like that it has 360 degree views. I live in California and the people drive like animals here so I bet I could get some cool videos.
I like the look and functionality of the Talkabout T100 Series. They come in bright colors and have an impressive range of up to 16 miles. I have always wanted a walkie talkie for when I’m in a camping situation and might not have cell phone reception.
I would love to try the talkabout h2o series! We could use these when we go hiking and camping. This would be perfect to keep in touch with the kids when we go kayaking too!
Sure could use these
Thanks for the giveaway! Would use MOTOROLA TALKABOUT T480 FRS/GMRS TWO-WAY RADIO for camping and of course emergencies. Would also like to try the TALKABOUT T600 H2O SERIES, waterproof and floating feature is always useful.
CONSUMER TWO-WAY RADIOS I alway lose my wife in the stores. she says where were you? standing in the same spot all the time. driving 2 cars.
Spending so much time at the lake…the Talkabout T600 H2O Series would be perfect for us also. I would love the T480’s for at home, with our little one venturing off with his friends as he gets older here…I would love to be able to be in contact with him at all times. These would be perfect and bring such peace of mind!
These would come in handy during natural disasters. After the shooting here in Las Vegas, keeping the lines of communications open when cell phones are overtaxed, would provide an alternate source of contact when separated. I would care these wherever I need to be in close contact…hiking, fishing, and all around exploring.
I haven’t been in a situation yet that I needed a two way radio in. But knowing that an emergency can happen at anytime, I can see the importance of having two way radios. Looking through the different two way radios on the Motorola web site; I think I would also like to have the Talkabout MT352TPR set of radios. Or the Talkabout T280 set of radios.
I would love to have these radios, we went on a cruise recently and it was so hard to stay in touch with each other on the ship. I saw other famili8es brought 2-way radios with them and they were working great.
I would also like to try the Talkabout MT352TPR. I like the battery life. I love to use two ways when we are out deep in the woods hunting.
I would like the LEX L10 MISSION CRITICAL LTE HANDHELD. I like that the device is encrypted.
I would also love to try the Talkabout T600 H2O Series. My family does a lot outdoors and this would be perfect to have around. You can never be too safe!
I’d like to have the T600 H2O Serie, good for hiking.
I would like to get the lte device. Communication is key in an emergency. this would be helpful
I like the Talkabout MT352TPR. It would be great in this family. I love the awesome battery life. Thank you
I would use the Motorola antenna, to go along with the walk-in talkies. The walk-in talkies would be so handy while hiking.
This would have come in quite handy when my parents and I were at the Renaissance R=Festical. They refuse to get a cell phone and when we were separated, it took me a good 30 minutes to find them. I’ve seen people use these when at amusement parks and camping…this is a great idea to keep in touch and be able to find each other. Using these when hunting is a no-brainer.
The Talkabout T400 radios have a range of up to 35 miles, weatherproof and up to 21 hours of talktime on 3 batteries. To me that is the ultimate in versatility. I could have used a radio many times. There are a lot of heavy duty storms where I live and I have family not far away, that at times I haven’t been able to contact.
I like the Talkabout T400 radios with a range of up to 35 miles, weatherproof and up to 21 hours of talk time with 3 batteries. I could use them in rain storms or when I’m on vacation.
I would like to have their Ultra-light Mag One Headset (PMLN4558). We have a pair and they came in handy when I was working on the electrical box in the basement and talking to wife to make sure power was killed in different rooms. So many uses for them!
The only thing I can see us using is the walkie talkies. My husband is a ham radio operator so we’d use those first in an emergency. But the walkie talkie would be handy on vacation to keep track of everyone.
We live in an area that has a lot of tornados. We also have farm animals so my husband has to go out to the animals and make sure they are safe and secure during storms. It would be really neat to have something like this to be able to communicate with him while he is out tending to the animals.
We could have used these radios when our family went hiking and one group got separated. I would also like to try the body camera
I’d like to have the T600 H2O Series. These would be great for keeping in touch with family and friends while hiking.
I would like to get the Talkabout T600 H2O Series because we can use them during all of our outdoor adventures and we don’t have to worry about them getting wet. My family could have used them on one of our camping trips last year when my son and his friend went off exploring on their own and they got lost. I was so scared and not knowing if they were safe or not was the worst feeling, these radios would have been so nice to have.
The CRYPTR 2 Broadband IP Encryption Unit Motorola’s CRYPTR 2 Broadband IP Encryption unit is well suited for use in broadband networks to provide reliable, end-to-end encrypted communications; sounds pretty cool – spy stuff!
With my husband’s job he could use one of the police in car cameras. We use two way radios when my husband and kids go next door to get in touch with each other for things like when food is ready.
I would be interested in The LEX F10. I recall being on a cruise and needing to talk with my father about a excursion or the following day…if we had two way radios rather than sitting and waiting for him back in the room, a lot of time would have been wasted.
This would be perfect for when my husband is out working in the yard and I’m in the house. This is awesome!
I love the Talkabout T600 H2O Series. This would have been great when we had storms here in NC and needed something that was waterproof and safe for the whole family.
i could use a 2 way radio now, given that we live on 100 acres! It would help me keep track of my husband. We don’t get great cell service but maybe this would work better.
would be great this hunting season when we do a deer drive. So we can know where each other is so we will be safe.
These would be great here during hurricanes. During the off season, we would also enjoy using them when going camping with the kids.
Talkabout T600.
I would like the Talkabout two-way radio it would be great for keeping track of my son! Especially in an emergency! R
I would like the LEX L10 MISSION CRITICAL LTE HANDHELD. I like that the device is encrypted for the radio
LEX L10 MISSION CRITICAL LTE HANDHELD!
I really like the Talkabout T100 Series. They look Simple, compact and easy to use by the entire family. We have a very large property to it would be easy to stay in touch with everyone outside instead of calling their phone. For the kids without a phone it would be easier than screaming my lungs out while hanging out the door! It would also be very useful when camping if the kids go off on their own.
The mission critical LTE handheld is nice too. These radios would be good for several reasons.
The TALKABOUT T600 H2O SERIES looks good too. bet my nephew wold have fun with them.
I like the talkabout M series two way radios. They sound like they would be very useful in emergency situations. I would feel more comfortable having them in my house for sure.
I like the talk about 200 series. They would work great for us while on our bike ride.
I wonder if I as a consumer could get the camera. Never know what can happen while out and about.
i like the APX™ P25 PORTABLE RADIOS. they are really nice.
camera if you can
I’d like to try the talk about h20 series. We used radios to keep in contact while doing disaster cleanup after a hurricane.
I also like the MINITOR VI Two-Tone Voice Pager that looks awesome! I could have used a two way radio once when my husband and I were hiking and we got separated..That gave me some anxiety!
talk about h2o
I need the dash camera.
If you could the police camera would be great. I had a car follow me for a while and this would of been great to have. The radio would have come in handy when camping and I needed to tell my friend something else we needed from the car and they had to walk a 1/2mile back to the car
I like these high quality two way radios. I think that it is an excellent edge for safety of every family. I would recommend them to all.
could have used it when we were hiking in the mountains and went two separate ways so we were lost for a little while looking for each other
I also like the Sr600 In-Car Police Video Camera. It looks like it would be really useful.
i would love to have a police body camera ! there really is alot that goes on daily would love to have that going on a daily!
i like the Talkabout T600 H2O Series because they are waterproof. I could have used these radios on family camping trips where there was no phone signal.
We could use this when we go camping. It would allow us to talk across the camp.
I’m interested in the pagers, or at least a good home system camera for security reasons.