The Day the Screen Went Dark

10 Practical Things to Do When the Next Outage Hits

If you’ve been listening to Flow of Wisdom for any length of time, you’ve heard me come back to this idea again and again:

Our systems work—until they don’t.

This isn’t about fear. It’s about awareness.

Recent events have made that painfully clear. The 2026 outage involving Verizon left over a million people without service for hours. Puerto Rico endured a 100-day power blackout that forced hospitals, homes, and entire cities into survival mode. Even emergency alerts and payment systems failed.

And pop culture didn’t imagine this out of nowhere. In Leave the World Behind, the warning was simple: when communication fails, confusion spreads—and panic follows.

So let’s cut through the noise.

Here are 10 practical things you can do if another major outage hits—not to scare you, but to steady you.

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1. Keep Physical Cash on Hand

When power goes out, so do ATMs, card readers, and mobile payment apps. The Federal Emergency Management Agency specifically recommends keeping emergency cash because electronic systems are often the first to fail.
👉 https://www.ready.gov/financial-preparedness

Ask yourself: If my phone stopped working right now, could I still buy food?

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2. Print What You Can’t Afford to Lose

IDs, insurance policies, mortgage info, medical paperwork—if it only lives in the cloud, it doesn’t exist during an outage.

FEMA advises maintaining physical copies of critical documents in case digital access disappears.
👉 https://www.ready.gov/documents

Redundancy isn’t paranoia. It’s planning.

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3. Rediscover the Radio

When cell towers go quiet, the radio still talks. This is why I would tell my students, when they say “radio is dying.” I laugh because in situations like this, the world will rely on the radio to get its information.

The Federal Communications Commission emphasizes that broadcast radio remains one of the most reliable ways to receive emergency information during outages.
👉 https://www.fcc.gov/emergency-communications

If you don’t own a radio, remember this: your car radio still works.

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4. Know the Limits of “SOS Mode”

Most smartphones can still attempt emergency calls when networks are partially down. But here’s what many people don’t realize: 911 may not be able to call you back.

The FCC has issued advisories about this exact limitation during network disruptions.
👉 https://www.fcc.gov/911

That means you need a plan—not just a phone.

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5. Text Before You Panic

Voice calls require more bandwidth than text messages. During outages, SMS often goes through when calls fail.

The FCC recommends using text or Wi-Fi calling when available to reduce network congestion.
👉 https://www.fcc.gov/emergency-communications/wireless-emergency-alerts

Quick question: Who do you actually need to reach first in an emergency?

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6. Prepare for “Generator Reality”

Puerto Rico showed us what happens when outages last longer than expected: backup power becomes essential.

The U.S. Department of Energy notes that generators and battery backups help maintain food safety, medical equipment, and sanitation during extended outages.
👉 https://www.energy.gov/oe/emergency-preparedness

This isn’t about luxury. It’s about continuity.

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7. Carry Your Medical Story With You

Hospitals rely heavily on electronic health records. During outages, those systems may be inaccessible.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises keeping a written list of medications, allergies, and conditions.
👉 https://www.cdc.gov/emergency/medical-information.html

Doctors can’t treat what they can’t see.

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8. Stock for Stability, Not Panic

This isn’t about hoarding—it’s about time.

The American Red Cross recommends having at least three days of food and water per person, ideally more.
👉 https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies.html

Ask yourself: What if help is delayed—not absent, just delayed?

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9. Protect Mental Health, Not Just Devices

Extended silence does something to people.

No streaming. No scrolling. No distraction.

The American Psychological Association highlights how uncertainty and isolation during emergencies can heighten anxiety—especially in children.
👉 https://www.apa.org/topics/disasters-response

Books, games, music, and physical media aren’t outdated. They’re grounding.

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10. Don’t Let Fear Make Decisions for You

Every outage creates two groups:
• People who prepared
• People who panic

Prepared people don’t spread misinformation. They don’t spiral. They don’t turn on each other.

As I’ve said on Flow of Wisdom for years:
Fear is contagious—but so is calm.

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Final Thought

This isn’t about living scared.
It’s about living ready.

If this post made you pause, that’s intentional.
If it made you uncomfortable, ask yourself why.

And if sharing it helps someone avoid panic the next time the screen goes dark—then it served its purpose.

Preparation isn’t fear.
It’s wisdom.