Living as a Digital Nomad has risks associated with it. You need to think on your feet and make decisions quickly, depending on the situation. Natural disasters, such as tornadoes, typhoons, and earthquakes, are common in many regions of the world.
As someone who has lived in locations where natural disasters have occurred, I know it’s vital to be prepared.
Stay Calm and Assess the Situation
Firstly, stay calm and take time to assess the situation. The latest situation happened recently. While waiting for my approval letter for my Malaysia visa, I planned to fly to Bangkok, Thailand.
Less than 24 hours before my flight, an earthquake hit Bangkok, with the epicenter in Myanmar, some 750km away. The airport and public transport were instantly shut down, and the city was on a disaster alert due to potential damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Act Based on Your Gut Instinct
I imagined chaos at the airport with the risk of aftershocks and potential long taxi queues without public transportation.
After assessing the situation for a few hours, I postponed my trip to Bangkok. I changed the arrival date of my apartment rental to a week later and booked a hotel and flight to Singapore.
Never act on impulse. Instead, assess the situation and go with your gut instinct, which will never disappoint you.
How Digital Nomads Can Prepare for Natural Disasters
Vital decisions made during volcanic eruptions in Bali, typhoons in South Korea, and earthquakes in Taiwan, Japan, and Thailand have kept me safe and alert during these natural disasters.
I love being a digital nomad because I have the freedom and flexibility to move around and change my plans based on situations. So, what did I learn from these experiences?
Review the Situation
For three months, typhoons headed my way while I was in Busan. On my mobile phone, notifications appeared consistently throughout the day and night, but they were in Korean.
Of course, all of the local news was also in Korean, so I spent time translating the messages on Papago, a translation app, and I also found a few English-speaking news sites to find the latest news.
A similar situation occurred in Japan during Earthquakes. Gather as much information as you possibly can and keep informed.
Also, remember that I was staying in apartments, so the news flow would be much less than if you were in a hotel. My Airbnb host didn’t provide any information about the typhoons, never mind that they were imminent.
Most large cities have an English-speaking newspaper, so search online, but make sure it’s a trusted source of information.
Regarding trusted information, spending time scrolling on social media is addictive. Avoid this because there is much misinformation from people trying to get engagement and clicks. AI has made it even easier for people to create fake news around natural disasters.
Research Key Information
Use Google Maps to find key information, such as local medical centers, pharmacies, and the nearest hospitals. If you need medical help, knowing this information will help you get there as quickly as possible. Write down telephone numbers for Fire, Ambulance, and Police.
It’s advisable to have a local SIM card in your mobile phone, a third-party eSIM with a different provider, and a service like Devyce, which gives you a local mobile number on UK networks. If the local mobile network is out, people can contact you there.
You can also use messaging apps like WhatsApp.
Download Android or iOS apps like Earthquake, which was invaluable when traveling through Taiwan and Japan. MyRadar offers a real-time weather radar. Great for seeing storms and other weather events forming wherever you are in the world.
Based on your location, Disaster Alert offers an interactive map of global hazards, such as volcanoes, tsunamis, and earthquakes.
I mention Google Maps a few times in this blog post, but did you know you can save the city you live in as an offline map? Download the city; you can still navigate without an internet connection.
Zello turns your phone into a walkie-talkie. It’s great in areas with weak signals or during disasters. Bridgefy allows you to message via Bluetooth when WiFi or data is unavailable.
Enable emergency alerts in your phone’s system settings. Most phones can automatically receive government-issued alerts for your area (like tsunamis, wildfires, etc.).
Personal Safety is the Priority
Adherence to emergency protocols after reviewing the situation and researching up-to-date information is vital. Depending on the nature of the disaster, ensure that you are prepared.
Do not take any risks, and keep safe. I felt the shake from the earthquake in Taiwan and Japan, and my natural reaction was to think about rushing out of the building and into the street.
Instead, you must immediately drop to your hands and knees. Get under a sturdy table, desk, or other piece of furniture, or crouch against an inside wall. Stay in that position until the shaking stops.
My apartment in Busan was protected by triple-layer windows in the kitchen and living room during the typhoon.
Google Maps shared where the typhoon was and the expected route. This helped me understand when it would hit my neighborhood, so I stayed in my living room, away from the windows and doors.
Research the safety protocols and how you should deal with the natural disaster that you find up against and focus on keeping safe.
Keep Family and Loved Ones Informed
Update your family and loved ones. The news of a pending natural disaster will likely appear on their TV. The last thing you want them to do is panic, especially when you are without internet or electricity, and they cannot contact you.
Keep them informed throughout. Communication is essential, especially for elderly parents struggling with the situation.
Give them your address details and the telephone number of third parties like your Airbnb host or hotel reception. If they lose touch with you, they can contact others for updates.
Importance of an Emergency Fund
Many digital nomads live pay-day to pay-day, which is the worst idea. How will you afford to leave if you have no access to extra money like savings or an emergency fund and must quickly leave a country because of an impending natural disaster?
Save 10% of your net pay monthly into an emergency fund. Put money in a high-interest savings account, but ensure instant access to it should you need to withdraw it.
You have the money to pay for accommodation or flights when situations occur. Imagine your hotel is severely damaged by a storm or your flight is canceled due to an earthquake?
Create an Emergency Kit
You must have your essential items at hand. Ensure your passport, bank cards, bank notes, laptop, and charging cables are packed in a backpack. Buy a first-aid kit and pack that, too.
Write down vital information, such as emergency and contact numbers for your parents or loved ones. Pack a torch, a few bottles of water, and healthy snacks. Keep your mobile phone nearby.
Make sure that the backpack is near you at all times. Consider buying an Apple AirTag and keeping it in the backpack, as it could be used to locate you in an emergency. You need to plan ahead for all eventualities.
How Digital Nomads Can Prepare for Natural Disasters
Even without the fear of a natural disaster, trip planning is essential, and knowing about your destination before you travel is vital. Being unprepared can be the difference between life and death if you find yourself in a country with a typhoon, hurricane, or tornado season.
Writing a blog post about how to prepare for natural disasters wasn’t on my list of topics to focus on early on. Still, with recent events in Myanmar and Thailand, it felt like a good time to share my experiences and offer advice to help other digital nomads.