5 Real-life inReach Experiences: Extreme Weather

Whether you’re at home or deep in the backcountry, weather can be unpredictable and take even the most prepared individuals by surprise. Read on to see how these customers used their inReach® satellite communication devices¹ for help during dangerous weather events.

Hurricane

“I live in Louisiana, on the coast that was devastated by the category 4 Hurricane Ida. My hometown was far enough from the storm to only sustain minimum damage, but 15 miles east was without power, fuel and cellphone service. When I left every morning to drive east for the cleanup effort, my inReach device kept me in contact all day with family back home and helped me coordinate generator, fuel, and food and water drop-offs. I texted all day and came home after a 14-hour day with around 83% battery left. When every form of communication was down, inReach delivered.”

Robert Franklin

Flood

“2021 was a year of climate catastrophes for me. I live in the southern interior of British Columbia. In July and August, several huge wildfires surrounded our home for weeks on end. At one point, the fiber cable that provides both landline and cellular service into our area was severely damaged by fire. Fortunately, I was able to send text messages to friends and family using my inReach device.

Those fires were followed in November by a catastrophic flood of the Nicola River, which destroyed the highway and washed away close to 90 utility poles. All of a sudden, we had no power and no communications. Houses were washed away, and a life was lost. Fortunately, I was once again able to contact the outside world thanks to my inReach device and let those near and dear to me know that I was OK. Without my device, they would have spent several days worrying about my and my wife’s well-being as they watched the news of the event unfold.

I bought my inReach a couple of years ago to use during summer hiking trips. Initially I just had a month-by-month subscription, but I very quickly realized how valuable this little gadget could be in our remote area and switched to an annual subscription. I will always keep it close by.”