Hurricane Sandy is a great example, which flashes the threat of natural disasters and disaster preparedness among all. It also takes off the risk of batteries, as stores across the Northeast ran out of stock. Solar flashlights and solar mobile phone chargers have already been employed widely and are proving their worth in preparing for emergencies.
Patricia Billinger, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross Mile High Region, said, “Power is often out for days – sometimes even weeks – following a disaster, so it’s essential to include solutions in your emergency kit that meet your basic needs for things like safety, communication and information. We recommend having hand-crank or solar powered radios, flashlights and cell phone chargers in your kit because of the fact that you can continue to use them almost indefinitely.”
Ron Husney, head of sales, Nokero said, “After Sandy, we had distributors calling us lamenting they didn’t have a warehouse full of our solar flashlights to get to retail stores. Community organizers asked how quickly we could get our solar lights to afflicted neighborhoods and concerned consumers wrote us about teaming up with the Red Cross. That’s when we decided to reach out to the Red Cross, so we can ensure solar technologies are well stocked when the next disaster strikes.”
