A battery-powered or hand crank emergency radio, preferably a NOAA weather radio will be one of the best ways to stay tuned. An emergency radio is important to have for any emergency situation. If your emergency radio uses batteries, be sure to have extra batteries on hand in your emergency preparedness kit. For more information on emergency preparedness kits, http://emergency.cdc.gov/preparedness/kit/disasters/
Depending on the size and scope of the radiation emergency, it may be difficult to complete a phone call. Try to use text messages (SMS) if possible.
If you have a computer, or web-enabled device that is working, email, social media websites (like CDC Facebook page and CDC Emergency Twitter feed) are other tools that emergency officials may use for updates.
Make sure your electronic devices are working. If your electronic devices with batteries are not working, you can try taking the batteries out of the device, putting them back in, and restarting the device as normal.
Other devices may only require resetting switches and circuit breakers to work again. Do not go outside to reset breakers.
In a nuclear explosion an electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, is possible. An EMP is a side effect of a nuclear detonation that produces a surge of energy. This surge can damage electronic devices.