TLDR
- Apple’s new iOS 18 has become a lifeline for many during Hurricane Helene, enabling iPhone users to stay in touch through its satellite messaging feature.
- Around 400,000 people in North Carolina are in the dark and unreachable due to a lack of power and cell networks.
- Starlink devices are arriving in hard-hit zones to reconnect those cut off.
- The Y’all Group is transporting Starlink devices by air to support remote regions.
- Over 1.7 million people are enduring blackouts across multiple states.
As Helene's chaotic storm tears through the southeastern U.S., Apple and Starlink's satellite efforts become crucial for keeping lines of communication alive.
When the infrastructure for communication fails, these satellite solutions are a beacon of hope, connecting communities and, quite possibly, saving lives.
Helene has wreaked havoc across several states, with North Carolina enduring most of its wrath.
The hurricane has unleashed a deluge, causing massive floods and power failures everywhere. According to recent reports A significant number of residents in North Carolina, roughly 400,000, are left in the silence, cut off from usual communication means.
In this critical predicament, Apple's updated iOS 18 offers unexpected assistance, featuring satellite messaging capability for newer iPhone models, allowing message exchange when other networks are nonfunctional.
This setup maneuvers around terrestrial pathways, leveraging satellites for message transfer.
Matt Van Swol, living in Asheville, conveyed his gratitude online for being an iPhone user given the circumstances.\"I’ve never been more grateful for my iPhone,\" he reflected.
Thanks to the satellite messaging feature, every iOS 18 user in Asheville, NC, remains capable of sending and receiving messages despite the outage.
Van Swol describes how the feature seemingly appeared on his phone, prompting a satellite connection, thus enabling ongoing communication.
This is literally saving lives @Apple . pic.twitter.com/k0FOIgKlRk
— Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) September 30, 2024
While Apple's tech aids iPhone owners, Starlink offers a broader satellite-based solution for the wider affected populace.
Starlink, under Elon Musk’s vision, plays a pivotal role in revitalizing communications in heavily hit territories.
Starlink is distributing its internet-beaming terminals throughout the disaster zones.
The Y’all Group, dedicated to aiding weather-affected communities, leads the campaign to deploy Starlink infrastructure.
Ryan Hall, with the nonprofit, expressed their collaboration with local authorities to haste Starlink unit delivery to remote, impacted places.
Terminals take flight. We’re liaising with community officials to expedite their arrival to the needy regions, covering data plan costs too.
First round of @Starlink The group steps up further, shouldering the unlimited data expenses for each deployed terminal, breaking down communication barriers. @TheYallSquad is doing thanks… pic.twitter.com/LOfiSjYtS6
— Ryan Hall, Y’all (@ryanhallyall) September 30, 2024
Helene's devastation reaches beyond North Carolina, with over 1.7 million in several areas coping without electricity.
South Carolina feels it most with 672,986 cut off, followed closely by Georgia at 521,226, then 390,182 in North Carolina. Virginia and Florida aren’t far behind with their respective outages exceeding 90,000.
These extensive outages highlight the indispensable role of satellite communications when disasters hit.
With traditional communication down, these networks provide a crucial lifeline, facilitating call-for-help, loved ones' reach-out, and accessing important information.
The current crisis underscores how satellite systems can enhance disaster-readiness and response.
Given the likelihood of more frequent, severe weather due to climate change, these technologies may only grow in importance during emergencies.
Chief Editor of Blockonomi and Kooc Media's founder, an advocate for open-source innovations, blockchain, and universal free web access.
