In Preparation for Severe Weather, Download New FEMA App to Receive Alerts from National Weather Service – And Stay Safe
With severe weather expected across parts of the southern Plains this weekend, now is a good time to download the new FEMA app – a free tool that enables users to receive severe weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations across the U.S. and also get tips on how to stay safe. The mobile app, which can be downloaded at https://www.fema.gov/mobile-app, is compatible with Apple, Blackberry and Android devices, and available in English and Spanish.
In addition to weather alerts, other features in the app include:
- Disaster Reporter: Upload and share photos of damage and recovery efforts.
- Custom emergency safety information: Save a custom list of the items in your family’s emergency kit, as well as the places you will meet in case of an emergency.
- Maps of disaster resources: Locate and receive driving directions to open shelters and disaster recovery centers.
- Safety tips: Learn how to stay safe before, during, and after over 20 types of hazards, including floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes.
- Apply for assistance: Easily access DisasterAssistance.gov to apply for federal disaster assistance.
- Information in Spanish: The app defaults to Spanish language content for smartphones that have Spanish set as their default language.
In the FEMA press release issued May 7, the Federal Emergency Management Agency encourages residents in affected areas to monitor social media accounts of their local emergency managers, state and government agencies to get fast, critical information.
On Twitter, FEMA has created social media lists for Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska at www.twitter.com/femaregion7/lists via @femaregion7. You can also subscribe to your state’s #PrepList on Facebook or Twitter – or create your own using the FEMA template – which includes important emergency information from emergency management agencies, fire and police departments, hospitals, schools and more.
For more information, follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Related Links:
Make a Family Disaster Communication Plan
Build Emergency Supply Kits for Home and Car
Subscribe to the @FEMARegion7 Twitter Emergency List for your State
Download the FEMA Mobile App with Weather Alerts (NWS)