Reposting this from yesterday for visibility and to help you guys stay safe during a storm. If you have an iPhone, please please please download this free app today. Do it quickly, because they're only giving away 100,000 apps. Read about the app below, it's a life saver.
If you don't have an iPhone, scroll below the fold for other ways to stay safe during severe weather.
I don't have an iPhone, so I can't vouch for how good this app is, but since James Spann (the man who guided Alabama and the world through the horrible tornado outbreak a few weeks ago) is advertising it, it must be a good program.
It's usually $9.99 from the iTunes App store, but for a limited time TODAY only it's completely free. The program uses your current location (no matter where you are in the US) and will automatically notify you if you're under a severe thunderstorm/tornado warning. This could be an incredibly valuable tool for anyone who travels or lives in areas vulnerable to severe weather, which is pretty much everywhere nowadays.
From their website:
Keep Friends and Family Safe
Not only can iMapWeather Radio follow your current location, but it lets you save an additional 5 stationary locations. That means you can make sure friends and family, at school, out of state, at a ballgame, etc. are safe as well..
Battery Management
The app is designed to conserve your battery even though it uses GPS to give you alerts for your current location. We can't give away our secret sauce, just know we are careful to lijmit the GPS usage and we are dynamically able to reduce the usage to help extend battery life.
Video Available
In markets where local media partners participate, you can get streaming video of severe weather coverage.
If you have an iPhone, I highly suggest you download this app and let us know how it works. It seems like a really good idea.
If you're lame like me and you don't have an iPhone, after the jump are some ways you can keep yourself alert with severe weather:
-Get a weather radio.
-Sign up for emergency text alerts from a local TV station. Here are some services for major TV markets around the country. If a TV station near you isn't listed, let me know. All text/email services are free unless otherwise specified.
Northeast
Bangor, ME
Portland, ME
Manchester, NH
Buffalo, NY
Syracuse, NY
Albany, NY
New York City, NY
Philadelphia, PA
Mid Atlantic
Dover, DE
Baltimore, MD
State College, PA
Erie, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Charleston, WV
Roanoke, VA
Washington, DC
Richmond, VA
Norfolk, VA
Southeast
Greensboro,NC
Raleigh, NC
Charlotte, NC
Asheville, NC
Greenville, SC
Columbia, SC
Charleston, SC
Savannah, GA
Macon, GA
Atlanta, GA
Huntsville, AL
Birmingham, AL (PAY SERVICE)
Birmingham, AL (FREE SERVICE)
Mobile, AL
All of Alabama
Florida
West Palm Beach, FL
Miami, FL
Tampa, FL
Orlando, FL
Jacksonville, FL
Tallahassee, FL
Pensacola, FL
Great Lakes/Tennessee Valley/Upper Midwest
Columbus, OH
Cleveland, OH
Detroit, MI
Lansing, MI
Green Bay, WI
Madison, WI
Minneapolis, MN
Austin, MN
Chicago, IL
Fort Wayne, IN
South Bend, IN
Indianapolis, IN
Springfield, MO
Louisville, KY
Lexington, KY
Nashville, TN
Knoxville, TN
Memphis, TN
St. Louis, MO
Deep South
Little Rock, AR
New Orleans, LA
Baton Rouge, LA
Houston, TX
Brownsville, TX
Dallas, TX
Amarillo, TX
Oklahoma City, OK
Midwest & Eastern Rockies
Tulsa, OK
Wichita, KS
Omaha, NE
Billings, MT
Denver, CO
Western Rockies/West Coast
Spokane, WA
Seattle, WA
Portland, OR
Sacramento, CA
San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Salt Lake City, UT
Boise, ID
Helena, MT
These are just some ways of staying ahead of severe weather. If you're technology-challenged or don't have a texting plan, there are some other ways to stay warned of severe weather:
- Pay attention to the National Weather Service, The Weather Channel or local news.
- Seek shelter if the skies look threatening.
- Listen for the tornado sirens if your county has the right mind to install them.
Long story short...download the app, sign up for a free text service, get a weather radio, do something to keep you and those you love safe from severe weather.