We had a truly amazing conference call with a group of Cajun Navy channel moderators in early September. When we took stock of the week of Irma we found we'd taken on 6 million new users. There were times when we were processing 120 new Zello users per second. All of a sudden Zello was the most downloaded app on both the Apple iOS and Google Play app stores. Then came word of Irma, and things got really crazy. We spent that week talking to virtually every major newspaper and cable network. Zello during Hurricane IrmaĪs Zello's use grew, so did the media coverage. They were people who got on the channel and ended up helping to run it. Remarkably, many of the ever-patient moderators of this channel appeared to be outside of Texas. People on the Harvey Animal Rescue channel to get to stranded, severely injured horses, and to a dog shelter on high ground with a dog population many times the shelter's capacity. Others were focused on specific activities. Some were dedicated to efforts in particular parts of the city and region. The Cajun Navy channel was an overnight sensation (now it has over 40,000 members), and media coverage of the group's magnificent work, and Zello's role, quickly caused our own servers to light up with new users.Īnd as the extent of the disaster became clearer, numerous specialty channels sprung up. And following the lead of the Cajun Navy, this ad hoc band of collaborators used Zello to connect with each other and coordinate search and rescue. A collective of boaters, military veterans, truck owners and a host of others made their way to Houston to help. The Cajun Navy - an organization that came into being in 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina - sprung into action, and was soon joined by many, many others. Very significant portions of the US's 4th largest city were submerged. The Houston area is flood prone, and as the rainfall totals rose past 15 and then 20 inches, even areas that had never flooded were underwater. It made landfall in south central Texas and proceeded to park on top of east Texas, dumping torrential rain for days. As it turned out, Harvey was a catastrophic storm. In mid-August it became clear that Hurricane Harvey had the potential to do a lot of damage to states on the Gulf of Mexico. The app also helps users find a shelter near them and monitor where the severe weather is.Over 120 million people around the world use Zello to talk to friends and family, engage in what we call social radio and, when circumstances demand, help each other during emergencies. This app from the Federal Emergency Management Agency has alerts from the National Weather Service, tips for preparing for a storm, disaster resources, ways for people to help and more.
#ZELLO APP FOR HURRICANE ANDROID#
The apps are available for both iPhone and Android devices. The organization also has other apps, like an "Emergency" app that helps users monitor severe weather and emergency situations all in one place. The app provides information about the hurricane conditions in the area and the track of the storm, and it has a feature that allows users to tell others that they're safe.
The American Red Cross has its own app designed for use during a hurricane emergency situation.
The company added timestamps and sharing options to the app to better help those using it while evacuating. It uses crowdsourced information to help inform users whether a station along their route has gas left, what the prices are and whether a station has power. This app helps those evacuating find a gas station where there is still gas available and electricity to keep the pumps running. If others in the area are listening, they could then come to their rescue. Sometimes during flooding or hurricanes, if users have an internet or data connection they can use the open channels to ask for help. Users can contact one another using the app, as well as contact people on open channels. The app can also be used on a computer when the users have internet access. It's a smartphone app that runs off of Wi-Fi or cellular data and allows users to use their device as a walkie-talkie or two-way radio. The Zello app was popular during previous storms like Irma and Maria. There are several apps for both iPhone and Android devices designed with exactly that in mind. But some are staying behind, heeding warnings to prepare for possible record-breaking rainfall and flooding.įlooding is expected to be one of the most severe threats from Florence, and forecasters are warning it could cause deadly conditions for those who choose to stay.īut whether residents are evacuating or sheltering in place, they need a way to stay in contact with their loved ones and keep up with the storm so they know the latest threats. Ahead of the approach of Hurricane Florence, people across the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia and even some inland states are evacuating and heading to shelters.
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