Next Generation Weather Alerts

Tornado Tech: What if Dorothy Had A Smart Phone?


After waiting out the storms in the third floor of my rickety apartment in Old Louisville last weekend, this article caught my eye. My apartment does not have television installed, and I remember searching online trying to find a decent stream showing live weather conditions and trackers, just so I could have a basic knowledge of how the storms were progressing and how much I should be worried. The university provides text alerts for when storm alerts are issued, so this seems like the next logical step.


The article mentions radios which are placed in the home to warn for alerts, because the siren systems are intended to warn those outside, and cannot be heard inside many newer homes. Tornado season is just starting, and we've already seen the damage it can do here and in southern Indiana. Laura Meyers, a researcher, confirmed that I was not in the minority as I surfed the web looking for more information." [People] wanted additional confirmation," Myers says. "They wanted to know they were directly in the path of the storm. If they got it through the television, then they checked their radios. They checked their smartphones. They called people. Many people went outside to see if they could see it coming."


Moving beyond the radios, there is, of course, an app which can be purchased for $10 for your smartphone. Personally, I think I should be able to get access to weather information for free, but if the app is good enough I would consider purchasing it.