10 Apps you should download this Hurricane Season and NOLA specific emergency information.

We all know to follow the news and weather-related websites to keep track of the weather, but I learned of apps that you can download to your cell phone in addition to the ones I listed in my latest blog about hurricanes.

The truth is the TIPS on How To Survive in New Orleans, no matter the Hurricane or Storm that will save your LIFE will not come from FEMA, Red Cross, The Governor, but from the REAL CULTURAL AMBASSADORS who actually survived one of the worst natural disasters in the United States. New Orleanians not only survived Hurricane Katrina, but the People of New Orleans survived and will continue to survive the political corruption that comes with life in the NOLA.

Here’s a list of apps and websites that may help you during this hurricane season and weather tracking overall.

https://www.fema.gov/mobile-app

Zello App: Turn your phone or tablet into a walkie talkie with this lightning fast free PTT (Push To Talk) radio app. Talk to your contacts privately or join public channels to engage in a hot debate. http://zello.com/ptt
American Red Cross App: Be ready for severe weather with Hurricane by American Red Cross. Monitor conditions in your area or throughout the storm track, prepare your family and home, find help and let others know you are safe – a must have for anyone who lives in an area where a hurricane may strike or has loved ones who do. mobile@redcross.org
CrowdSource Rescue is an organization that helps empowers neighbors to help neighbors, via use of mapping, tracking, and rescue technology. https://crowdsourcerescue.com
The Weather Channel Website & App: Track Hurricane Florence with Storm Radar: your NOAA forecast, weather radar and hurricane tracker. Stay safe and informed through rain and severe weather using 8 hour past to future radar. Get ready for storm season with live wind speed and tornado updates from The Weather Channel. weather.com
Harmany App: Helps connect people who either need to find or want to provide temporary shelter to others when it’s needed during emergency and evacuation events. Airbnb has a free option for those in need of shelter., You will need a verified Airbnb account or log into their current account. From there, guests located in the affected area may view $0 listings by clicking “Find shelter” on a disaster-response page. Please note, any reservation reported to have been made by a non-evacuee will be canceled and guests must leave the listing immediately. Join the community of 500+ hosts who have opened their homes to evacuees for free. https://support.myharmony.com/en-us/download
GasBuddy connects drivers to their Perfect Pit Stop™, and serves the full lifecycle of being on the road. It starts with GasBuddy’s database of more than 150,000 gas station convenience stores, including real-time fuel price information, station locations and offerings, along with ratings and reviews. GasBuddy’s payments service, Pay with GasBuddy, entitles drivers to save on every gallon of gas they pump. https://www.gasbuddy.com/
Waze App: Always know what’s happening on the road with Waze. Even if you know the way, Waze tells you about traffic, construction, police, crashes, and more in real-time. If traffic is bad on your route, Waze will change it to save you time. https://www.waze.com/
WeatherBug: the best free weather app, powered by the world’s largest network of professional weather stations, providing the fastest weather alerts, real-time weather conditions, accurate hourly forecasts & 10-day forecasts, 18 weather maps including Doppler radar, satellite, lightning alerts, precipitation, local temperature, local pressure, local radar, wind chill, heat index, humid, wind, pollen, UV and much more! http://knowbefore.weatherbug.com
TextNow: Free text + calls You can send as many text messages as you want to US & Canada – FREE! https://www.textnow.com/

Get emergency information directly from the City of New Orleans.

https://ready.nola.gov/home/

NOLA 311 is New Orleans’ primary source of local government information and non-emergency services. Whether you are a local resident, visitor, or business, NOLA 311 will provide a prompt, courteous and professional customer service experience.

1. Emergency alerts

Type: Alert

What: Threats to life & property, like severe weather or an active shooter

How: Phone call, text, email

2. Seasonal info

Type: Informational

What: Preparedness info, like how to get ready for hurricane season

How: Text, email

3. Streetwise is a list of the things we know about that may impact driving.

Currently, this includes reports of street flooding and traffic accidents from 911 calls. http://streetwise.nola.gov/

4. City-assisted evacuation- If you can’t evacuate on your own during a mandatory evacuation, the City of New Orleans can help. City-assisted evacuation provides free transportation out of harm’s way.

How it works

There are 17 pickup locations across the city, called evacuspots. 5 are specifically for seniors. If you can’t get to an evacuspot because of medical needs, you might be eligible to be picked up from your home. Sign up for the special needs registry.

During a mandatory evacuation, go to your closest evacuspot.
A bus will pick you up and bring you to the Smoothie King Center.
There, you’ll board a bus to a state or federal shelter.
Once it’s safe to return to New Orleans, the City will bring you back, either to your home or to a local shelter.

What to bring

Each person can bring 1 carry-on sized bag with supplies for a go bag. Pets should have an ID collar, leash, medications, and a carrier. Your pet will be taken to an animal shelter near where you’re sheltered. Read more about pets.