Software

The Apps You Need To Prepare Yourself For A Disaster

When a natural disaster hits there isn’t a lot of time to gather supplies. Thankfully, you likely have an invaluable technological multitool in your pocket right now: your smartphone. Here are some apps you should have ready just in case.

Disaster Readiness, iPhone, Android: A concise but thorough guide that tells you how to prepare for all manner of disasters, from floods and fires to cyclones and chemical spills. Want to know how to recharge your phone without electricity? How to put together a primo disaster supply kit? Look no further. $1.19.

Pocket First Aid & CPR, iPhone & Android: The official first aid app of the American Heart Association has extensive guides, many including video, covering how to administer CPR, how to treat various injuries, and how to dress burns, bruises, cuts and other types of wounds. Dan Wooley, an aid worker trapped under rubble during the Haiti earthquake, used this app to find out how to treat his compound fracture; if that’s not a a convincing enough testimonial, I don’t know what is. $5.

Emergency Radio (iPhone), Scanner Radio Pro (Android): In the wake of a disaster, you want to have reliable information. Emergency Radio (iPhone) and Radio Scanner Pro (Android) give you access to a huge database of police, coast guard, fire, EMS and transit radio across the country. $1.19, $2.93 respectively.

If you have found other apps to help disaster-proof your life (as best as you can), let us know in the comments.

Discuss

(5 Comments)
  • [–]

    grimsy

    Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 8:46 AM

    Check out The Serval Project
    http://www.servalproject.org/

    Creates and ad-hoc wifi mesh when mobile networks go down.
    Still under development, but you can download early releases via the google groups page.

    Reply
  • [–]

    Jim M

    Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 1:52 PM

    All good for those in the US, but are there any Australian Apps for disaster action, emergency radio &/or first aid?

    Reply
  • [–]

    Com'

    Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 4:21 PM

    No SERVAL app for iPhone unfortunately

    Reply
  • [–]

    Michelle Kelly

    Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 6:14 PM

    Yeah what about Australia considering we just had massive flooding in multiple states and then a huge cyclone?

    Reply
  • [–]

    Adrian

    Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 8:06 PM

    In the recent Brisbane floods the phone and PC were all but useless as all the mobile phone networks and my cable internet went down for several days. Why? Because all the infrastructure was under water too.

    All good disaster managements plans have a fail safe manual or paper based system, yours should too.

    Reply

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