Red Cross offers app to help in case of hurricane

The American Red Cross is using social media to help people plan for the best and prepare for the worst in the event of a weather disaster.

A new smartphone application from the Red Cross is designed to aid anyone caught in a hurricane. It locates the nearest storm shelter and provides updates on a hurricane’s track. It also offers safety checklists and a messaging feature to let loved ones know you’re safe after the storm has passed.

Red Cross spokesman Dave Schrader says the app should encourage people not to panic in the face of a hurricane or other crisis, says Dave Schrader, chief of communications for the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

“We respond to disasters, no matter where they are, in the United States and around the world, but we also help people prevent them or prepare for disasters in advance,” said Schrader. “So this is a great way to get people in the mindset of thinking about disasters, thinking about what would happen to them, what they would do in the event of a disaster.”

The hurricane app is free to download and follows a recently released Red Cross first aid app.