Living in Florida most of us have a box of hurricane supplies, batteries, flashlights & radios. When the alert gets broadcasted we supplement that with bottled water, pantry staples and gas for the generator. From June to October we know the drill.

Depending on your point of view (and the condition of your loved ones and property), we dodged a bullet, possibly a hurricane force bullet over the last few days. A friend over at Techsuitor inspired this post and even provided the heading and most of the content.

I’m a tad OCD, but not support group worthy. My phone is the one piece of technology that I rely on more than anything. If my car dies I can summon AAA or Uber. If I need to book a hotel room or plane ticket, there’s an app for that. I’ve managed to gather my apps into tidy harmonious folders, almost OCD like. The one folder that I failed to have is an Emergency folder.

Techsuitor’s highlighted my lack of an “Emergency” folder in their latest post. It contains a list of downloadable apps (many are FREE) that just provide help when the wheels come off.
1. 5-0 Radio (highly recommend — a scanner app for all the cities/counties throughout the U.S.  for EMT/Fire/Police – real-time listening to what is going on in your area – emergency-wise – great app for when you lose power and are curious what emergency situations are being responded too and when in your area…)

2. Bring Fido (an app to provide you information on all pet-friendly hotels in your area or a given area — keeping owners and their pets safe together!)

3. Clear FM (an app to show clear FM radio frequency in your area — especially good when you are in remote areas, looking for a strong radio frequency for information)

4. Compass (highly recommend — this app is the next best thing to actually having the real thing!)

5. American Red Cross First Aid App (highly recommend — provides first aid information when you need it most)

6. Flashlight (highly recommend — app allows you to use your phone screen as your personal flashlight — use sparingly when you are attempting to conserve your battery life)

7. American Red Cross Hurricane App (highly recommend — provides you real-time hurricane radar monitoring information/alerts/updates/shelter information/preparedness information before, during and after a major hurricane or tropical storm event)

8. My Radar (highly recommend — provides you forecasts as well as real-time roads and aerial map information, winds, temperatures, clouds, warnings and watches, weather outlooks and much more…

9. Zello (highly recommend! Turns your cell phone into a walkie talkie to tie you to a group of your loved ones —- make sure you never lose communication with your loved ones — helps to preserve your phone battery when needed the most…)

10. Waze (highly recommend! Maps & Directions that includes hazards and warnings around you in real time)

11. Zippo lighter app (provides a light source that is less intense than flashlight app — helps to preserve your phone battery life when needed as opposed to using flashlight app)…

Another app that I found extremely useful, especially on Friday, is GasBuddy. It was spot on when I needed to find fuel, yes I waited. The last thing that I can’t stress enough is to have a portable charger. For less than $40.00 you can charge your phone 4 or 5 times, provided you stay off Twitter or Instagram.

Maybe these apps don’t fit your exact situation, but the point is to have an app kit, just like we have a first-aid kit or hurricane kit.

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