Leave a Review Emergency
Excessive Notifications, No Way to Adjust
I finally downloaded this app in anticipation of the Earthquake app being sunsetted later this summer. Almost immediately, I began receiving emergency notifications for three out of my seven selected locations, as often as every five minutes. This app seems to cry wolf at an extremely excessive rate, and there seems to be no option to control how many notifications and for what types of emergencies one receives. Unlike an earthquake, excessive heat is a phenomenon one dan usually anticipate in advance, and so does not rise to the same level of emergency status. My friends in my selected locations are far more at risk from a wildfire or earthquake than excessive heat. It’s bad enough I am debating removing the app within 24 hours of downloading it, even though it took five tries to get it to download. Why replace a perfectly fine app with one that still has so many glitches?!Show lessShotgunrev
Uses same alerts for emergency and ending of emergency
If there is an emergency, this app will let you know (often a few minutes after all the weather apps alert). But then when an emergency is lifted (tornado watch cancelled, for example), it alerts with the same sound and headline, though the details show it's the ending of an emergency.
Especially when people are already nervous, getting an alert about tornado warning, severe thunderstorm, etc. when it's actually the *exact opposite* can be scary. I reached out to the developers about this; it's still not fixed.Show lessUser15627
Useless Version 4.6.1
Since they closed the Hurricane, Tornado, and Earthquake apps, there is no way to see these events on the map on an iPad - apparently you cannot change Maps when using an iPad. Even though I am in Florida, I wanted to see where Cat 4 Hurricane Dora was in the Pacific.
In addition, the Maps on an iPhone does have several views, but NONE for two of the dangerous hazards that were covered by the better apps that Red Cross shut down: Tornado and Earthquake.
Please add Maps views for tornado activity and earthquake activity, and give the iPad version the same abilities that the iPhone version has.
Red Cross gets a Red Zero for this "ignores lots of emergencies" app.Show lessMick Gator Fan
A few things I’d like to see.
1.) I agree with other reviews on locations.
2.) Also, being in Tornado Alley and being hit this spring, I wish there was a way to add info FOR the Red Cross. ie Electricity required for medical equipment. Incapacitated person in home. Things like that are critical in an emergency.
We had a hard time quickly moving downstairs because the alert went off AFTER the tornado was here. Hail woke us, ran to switch to battery power for equipment and grab baby to run to the basement. Alert went off and sirens started. Hail stopped. Damage was done. There was no warning.Show lessTheKidsMomma
Does not alert me
On several occasions I didn’t get ANY alerts from this app during severe thunderstorms, which, to me, was the entire point of the app. Ironically, the Tornado app that I still have that is supposed to be replaced by this app, DID alert me every single time… Another non-related weather app I have also alerted me each time a thunderstorm warning or watch occurred, but not this Emergency app. I’m beginning to have doubts about this app now. If I’m not getting alerts (and I have them turned ON under my Settings and I have locations set within the app) and still not getting alerts, but am from other apps, then something is wrong.Show lessAngryBarry99
Something is better than nothing
A lot of things you can’t customize like you could in the tornado app. I’m not sure why they would replace it with an app that’s not even close to the Tornado app.
I’m sitting thru a bad storm right now, wondering if this has the tornado warning siren that comes thru my phone like the Tornado app did!
I got a tornado warning thru that app on my phone for my daughters location, I called her because I was worried…she thought I was crazy and 5 mins later her local tornado warning went off. It was amazing….I am sitting here hoping you added that to this app!!!! Plz let me know it will certainly improve my rating!!!Show lessLorenawygant
False Sense of Security
I hate writing negative reviews without contacting the app developer first, but this one needs posted.
Not to sound dramatic, but my experience with this app has led me to the conclusion that this app could actually cost someone their life. I say this because of the delay from the time the National Weather Service issues something like a Tornado Warning or Severe Thunderstorm Warning, to the time the app alerts you. I have a local news stations weather app, and it alerts me almost immediately when a warning is issued. This app’s alert typically comes in four minutes later. Four minutes doesn’t seem like much, but can be the difference between surviving a tornado and not.
If you have this app, I highly recommend you at least download a second app that is more timely with their alerts. I really hope the developer sees this to look into the root cause of the delay.
One other complaint. I don’t need to be woken up in the middle of the night by the app to inform me that a Thunderstorm Watch has expired.Show lesse**2
Necessary. Great idea, but needs location work
When I get a notification of an event it does not tell me the location. When I expand that notification (clicking only once) I still don’t get it. Only when I fully open it up do I get a location. I have 5 locations set and don’t get alerts on all of them. I am very appreciative of being able to check on the fuzzy safety of my family and friends, but with all the bizarre weather we have been having, these alerts are mind blowing torture and time consuming to open. Please add on that these seem to be guesses and more often than not do not happen. My experience is mostly in mid to west Texas (and DFW areas).
If this improves, I will add 2 more stars.Show lessbeautamousmunch
Less effective
The old “Tornado” app was more effective at providing situational awareness both visually and practically. 1) the main screen allowed you to see what disasters the specific location was being covered for in the app, 2) it allowed for linking critical contacts to the location for easy and efficient welfare checks, 3) site limitations, while recently expanded to 8 is still not enough. I use this app for personal location. I’m in the emergency response field and commercial products are available for the work environment. Do you have any intentions to address the 3 items listed above?Show lessHighly Concerned
Why change what was a GREAT app to THIS???
The Red Cross storm app was the best that I found. It allowed me to pick multiple specific locations, establish a radius as a notification zone, then select the type of alerts that would trigger an actual tone notification on my phone. Mainly, it allowed me to EXCLUDE the annoying “Watch” and only alert me when a tornado was not only on the ground, but also within the zones that were preset. I don’t understand why they decided to ditch this app and replace it with something that is too broad with so limited customization. If they wanted me to have full county or city coverage, why not just include that as options? So far today my phone has continuously alerted me that I’m in a tornado watch zone, or that it’s been canceled, or that a new watch zone is now in effect. I know that’s the case, I can look outside and see the weather. So if this is a CYA legal thing, just give me the form where I can waive my ability to sue if the app doesn’t work the way it was intended. I’ll sign it!Show lessMab210ee
Developer Response
Thank you for writing in! We are so appreciative! You can customize the alerts you receive on the Emergency App. So, if you are only interested in Tornado Watches and Warnings, please do this. • On Locations Tab • Tap ‘View Location’ • Tap ‘Alarm Bell icon’ in the top right-hand corner • Toggle Off Hazard Alerts that you are not interested in receiving (Toggle from Green to Gray) • Under Tornado, be sure that Tornado Watches and Warning are Toggled On. Be sure to tell the app which alerts you want for each location you monitor. Our team is standing by to help you. Let's connect via the app: Go to Info Tab: Tap Report an Issue.
