# Tornado: American Red Cross — user reviews > 54 indexed App Store user reviews of Tornado by American Red Cross, rated 3.70/5 from 446 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tornado-american-red-cross/id602724318/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tornado-american-red-cross/id602724318.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 224 · 4★ 71 · 3★ 27 · 2★ 36 · 1★ 88 ## What do users think of Tornado? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 🚨 Loud, attention-grabbing alert sounds that wake users - ⚡ Faster alerts than sirens and other weather services - 🎯 Customizable alert types and notification radius - 🗺️ Real-time tornado location tracking and visualization - 💰 Free app with no subscription costs - 👤 Multiple location monitoring capability - 🛡️ Life-saving early warnings for tornado alley residents - 📱 User-friendly interface and easy setup - 🔔 Reliable notifications for tornado warnings specifically - 🌐 Accurate NOAA weather data integration **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent failure to send alerts during active warnings - 🔕 Does not override Do Not Disturb mode on iOS - 📍 Location detection errors and confusion - 🔄 Settings reset without user notification - 📢 Too many irrelevant notifications outside monitored area - ⚠️ Confusing distinction between monitored and alert areas - 🚫 Requires excessive permissions (contacts access) - 📊 Misleading 'All is Well' status during active threats - 🔗 Broken support links and poor customer support - 🐛 Buggy UI with database field names displaying instead of labels **Commonly reported bugs** - Location not found error when adding locations from app's own search results - App fails to load alerts without internet connection message despite being connected - Settings and monitored locations deleted after app updates - Daily location access permission prompts despite previous approval - App displays database field names instead of UI labels - Alerts for areas outside monitored radius - No sound alerts when phone is on silent/vibrate mode - Tornado warning cancellations trigger same alert sound as new warnings - Delayed alerts or showing 'All is Well' during active tornado warnings - Contact list defaults to first phone number without selection option **Most requested features** - Critical alerts API support to override Do Not Disturb - County-level monitoring instead of just address-based radius - Batch delete function for alert history - Auto-delete old alerts after specified time period - Ability to choose specific phone numbers from contacts - Email notification option for 'I'm Safe' alerts - Real-time weather map link feature - Distinguish between active warnings and cancelled warnings in notifications - Alert radius adjustment for current location - Ability to silence non-critical alerts while keeping tornado warnings loud ## Newest reviews (13 of 54) ### 4/5 — Developers better upgrade the Emergency app! *2023-03-31* This Tornado app from the ARC is better, faster than the app with which the ARC will replace it. The Tor app is my go-to, and is slower only than the NWS among the public services providers. I wish the Emergency app has a real-time weather map LINK feature, but DONT want to slow down this app with a ginormous function set that would prevent more timely warnings. ARC needs to ensure more effectiveness in its Emergency app ### 2/5 — Won’t work without access to my Contacts *2022-03-30, version 3.16.1* I previously use this app and was able to set my home location and not have to have location services turned on. For technical reasons I had to reload the app and now I am unable to use it that way and cannot use the app without granting access to all my contacts. Deleting it in search of something less invasive. ### 2/5 — No sound *2021-07-29, version 3.15.3* Not sure what the difference between monitored area and alert area is. I would like to have a wide enough area so I can get warning but then it was sending me info about places over 2 hours away, and for the same storm that passed over me already! Also it doesn’t have a tornado sound when your phone is on silent, so it’s completely useless to me. There’s other apps that do more that have silent notifications. ### 4/5 — Great app but lots of notifications *2021-07-10, version 3.15.3* This is a great app which I have been using for years. However, expect to get a ton of notifications when there’s a chance of a storm. ### 5/5 — Amazing. Absolutely Amazing. *2021-06-10, version 3.15.3* Dear American Red Cross, This app is literally the best. I’ve tried multiple apps, and they don’t even COMPARE to the features this has. And even better, it’s free! There is only one concern, though. On your quiz about emergency supplies, otherwise known as “Make a Plan”, the second question is implausible to complete. This is due to you being told to select 4 of the answers, but only 3 are essential. Therefor, you have no ability to earn your badge. Otherwise, I really appreciate you gifting us the ability to know when Mother Nature turns on us. Sincerely, Colt’n. ### 2/5 — No alerts *2021-05-28, version 3.15.3* This has been a great app for years. This week, though, it’s decided not to provide alerts via my iPhone. It says it can’t load them because I’m not connected to the internet. I am. At least the iPad version still works. I don’t know if this is due to the app’s latest update or the recent iPhone system update. Either way it’s very annoying to no longer have this. ### 5/5 — Fantastic alert app, free *2021-03-28, version 3.15.0* I love this app as we don’t hear sirens at home. You set your radius and it will send a short alert for severe thunderstorm warnings that affect you. You get long tornado siren alerts for tornado watches that affect you and tornado warnings come with sirens and verbal tornado warning, get to a safe place commands. You can set multiple locations to get alerts for. Very happy I downloaded. You do get the same alert sounds when those warnings expire out, so you have to read the alert to know if it’s saying that it’s an active threat or them expiring a threat. ### 5/5 — A must have! *2021-03-14, version 3.14.0* My family and I live in a northern suburb of Chicago. In August of 2020, a strong derecho was approaching and spawned several tornadoes which caused lots of damage. I was completely unaware of the danger until I received a tornado warning from the tornado app. Minutes thereafter, the sirens began wailing from afar, and our family took shelter in the basement. Not even ten minutes later, the tornado passed over our house leaving considerable damage behind. A year prior, the tornado app also gave us an early warning from another tornado that hit in September of 2019, however, it was not as powerful as the tornado of 2020. ### 5/5 — Great app *2021-02-18, version 3.14.0* Me and my family have had this app for a few years now and it has helped us so so much! ### 2/5 — Not working *2020-07-12, version 3.12.4* For two months now there have been many severe weather instances and this app has read “all is well” in my locations when another app tells me otherwise or when I’m watching it storm, as I am right now. When I first downloaded the app a couple years ago, it was great. What has happened? ### 2/5 — Disappointed *2020-06-08, version 3.12.0* This was my favorite weather alert map until they changed how you monitor a location. I uninstalled it last year and recently decided to try it again in hopes they had fixed some issues. Sadly, it’s still the same. I was able to monitor a county, but that option was taken away. Now you have to monitor a location (an address) and a radius around the location. When the radius is set large enough to monitor my rectangle county, I obviously get alerts for several surrounding counties. ### 3/5 — Not Getting Alerts *2020-04-20, version 3.12.0* Everything is set up properly on my phone. A few years ago I would receive all alerts. Now (with everything set up properly)I am no longer receiving any alerts unless I actually open the app. ### 5/5 — Tornado Alley *2020-03-22, version 3.12.0* Hi I’m from Parsons,Kansas and I have to tell you about this app. I live in tornado alley and I love this app !!! You can not just get tornado warnings and watches,but you can get all types of severe storm alerts and you can get other types of alerts!!!!!! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Simply Fails *2022-06-13, version 3.16.1* It is hard to credit the app any points, as once you attempt to add a location, it fails with an error of location not found. This is shocking sense the app it self provides you a list based on a search, then you select from the app list. The concept is great, the deployment and coding is horrible. ### 1/5 — Scary unreliable *2022-03-30, version 3.16.1* We literally just had a tornado tear through Springdale, Arkansas and I am 7 miles away from a school that was taken out along with surrounding extensive damage. We don’t know the extent because it’s still dark. In fact it was close enough for us to hear that one was on the ground close by. Praise God that the emergency alert went off on our phones and woke us up, but I am extremely disappointed in this Red Cross app now. It didn’t alert me even once for my current location. I even opened the app to see why and it said “all is well”. I have used this app for at least 7 years in Texas and Oklahoma and have always referred people to download it. I know how to use the app well and how to set locations. Don’t place your faith in this app, your life depends on it. ### 1/5 — Don’t Trust It - Won’t Alert You at All *2022-03-22, version 3.16.1* When I was a kid, we had real weather radios. They went off all the time - for everything. This is the exact opposite! Goes off for nothing. Multiple times I’ve been woken up by the thunder and lighting, I’ve even been through tornado warnings here in Missouri, and the app ALWAYS says “all is well!” I have it set for three lines of notifications for three custom ranges around my home, and not a single alert could tell me there was a tornado coming… one that killed people last fall too. ### 1/5 — Worst/Most Useless app ever! *2021-12-16, version 3.16.0* Currently under a Tornado Warning with Tornadoes on the ground all around my location. National Weather Service is blowing up my phone along with tornado sirens going off outside. No alerts, no nothing from this app. I open it and it says everything is fine in my location. Tell that to all the emergency services vehicles I see/hear rushing to damaged areas. Beware! This app is Dangerous to have because it Does Not Work!!!! ### 1/5 — Does not use iOS critical alerts capability *2021-12-11, version 3.16.0* The only issue with this app is it cannot override the iOS do not disturb as the developer has never simply applied with Apple for the capability to use the “critical alerts” api. Most people use DND and this app and many others won’t sound off in the night. This app has the potential to SAVE lives and I’m sure Apple would approve the critical alerts override request for all Red Cross apps. This is a MUST have! Updated: The app STILL states right in the FAQ if your phone is in DND this will not alert. It’s useless and people will die because they won’t be alerted. DND is a commonly used function. Also the app support page is a 404 so just as useless. ### 1/5 — WORTHLESS!!!!!! 😡 *2021-03-26, version 3.15.0* We’ve had tornado watches and warnings with severe storms barreling on top of us just tonight and this lousy app was completely silent. All settings are accurate and set properly. Never once, not one single time in the 1 1/2 years I’ve had this app have I EVER gotten a single alert. Not EVER!! I’m deleting it. It’s a waste of space on my phone. If I could leave zero stars, I would. ### 1/5 — Buggy *2020-04-13, version 3.12.0* This app is driving me crazy! I really want it to work, but it just won’t. It keeps giving me notices in areas I don’t live about tornadoes and warnings. I have a new notice every few minutes sometimes (so I try to dismiss them, but it’s hard). I had to finally delete the app from my phone. I have checked it throughly and I do not have a setting turned on for that area and my search radius is small and not even near that area (it’s a few states away actually.) ### 1/5 — Didn’t work when it should have. *2019-05-26, version 3.9.0* I tried to contact app developers before leaving a review, but the link is broken. We had a tornado warning at 2:30 am last night when my husband and I were both sleeping. I depend on the sound alert from this app to keep us safe overnight if needed. Thankfully we are safe, and no harm done. But I would very much appreciate if this app worked as intended when it counts. ### 1/5 — App needs a lot of work! *2019-05-21, version 3.9.0* I was so excited to see the AR has an app like this, so I downloaded it in severe weather we were having last night. It is extremely buggy! You can’t even figure out what you are doing because instead of displaying the labels of the buttons and fields in the app, it displays the database field names. If the AR has abandoned this app, they should remove it from the store. If you don’t care about the app, then my guess is that monitoring also has to be poor. ### 1/5 — Alert radius *2019-04-29, version 3.9.0* Why can’t I adjust my alert radius on “current location” anymore? I checked today and basically had a 10’ alert radius.. I had it once set at 100 miles. I can not adjust it now. It seems to change size very slightly; appears to be at a mile now, still of no comfort. I loved that I could set a 100 mile radius as it benefited my particular situation immensely. Fix this and give the radius adjustment back and I’ll change my rating to the 5 stars it would have gotten before. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Keep the Tornado App alive! *2023-07-04* It works! Having been warned of threatening storms and tornados, it helped keep myself and family alerted to upcoming events. It would be a colossal mistake to retire it. The new Emergency App is garbage. No decent warnings and I’m constantly signaled about issues outside my area. Tornado is better designed with easy user interface. Please restore it to your customers! ### 5/5 — Keep it going!! *2023-03-31* As an active member of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), I am truly sorry to see that this app is scheduled for destruction. Have used this for years. I have received warnings of danger at my added network’s location. Local warnings:17. The NEW app is sorry to say more wordy but STUPID. It says I have completed all levels of disaster in one spot and only one on another. LABOR INTENSIVE SET UP : maddening. If both remain active BY FAR my choice is original. Thank you for all you do. ### 5/5 — Retiring App *2023-02-27* I am sorry to hear that you all are retiring this app which has proven itself time and time again. I live in tornado alley and I also drive an 18 wheeler. This app has saved my life six times. I just hope that your new app is just as accurate as this one. I’m sorry to see it go I think you all are making a mistake by getting rid of it. ### 5/5 — What about tornado warnings? *2023-02-04, version 3.18.0* I have the Emergency app, but I kept the Tornado app because it had the tornado warning audible alert and siren. Will that be added to Emergency? ### 5/5 — Very accurate and easy to use. *2023-01-13, version 3.16.2* I love this app. I’ve set my radius for 30 miles and when the siren goes off I open and find the tornado to see if it’s a threat to me and then act accordingly. I no longer have to sit and wonder where a tornado might be. I had three siren notices last night and all three times my app went off before my tv broke into the show to tell us a tornado had been spotted. After last night with all the chaos both my daughters put this app on their phones. ### 5/5 — The wait is over!! *2022-11-08, version 3.16.2* I have been looking for an app that can do this for ages, so happy to finally have found it!! Specifically I can set this to blast only the NOAA weather alerts I want (Tornado Warning only) and it will wake me any time of the day or night and leave me alone for the alerts I don’t want. YES!! ### 5/5 — This app will wake you up! *2022-06-25, version 3.16.1* I’m a heavy sleeper, so I got this app as a back up in case I can’t hear a siren. Well, I experienced my first tornado warning last night with the app (no touchdowns near me), and I will say that the that the alert noise is loud and honestly, terrifying. I was still awake when the warning happened, but I have no doubt that this thing will wake me up if something were to happen in the middle of the night. If you live anywhere there are tornadoes, you want this app! ### 5/5 — Alerted us before anything else! *2022-06-09, version 3.16.1* Tornado warning last night, this app alerted before the sirens, and before the other city/county alerts came through! Easy to use ### 5/5 — A. Jordan (Firefighter & O.E.M. Weather) *2022-04-29, version 3.16.1* This app. allows me to see what the weather is doing long before it gets to me. As one of the people who have to inform Fire Chiefs, Police Officers & the Public; this app. is a FANTASTIC tool that aids me in my decision making. ### 5/5 — Great app definitely recommend *2022-04-22, version 3.16.1* It was may of 2016 when I was home alone with 2 young kids and my phone started going off notifying my of a tornado warning in the next county over at the time the tornado was moving directly east so I had no worries because I was north 30 miles. My phone kept going off and I notice that the tornado was slowly starting to change direction I went ahead and got my kids dressed and ready to go and my phone went off again and showed it was coming straight toward us I started to load them up in the car when my phone went off it was the warning tornado. I jumped in the car right as the tornado sirens in town started going off! I KNEW ABOUT THE TORNADO WARNING BEFORE THE SIRENS IN TOWN WENT OFF! I took off to find a tornado shelter but ended up pulling into a friends driveway got the kids unloaded and in the basement where we stayed for 3 hours. When we got home there was no major damage just windows broken out everywhere the tornado was half a mile from our house… so it could have been so much worse in just glad I was given the extra time I needed to get my family out and to safety. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*