Florida Storms vs Ready Pinellas

Everything you need, nothing you don't. Florida Storms is not just another weather app with a radar. It's a clean and fast interactive map that alerts you to every storm, while at the same time delivers credible real-­‐time audio and text alerts from the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network. Using a combination of Baron's exclusive storm track algorithms and the expertise of a meteorologist, you're certain to receive the most up-­to-­date information on any potential weather hazard. View the latest tropical weather updates from the National Hurricane Center, find out if you’re in an evacuation zone, check if you're in the path of a dangerous storm surge, or just review a checklist of items your family should have in case of a weather emergency. Once you have Florida Storms, you won't need multiple apps to prepare for the next "big one". Whether it's just a routine lightning storm that might send you indoors or a major hurricane threatening your neighborhood, Florida Storms is the simplest and fastest way to stay informed of mother nature's next move. Features of Florida Storms include... - Live radio stream of the nearest Florida Public Radio Emergency Network partner station, with option to choose from 12 others in the state in case of evacuation or traveling - Push notifications from multiple sources, including the National Weather Service, the National Hurricane Center, Baron's exclusive Doppler radar, and local emergency management personnel - The ability to set up alerts for other locations, such as your second home, vacation or evacuation destination. - Interactive real-time mapping of high-resolution radar, lightning, future radar, satellite, hurricanes and forecast models. - Our favorite feature: “The feeds” offer real-­time filtering of information from official sources, such as the nearest National Weather Service office, the National Hurricane Center, Florida Department of Transportation, the FPREN Storm Center and local emergency management offices. - A simple, effective way to learn how to prepare for the next weather disaster, including what to do before, during, and after a storm - Updates from certified FPREN meteorologists, including Facebook Live videos and blog articles. Florida Storms is completely free and developed by the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network, in partnership with the University of Florida and Baron Critical Weather Intelligence. Updates from the Storm Center are provided by a team of certified meteorologists at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, and are also available on your local Florida public radio station's website or over the air. The Florida Public Radio Emergency Network partners stations are WUWF (Pensacola), WFSU (Tallahassee), WKGC (Panama City), WUFT (Gainesville), WJCT (Jacksonville), WMFE (Orlando), WMNF and WUSF (Tampa-­‐St. Petersburg), WFIT (Melbourne), WQCS (Ft. Pierce), WGCU (Ft. Myers), WDNA (Miami, and WLRN (Miami). Repeater stations include WJUF (Inverness), WMKO (Marco), WUCF (Orlando), WFSQ (Tallahassee), and WXEL (Miami). More information about the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network can be found at www.floridastorms.org.

Pinellas County Emergency Management’s Ready Pinellas application is a mobile disaster preparedness and decision support application designed to assist Pinellas County citizens in planning ahead, or when tropical storms approach our area, providing an outline of steps and recommendations and current information. Ready Pinellas App Features: Know Your Zone: When a tropical storm approaches it’s critical for residents to know their Evacuation Zone. It’s best to find out your zone before hurricane season so you can access your risk and make plans. As a user, you can enter your address and determine your evacuation level, the closest hotel accommodations, the closest general or special needs shelter. Note: not all shelter and hotel accommodations will be available in all storm levels. Check back with this feature when a storm is approaching. Readiness Checklist: The Readiness Checklist is a tool to provide users an easy guide for preparedness ahead of hurricane season. There is a Blue Sky Readiness Checklist for pre-storm preparations, and as a tropical storm approaches and Pinellas County is placed in the 5-day or 3-day cone as indicated by the National Hurricane Center, the app will present the 5-day Readiness Checklist and then the 3-day Readiness Checklist. Get a Plan: This feature helps citizens, businesses and special needs citizens create an emergency preparedness plan. Users can enter information about the location of their homes and businesses, family members, pets and family contact information and an individualized emergency plan will be developed that users are able to print or maintain online. Alert Pinellas: The most important step you can take to be prepared is to know when a hazard is coming. The Alert Pinellas emergency notification service allows Pinellas County to send urgent messages by voice to landlines and mobile devices, text, TDD and via email. Registration is free, and users can register each address where they live and work to get alerts for multiple locations. Storm Surge Protector: This interactive tool depicts the impact that different levels of storm surge flooding would have on a neighborhood, home or business. Users can type in their address and see a representative graphic illustration of their structure type with a depiction of the projected height of storm surge for the different evacuation levels. It also displays the specific evacuation level for the address and the amount of storm surge predicted for that evacuation level in a neighborhood view. Special Needs: Pinellas County’s special needs program is intended for those who need transportation or require minimal medical assistance while seeking public shelter. Registration for a special needs shelter is required and this feature allows users to register. Pet Preparedness: Get information on sheltering your pet, and a list of supplies needed to weather the storm. Find out information on pet collection or information about locating stray animals following a hazard event. There are also pet friendly shelters and pet coordination for special needs citizens. A link brings you to registration forms. Social Media: Follow Pinellas County on social media for general county information, breaking news, preparedness tips and real-time updates. Pinellas County All Hazards Preparedness Guide: Download a PDF version of Pinellas County’s All Hazards Guide, with information on how to prepare for and respond to hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, lightning and manmade disasters. National Hurricane Center: Connect to the official source for worldwide tropical predictions, weather, water and climate data, and analyses of hazardous tropical weather. Find translations and podcasts.