FEMA vs WRDW Weather
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FEMA
This app provides essential tools and information for disaster preparedness, safety, and recovery. Receive real-time alerts, access guidance on emergency plans and kits, and find information on disaster assistance.
- Real-time weather and emergency alerts
- Disaster preparedness guidance
- Actionable safety advice
- Disaster recovery assistance information
- Location-based alerts
- Accessibility features
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The official FEMA mobile app provides essential tools and information to help you prepare for, stay safe during, and recover from disasters. Empower yourself and your loved ones with critical resources at your fingertips. Key Features: - Timely and Relevant Alerts: Receive real-time weather and emergency alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS) and Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), tailored to your specified locations (up to five), utilizing zip code precision. Stay informed about potential hazards affecting the areas you care about. - Comprehensive Preparedness Guidance: Access clear, concise information on how to prepare for various disasters. Learn how to develop a family emergency communication plan and build an effective emergency kit. - Actionable Safety Advice: Understand immediate steps to take to protect yourself and your family during different types of emergencies. - Disaster Recovery Assistance: Find answers to frequently asked questions about the disaster assistance process and locate FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers nearby. - Accessibility Focused: Designed with accessibility in mind, the app is compatible with screen reader technology and adheres to federal accessibility standards. Be proactive in ensuing your safety and resilience. Download the official FEMA App today to access vital information and resources when you need them most. It’s a free and essential tool for every individual and family. If you have any questions, comments or ideas, we’d love to hear them. Contact us at fema-app@fema.dhs.gov. Important: Tornado alerts are a moving target using polygon tracking for accuracy. Real-time tornado alerts based on your current location are not currently offered in the FEMA app.
WRDW Weather
Get hyper-local weather updates with high-resolution radar and satellite imagery. Track future weather patterns, receive real-time current conditions, and save your favorite locations. Stay informed with severe weather alerts directly from the National Weather Service.
- 250 meter radar
- High resolution satellite imagery
- Future radar tracking
- Current weather updates
- Favorite location saving
- Severe weather alerts
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The WRDW Mobile Weather App includes: • Access to station content specifically for our mobile users • 250 meter radar, the highest resolution available • High resolution satellite cloud imagery • Future radar to see where severe weather is headed • Current weather updated multiple times per hour • Ability to add and save your favorite locations • Daily and Hourly forecasts updated hourly from our computer models • A fully integrated GPS for current location awareness • Opt-in push alerts to keep you safe in severe weather • Severe weather alerts from the National Weather Service
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: WRDW Weather at 4.7 against FEMA's 3.7. WRDW Weather also leads on ratings volume (3.2K vs 1K). FEMA's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (69% vs 39%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
WRDW Weather holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1K and 3.2K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 69% of FEMA's written reviews are positive against 39% of WRDW Weather's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FEMA | WRDW Weather |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (1K ratings) | 4.7 (3.2K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 68.7% of reviews — better | 39.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1K | 3.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | #40 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 18 MB | 248 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) | Gray Television Group, Inc. |
Customer experience
FEMA
WRDW Weather
User reviews
FEMA
From 1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Accurate and timely weather alerts
- 👍 Helpful preparedness information
- 🚨 Essential for emergency situations
- ⚠️ Valuable real-time updates
- 🗺️ Ability to monitor multiple locations
Room to improve
- 🔁 Repetitive and excessive notifications
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/accessing alerts
- 🐛 Bugs causing app crashes or issues
- 🤔 Confusing or unintuitive interface
- 🗺️ Limited location tracking capabilities
WRDW Weather
From 3.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Best layout for a weather app
- 👍 Great coverage and alerts
- 👍 Wonderful app for local weather
Room to improve
- 🐛 Alerts too late, slow radar
- 🐛 Inaccurate weather forecasts
- 🔋 Too many ads
- 🐛 Constant app crashes and freezes
- 🔋 Too many unnecessary notifications
Bugs and requests
FEMA
Reported bugs
4 issues- Alerts not showing up in the app
- Locations being repeatedly deleted
- Inability to add or update locations
- Notification badge not clearing properly
Requested features
5 requests- Dark mode option
- Customizable notification settings
- Ability to view past/archived alerts
- Integration with other weather/emergency apps
- Improved mapping and location services
WRDW Weather
Reported bugs
3 issues- Radar only shows cloud cover, not thunderstorms
- Can't exit blog section without closing app
- App freezes after 5 seconds of opening
Requested features
3 requests- Option to disable voice alerts
- Improve radar functionality
- Reduce ad content
In-app purchases
FEMA
No in-app purchases
WRDW Weather
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is FEMA free?
Is WRDW Weather free?
Which has better reviews, FEMA or WRDW Weather?
Do FEMA or WRDW Weather have ads?
Which is updated more often, FEMA or WRDW Weather?
Other comparisons
