Smartphone Severe Alerts Based On GPS Location?

[Bill Tabor]

For chasers or just the general public what are the options for getting gps based severe storm type warnings pushed to a smartphone - preferably for free? I just found the MyWarn app for Android that looks real good, but it is $9.99. The new smart phones pretty much all have the built EAS warning system for alerts from Presidential, to Extreme, Severe, Amber...but not sure if this is exactly GPS based and either way I am not sure if it works well and could be depended upon. The Accuweather app which is free will provide Severe Alerts for your 'Home' area. Guess I'd just like to have alerts pushed to me when chasing, or just hanging out and something for my family members as they might be driving across country so they are aware.

 

[STexan]

The technology you're referring to is progressing rapidly but from what I can gather today, it's still sort of hit and miss, especially if you're actively moving across multiple counties every hour. To me, the best and most trustworthy tool is a pocket weather radio with a "travel mode". There only real weakness is while in the remote areas of the nation where NOAA radio signals are often non existent, but often so is a reliable cell signal in the same location, plus you don't have a text based message to refer back to, and a cell phone is always with you, where as a Wx radio may not be.

 

[rdale]

The Red Cross' new tornado app does what you want for free.