ATLANTA – As the 2015 hurricane season begins, FEMA has launched a new feature to its mobile app to help you be prepared and stay informed about severe weather. The free feature allows you to receive weather alerts from five locations you select anywhere in the country, even if the phone is not located in the area. This tool makes it easy to follow severe weather that may be threatening your family and friends in other areas.

“Whether this years’ hurricane season is mild or wild, it’s important to be prepared,” said Regional Administrator Gracia Szczech. “Despite forecasters’ predictions for a below-normal number of storms, fewer storms do not necessarily mean a less destructive season. FEMA is reinforcing preparedness basics and resources to help people be ready whether they live along the coast or farther inland.” Visit FEMA’s www.ready.gov/hurricanes for step-by-step information and resources for what to do before, during and after a hurricane.

Cellphones and mobile devices are a major part of our lives and an essential part of how emergency responders and survivors get information during disasters. According to a recent survey by Pew Research, 40 percent of Americans have used their smartphone to look up government services or information. Additionally, a majority of smartphone owners use their devices to keep up to date with breaking news, and to be informed about what is happening in their community.

The new weather alert feature adds to existing features in the app to help Americans through emergencies. In addition to this upgrade, the app also provides a customizable checklist of emergency supplies, maps of open shelters and Disaster Recovery Centers, and tips on how to survive natural and manmade disasters. The FEMA app also offers a “Disaster Reporter” feature, where users can upload and share photos of disaster damage. The app defaults to Spanish language content for smartphones that have Spanish set as their default language.

The latest version of the FEMA app is available for free in the App Store for Apple devices and Google Play for Android devices. Users who already have the app downloaded on their smartphones should download the latest update for the new alerts feature to take effect. To learn more about the FEMA app, visit: The FEMA App: Helping Your Family Weather the Storm.

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.