Web or Mobile System Paper

Living in the sunshine state of Florida can be a beautiful and warm adventure, but it also can be a storm filled season of tropical storms, and hurricane madness. One thing that has happened because of the destruction that “Hurricane Katrina” caused in New Orleans is that it brought attention to the importance of preparedness. States ramped up their informational flyers, websites, and other ways of getting information out more quickly to their areas during these powerful storms. One important technology currently used to distribute information in a timely manner is phone apps. This paper will discuss, and describe the new Red Cross Hurricane App. It will describe how the app is used and what changes it has brought about to its users, and last it will discuss some likely future uses and enhancements of this app. The purpose of the Red Cross hurricane app is to give local citizens and visitors the ability to track, and monitor hurricanes from their mobile phone. Hurricanes can be unpredictable, and there is never a clear picture about when or where it will strike. Most people have a cell phone in today’s society and according to a recent Nielsen report 88% of those are smart phones. The new Red Cross App is free, and it gives its users the ability to track storms, shelters, and other important information right from their hand held phone. It is clear that storms frequently visit the sunshine state of Florida and that keeps the states citizens in hurricane tracking mode. Jack McMaster, president of Preparedness, Health and Safety Services at the American Red Cross said “This free Hurricane App puts personalized preparedness information in the pockets and purses of those who need it” (PRNewswire, 2012 pg.4b). The free app can be downloaded from the American Red Cross website to an individual’s smart phones, and the rest is as easy as touching the different links to navigate through the hurricane survival information they need. Hurricane

References: Rachel Leitao (2012, August 1) App of the Day: Red Cross Hurricane App. First Coast News Retrieved August 5, 2012, from http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/article/266784/483/App-of-the-Day-Red-Cross-Hurricane-App- Red Cross (2012 August 1). PRNewswire 2012 pg 4. New Hurricane App Brings American Red Cross Safety Information to Smart Phones. Retrieved August 5, 2012 from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-hurricane-app-brings-american-red-cross-safety- information-to-smart-phones-164555666.html