Hurricane season strikes fear into the hearts of those who live in its direct path, as well as distanced loved ones who worry for their safety. If you’ve ever sat up all night in a state of panic for a family member caught home alone in the middle of a destructive storm, dependent only on intermittent live TV reports for updates, a hurricane tracker app is a must-have tool. There are plenty of hurricane trackers that can help you prepare for these perilous events, monitor their progress while underway, and assist in recovery. We’ve gathered the best apps for following storms, predicting storm paths, and delivering on-the-ground advice for shelter and emergency services. Most are free to download and are ad-supported. Premium versions remove ads and add additional features.
You may lose power during a storm, so consider purchasing a portable power source, just in case. We have a few handy suggestions for some of the best portable generators and power stations available.
If you ever need to evacuate your home to escape a hurricane or any other natural disaster, we’ve compiled a list of items to keep stowed in your car emergency kit.
Weather — The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel app is designed to track extreme conditions like storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires, so you can be prepared for whatever Mother Nature has in store for your community. The app features live Doppler radar maps and hurricane trackers that predict heavy rain, heat waves, and floods. Personal weather alerts and critical notifications for your region mean you can plan for up to two weeks in advance. A companion smart widget offers more details at a glance and one-tap access. A premium version of the app offers more comprehensive and precise ad-free weather reports, a 15-minute forecast of rain intensity for up to seven hours, updated radar readings pushed to your home screen, and advanced 72-hour radar.
AccuWeather: Weather Alerts
AccuWeather has everything you need, including live weather forecasts, local weather, daily forecasts, advanced radar, and Real Feel tech to give you the best idea of how conditions actually feel. Advanced weather radar offers immediate, up-to-date views of storm tracking, snow, rain, ice, and temperature fluctuations. For those who crave even more information, the app features RealVue and Enhanced RealVue satellite imagery that shows weather patterns from space. Specialized tropical storm radar reveals where and when storms might land and includes live MinuteCast weather watches and warnings for your region. Conversely, you can view 45 days ahead with a tracker with information you can filter and customize according to your preferences.
My Hurricane Tracker Pro
My Hurricane Tracker Pro provides comprehensive tools and weather warnings from the National Weather Service for tracking tornados, cyclones, and tropical storms. The app features interactive tracking maps for each hurricane, along with an NOAA forecast map, storm satellite imagery, and radar, satellite, and sea temperature images. Push notifications for weather warnings let you track specific hurricanes and receive immediate notifications. A Pro version of the app is ad-free, and the Apple version includes Apple Watch support.
MyRadar Weather Radar
MyRadar is a complex but friendly weather app that displays animated radar (with two hours of radar loop lengths) at your current location to alert you to local weather conditions. The app provides advanced rain alerts via its own prediction tech that will push notifications in advance to detail rain intensity and duration. The app offers an assortment of data layers, including a special hurricane layer that gives you the latest information on tropical storms and hurricane activity worldwide. MyRadar sends weather and environmental alerts from the National Weather Service, including alerts derived from tropical storms and hurricanes, and you can configure the app to send alerts when a tropical storm or hurricane forms or changes intensity. A paid version of the app for $3 upgrades real-time hurricane tracking to provide additional data. Premium upgrades also include a professional radar pack for greater detail from individual radar stations.
Storm Radar: Weather Tracker
Storm Radar: Weather Tracker uses high-definition NOAA radar to track extreme conditions like cyclones, hurricanes, and tornadoes, letting you monitor the most challenging weather conditions in real time. The app uses Weather Channel advanced HD mapping technology to help keep you safe during your commute, at home, and regarding neighborhood activities. The app gives you a detailed, color-coded view of current weather patterns, including wind and rain in your region. It reveals when and where a storm will hit and six hours of global radar. The app lets you customize your radar map with overlays to include additional data and real-time notifications for hazards like lightning. The app is free with ads, but an ad-free version costs $1 per month. The Android version of the app was discontinued and replaced by the general Weather Channel app we’ve included above.
Hurricane Tracker
Hurricane Tracker uses data from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to relay audio briefings and maps. Hurricane Tracker also records all NHC advisories and maps in real time to keep you updated on the latest weather conditions. You can customize the app to receive alerts as new storms form and existing systems reach land. The app uses predictive models, custom graphics, and in-depth analysis to help you prepare for unexpected events. Hurricane Tracker covers the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic Ocean, Eastern Pacific, and Hawaii. It does not track Australia and the Western Pacific. The app is not free — the iOS version costs $3, and the Android version costs $4 — but its range of services and uniquely tailored information may justify its modest price.
Hurricane: American Red Cross
The American Red Cross has created its own hurricane app that lets you monitor conditions in your immediate area as well as locations currently within a storm system. The app, available in English or Spanish, incorporates both an interactive storm tracker map and predictive models to help you plan for the worst in advance. Hurricane relays real-time alerts and updates, but its headliner is the in-app communication feature. Anyone in the direct path of a hurricane or storm system can post custom messages or select status updates, allowing you to communicate with loved ones directly within the app or via Facebook or Twitter. The Red Cross has also created a series of step-by-step guides to help people prepare for and weather a storm. This includes a tool to point people to their nearest Red Cross shelter, as well as tips for managing drinking water if the area has experienced flooding or power outages.
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