PDC publishes Disaster Alert application for iPhone and iPad users

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact:
Ray Shirkhodai, (808) 891-0525
Executive Director, Pacific Disaster Center
Posted: Jul 19, 2010

Interactive map
Interactive map
Hazards list
Hazards list
Details of an event
Details of an event
KIHEI, MAUI, HAWAIʻI – Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), a program managed by the University of Hawaiʻi, has published Disaster Alert, a free-download application for iPhone and iPad that gives users access to worldwide hazard and disaster event data. The information can be viewed on an interactive map, in quick-view lists or as a detailed presentation on a single event. Disaster Alert is available from iTunes and AppShopper.
 
PDC now makes information on hazards and disasters, worldwide, available to mobile device users. “Disaster Alert,” a free application published by PDC, gives iPhone and iPad users access to the PDC Active Hazards. The term Active Hazards refers to a collection of current and real-time incidents, compiled from authoritative sources on events around the globe. The events in the system have been designated “potentially hazardous to people, property, or assets” by the automated processes of PDC’s DisasterAWARE decision support system and by disaster management professionals who use the system.
 
“We are very pleased with this new app, and we consider its publication an important milestone,” said PDC Executive Director Ray Shirkhodai. "Disaster Alert puts the latest reliable hazard and disaster information in the hands of the public anywhere in the world.”
 
Currently, the Disaster Alert application provides instant access to visualized data on 12 different hazard types: drought, earthquake, flood, high surf (Hawaiʻi), high wind (Hawaiʻi), man made, marine, storm, cyclone, tsunami, volcano and wildfire. Other hazards will be added to the system over time.
 
In addition to selecting the view— interactive map, hazards in a list, details of a specific hazard event—the application’s features include 1) the option to select a background map, 2) update of all active hazards every five minutes, 3) the ability to select/change time zones.
 
The sources of data used in the Disaster Alert are among the most trusted organizations in the world. For a detailed list, review PDC’s partners at http://www.pdc.org.
 
PDC is currently considering the development of editions of Disaster Alert for other mobile platforms.
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Media Note: Additional supporting illustrations/photographs are available on request via email to: rshirkhodai@pdc.org
 
 
Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), a program managed by the University of Hawaiʻi since 2006, was established by the U.S. government in 1996. PDC’s mission is to provide applied information research and analysis support for the development of more effective policies, institutions, programs and information products for the worldwide disaster management and humanitarian assistance community. The Center’s evolving approach to emergency management shifts the emphasis from being reactive—focusing on response and recovery operations—to being proactively focused on mitigation and preparedness. This strategy is built on the United Nations approach to loss reduction that acknowledges public awareness and community partnerships, better assessments of natural hazard risks, and preventative action priorities as critical components that minimize identified risks. The overall goal is to promote disaster management as an integral part of national-to-local economic and social development to foster disaster-resilient communities.