Thursday 12 April 2012

Want a flood warning? There’s an app for that

Want a flood warning? There’s an app for that

Homeowners and businesses will be able to keep tabs on the risk of flooding in their area with a new online application called 'FloodAlerts', which launched on social media site Facebook this week.

People in England and Wales will be able to use the app, which is licensed by the Environment Agency and uses live flood warning data from the agency.

Rod Plummer at Shoothill, the software development firm behind the app said: “FloodAlerts is the world’s first graphical representation of the flood warning data on Facebook which provides localised updates every 15 minutes, keeping users informed about the potential flood risks in their area on a Microsoft Bing Map."

The new app is timely, says the agency, because the drought conditions experienced in the UK right now can aggravate the risk of flash flooding.

Craig Woolhouse, Environment Agency Head of Flood Incident Management said: “Dry and compacted ground means that there is a greater risk of flash flooding if there is heavy rainfall - and stormy seas and high tides can produce floods at any time."

He urged people to "keep one step ahead" of future floods by checking the app, especially because more than five million people live or work in areas at risk from flooding across England and Wales.

Written by

Bruna Pinhoni

Trending Articles