Emergency preparation is now as close as your smartphone. Ready Virginia, the emergency preparedness outreach program for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), recently released its free Ready Virginia mobile application for  iPhone® and Android™ devices just in time for the 2014 hurricane season.  Ready Virginia partners with Ready Hampton Roads, the region’s outreach program that focuses on local emergency preparedness and awareness. Ready Hampton Roads is supported by the HRPDC and includes the emergency management professionals in the 16 jurisdictions.

The Ready Virginia app was given high-profile status when Virginia Governor Terry MacAuliffe provided President Obama with a demonstration in conjunction with the president’s annual pre-hurricane season briefing that was held at FEMA headquarters. The briefing included three presentations on innovative apps that reach people with critical emergency information, and Virginia was the only state invited to present.
 
“I am proud of the work the Virginia Department of Emergency Management has done on this innovative app that will help Virginians stay informed and prepared in the event of a hurricane or other disaster,” said Governor McAuliffe.
 
The Ready Virginia app allows users to make a customized emergency plan, identify and collect needed emergency supplies, and get the latest disaster news when there are widespread or high profile disaster events in the commonwealth.
 
Among the app’s features are:

• Alerts: real-time weather and hazard alerts for your location.

• Plan: make your emergency plan and share it with family and friends.

• Local: GPS-enabled evacuation routes, flood risk updates, emergency manager contacts.

• Checklist: essential emergency supplies to have in your kit.

• Threats: learn what to do to prepare for the most likely disaster events in Virginia.

• Disaster news: stay informed on current emergency events or browse through previous disaster blogs.

For more information about the Ready Virginia app: http://www.vaemergency.gov/readyvirginia/additional-resources/mobileapp