Review | Three free apps to warn travellers of natural disasters – how good are they?

Images of the smoke rising from Mount Agung in Bali, a volcano close to tourist resorts and beaches, has thrown into sharp focus just how easy it is for travellers to suddenly find themselves in danger.

Perhaps more so because it comes weeks after an powerful earthquake in Mexico City and several devastating hurricanes in the Caribbean and North America.

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There’s no point in avoiding travel out of fear of natural disasters, but there are apps that can warn you when something’s not quite right in your chosen destination, and even help you cope if the worst happens. We put three of them to the test.

Disaster Alert

Available for Android and iOS, this free app has been developed by the Pacific Disaster Centre in Hawaii. It presents a world map with disasters highlighted, from earthquakes, volcanoes and hurricanes to avalanches, landslides, floods and forest fires.

It even contains details of virus outbreaks. Powered by PDC’s DisasterAWARE platform, it can be set to give you notifications based on your GPS location, so you don’t have to continually check it. Each event is clickable, and presents a pop-up table with more details, and there’s a “news ticker” feel to the app.

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