A cool app is available that allows you to track the weather wherever you are and link to WFIT's broadcast with one click. Stay ahead of the storms, get emergency alerts or just plan your day with the Florida Stormsapp.
Now available for iPhone and Android devices, the FPREN mobile app is backed by real-time information from the nearest Florida public radio station, and offers a simple way to stay informed of potential weather and other hazards.
This year, Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is helping sponsor FPREN throughout hurricane season, making the insurer a valuable partner for the state and its citizens.
Florida Storms offers preparedness checklists, storm updates and evacuation routes, all using a combination of state of the art weather tracking and forecasting technology and the expertise of staff meteorologists at WUFT-FM, the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications.
The iOS app is available free in the Apple App Store, and an Android version made its debut last autumn. Among the features of the new app:
- Weather map: Clean and fast national radar with 1-hour past loop and future radar up to 48 hours, including current temperatures, wind speeds and lightning data
- Radio streaming: Live stream of nearest FPREN partner station, with ability to customize based on desired location
- News feed: Multiple feeds of real-time watch and warning information from various sources, with simultaneous advisory text and radar view
- Emergency preparedness: Information for a weather disaster, including what to do before, during and after a storm
- Push notifications: Customizable, from the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center.
FPREN communicates emergency information statewide through a seamless system of free over-the-air FM radio stations. The new mobile app extends the reach of the network with reliable and immediate weather developments.
NEWS FROM FPBS
The Association of Public Broadcasting in Florida
Get major storm info on free Florida Storms mobile app from Florida Public Radio
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida residents and visitors have a friend on their side this storm season as the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN) will again provide vital weather and other emergency updates through broadcast radio, and the free and updated Florida Storms mobile weather app.
“Florida is fortunate to have gone 10 years since Hurricane Wilma made landfall,” said Jeff Huffman, Florida Public Radio Meteorologist at the University of Florida. “Someone in the state typically experiences a hurricane about every two years, and unfortunately, many people have come to think a big storm won’t happen. It will. We expect a storm season that is both more active, and less predictable than recent years. Preparation is even more vital to ensure Floridians stay safe.”
Florida public radio stations joined forces with the Florida Division of Emergency Management to form FPREN in 2014. The FPREN Storm Center is operated by WUFT-FM at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications providing local 24/7 weather, data and storm updates to all stations in the network.
FPREN stations collectively cover 99 percent of the state and are locally staffed and equipped to stay on the air even during times of massive power outages in order to deliver important information to local audiences before, during and after an emergency. In the event of a weather incident, the FPREN stations will continue to provide recovery information for as long as necessary. Working in partnership with the Florida Division of Emergency Management and local Emergency Operations Centers, listeners and users of the mobile app can be assured of having access to the most up to date information.
FPBS is a non-profit association of public radio and public television stations in the state of Florida. As the largest broadcasting network in the state, we reach more than 99 percent of Florida’s population through traditional broadcast, online tools and community engagement. FPBS stations are a state partner in education, emergency management and public affairs. Through our collaborative efforts, we identify and implement regional and statewide projects that enhance and sustain community initiatives that serve the citizens of Florida. For more information, visit the FPBS website at www.fpbs.org.
