Headline Weather alerts for first responders
TIP OF THE WEEK from the Personal Tech page of The New York Times.
No one knows better than law enforcement and other first responders that the weather is rapidly becoming as big a problem as crime. The winter of 2013-14 has already seen several major storms across the country, many of which have snarled travel by road, rail and air. Although weather-focused sites have plenty of news and headlines on current conditions, you can also get an overview of official warnings and advisories on the Google Public Alerts page at google.org/publicalerts. The Public Alerts page features a list of current bulletins alongside a map of the country, with areas under storm warnings, advisories and alerts shaded in orange.
Zooming in to a specific area of the map offers more information, including a pop-up box with a summary of the alert and links to the full announcement on the National Weather Service’s website. Zooming out of the map shows public alerts elsewhere around the world. Along with inclement weather, other events like earthquakes and wildfires are also noted — making the site one place to go for a quick and uncluttered look at the state of things, no matter where you are or where you may be going.