Emergency app used during major fires launches potentially lifesaving update

Watch Duty, a free emergency-tracking app popularly used for wildfire coverage, has expanded its services to include flood alerts. 

The update arrives as flash flood risks increase across the country, with new tools designed to give users earlier warning and help them decide whether and when to evacuate in the event of flooding.

What's happening?

According to the Associated Press, Watch Duty was vital for homeowners in Southern California when wildfires spread across Los Angeles County in 2025. 

California homeowner Matt Blea was pointed to Watch Duty when the Eaton Fire ignited near Altadena. As Blea weighed whether his family should remain at home or get out, he used the free app to follow the fire boundary, check evacuation orders, and read response updates.

Seeing that information pushed him to move fast. "It influenced me to leave the home sooner than later," he told the AP. 

He, his wife, and their son got out that evening, before the fire destroyed their house.

More than 2.5 million people relied on Watch Duty during that week's Los Angeles County fires. Now, the nonprofit behind the app is rolling out flood-monitoring features.

For floods, the app pulls in weather modeling and other public data from the National Weather Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Users can see flood watches and warnings, river gauge readings, and alerts related to possible dam or levee failures.

Why is this important?

The app can offer clear, user-friendly information during fast-moving emergencies.

Official alerts can sometimes arrive late, feel too broad, or fail to provide the context people need to decide whether to leave immediately or keep monitoring conditions.

The timing matters because flooding, especially flash flooding, can become deadly within minutes. The AP reported that the move comes nearly a year after the Texas floods that killed more than 130 people and prompted questions about whether residents received enough warning.

A free, easy-to-read map showing local warnings and changing conditions could help people protect their families, avoid dangerous roads, and leave sooner when every minute counts.

What's being done?

Because flooding affects so many people, the nonprofit chose it as the next hazard to cover. Rather than making users search across multiple government websites, the app puts critical public safety information in one place to reduce confusion during a high-stress moment.

It also gives people another tool for building a more complete emergency plan alongside official alerts, go-bags, evacuation routes, and household check-ins.

John Mills, CEO and co-founder of the nonprofit behind Watch Duty, pressed the importance of democratized emergency information. 

"This is painful that this keeps happening," Mills told the AP. "We're not spreading enough information fast enough on as many channels as humanly possible."

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.