The 7 Best Apps for Earthquake Alerts and Tracking on iPhone
Reading Time: 4 minutesIf you live in a region that’s prone to earthquakes, you install one or more of these apps on your iPhone for tracking and alerts.
An earthquake could either be a slight tremor you barely notice or a terrifyingly destructive force of nature. Fortunately, technology has gotten a lot better at keeping track of seismic activity. Apart from just relying on the news, you can take advantage of a handful of apps designed for earthquake alerts.
Some of these apps allow you to keep track of earthquakes worldwide, whereas others can actually warn you with alerts if they detect any dangerous seismic activity around you. So, here are seven of the best iPhone apps you can install for earthquake alerts and tracking.
1. QuakeFeed Earthquake Alerts
QuakeFeed is by far the most comprehensive app on this list for earthquake alerts and tracking. The app’s home screen gives you a list of recent earthquakes around the globe. It sorts them based on the date by default, but you can change that to sort by magnitude, distance, or depth.
The app also allows you to keep track of wildfires, but that’s not included in the free version. It even includes a map to help you visualize recent earthquakes around the world. Finally, you can set up custom regional alerts that will notify you when an earthquake is about to occur in your region. It sources this data from the USGS, so these alerts are quick and precise.
Download: QuakeFeed (Free, premium version available)
2. MyShake
MyShake is an earthquake app developed by the University of Canada, Berkeley. It takes advantage of the ShakeAlert system created by the USGS. This app was made specifically with the West Coast in mind, a region frequently susceptible to earthquakes.
When an earthquake is about to happen, the app uses a loud voice alert telling you to ‘Drop, cover, and hold on.’ These are time-sensitive notifications, so the app will notify you even if your phone is silent or you have a focus mode turned on.
While this app only serves a single purpose, it is the most reliable one on this list and a must-have for people on the West Coast.
Download: MyShake (Free)
3. My Earthquake Alerts & Feed
Like other earthquake apps on this list, this one also includes a feed that tells you about any recent seismic activity around the globe. However, the search feature here is even more interesting. You can search for specific earthquakes across a particular date range and sort that data according to region and earthquake magnitude.
It’s a simple feature but one that provides deep insight into earthquakes of the past. You can also customize alerts based on region, earthquake magnitude, and distance. The map here can also show fault lines, which may interest budding geologists. There’s also a pro version of the app with support for the Apple Watch.
Download: My Earthquake Alerts & Feed (Free)
4. EarthQuake+
EarthQuake+ is by far the simplest app on this list, but one that serves its purpose despite that. It gives you a list of recent earthquakes, and tapping on one of those options will bring up a simplistic view of the data. This data tells you about the magnitude, distance from the closest land location, and exact coordinates.
It sources this data from USGS, EMSC, and CNDC. On the app’s home screen, you’ll find magnitude filters labeled 2, 3, and 5. Apart from that, it also offers Apple Watch support allowing you to set up custom alerts based on the magnitude and region.
Download: EarthQuake+ (Free, premium version available)
5. Earthquakes – Latest & Alert
This earthquake tracking app is immediately interesting because as soon as you launch it, it asks you to pick from 22 different sources for data on seismic activity. This includes USGS, EMSC, BGS, and more. You can only have one enabled at a time, which makes sense, considering turning all of them on would cause a lot of clutter.
You can filter the feed by the data sources, maximum magnitude, region, and date. It tells you how many hours ago a specific earthquake occurred, along with the exact date and time. The app uses Apple Maps for location and different views. Of course, this one will also send you alerts, but it’s better for tracking since the notifications can be a bit late.
Download: Earthquakes – Latest & Alert (Free, in-app purchases available)
6. LastQuake
LastQuake is an old earthquake tracking app, and you can tell from its user interface. However, it overcomes that hurdle by being incredibly accurate. Each entry of seismic activity tells you the date, time, location, and region. Furthermore, it shows a map for each entry and a helpful graphic tells which areas were most affected.
The app has a Near Me section that tells you if an earthquake occurred recently in your region. LastQuake also includes a menu that features safety tips in case of an earthquake or tsunami. You can also enter your experience if you felt an earthquake recently, and you can directly post that data to Twitter.
Download: LastQuake (Free)
7. Earthquake+ Alerts, Map & Info
This one functions similarly to the others but has access to more sources than most apps on this list. Like the other earthquake tracking apps, the feed tells you about recent earthquakes that happened around the globe, but you can click on all individual entries and see how many people reported feeling the earthquake.
The recent event tells you about each earthquake in-depth, such as the exact area where it took place. Other than that, it also provides tsunami info, location-based alerts, in-depth filters for sorting, and different map options.
Download: Earthquake+ Alerts, Map & Info (Free, premium subscription available)
Stay Safe From Earthquakes With These Apps
To sum it up, these earthquake apps are pretty impressive in terms of accuracy. On top of that, it helps that USGS and other organizations provide open access to the data gathered. Remember to allow critical alerts for these apps to avoid missing out on any notifications.
These are the types of apps that could save lives in the case of an emergency. Of course, you shouldn’t just rely on a single app for this sort of stuff. Try painting it with some of the emergency features in iOS. For example, you should be aware of the SOS feature to contact emergency services quickly.
Reference: https://www.makeuseof.com/best-iphone-apps-for-earthquake-alerts-and-tracking/
Ref: makeuseof