While you may have placed great value on your mobile device and the apps you use on it, there couldn’t be a better time to depend on your mobile phones than with the passage of Irene. US residents who are in the path of Hurricane Irene, most of whom have Internet enabled cell phones and tablet computers can follow the storm and take necessary precautions by tuning in to native weather applications for updates including videos. A popular weather iPad app, The Weather Channel (TWC+) provides up to the hour tracking and video reporting. Other apps that can be very handy include the Red Cross’ Safe and Well app that is critical to those who need to find shelter quickly as well as CNN’s mobile application for national reports.

In addition to the applications that update you about the weather, there are also car and home insurance apps that you can download in case you need to file a damage claim. You will find these apps available from some of America’s top performing US insurance companies.

While hurricane Irene lambastes hundred of houses in its path, more awareness is being created, and this moment could be historical; it can lead to saving many more lives in future as people in the path of a storm can be alerted quicker, and they can get themselves to safer areas through social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook with #irene currently trending on twitter. This is a reminder of the wealth of good things social media has brought us, from helping to fight dictatorships to saving lives when regular communication channels have proven ineffectual.