Nextdoor is teaming up with The Weather Channel to issue relevant in-app forecast content and weather warning alerts to its users. The feature is currently rolling out.
The collaboration aims to provide vital hyper-local details and severity of impending weather events, the alert’s date and time, and a link to The Weather Channel’s forecast page associated with the user’s location. The alerts will show up as push notifications and email.
“Reliable weather information can be critical to people in the path of a storm, and weather has never been more impactful as weather events become more intense due to our changing climate,” Sheri Bachstein, CEO of The Weather Company said in a statement.
During a severe weather event, it’s crucial to be as prepared as possible ahead of time. The new feature can help neighborhoods connect and share information about impending events to better organize aid and take stock of resources, according to a release.
“External research following Houston’s Hurricane Harvey in 2017 showed that communities connected on Nextdoor were more likely to receive help from one another and as a result, recovered more quickly,” Nextdoor CEO Sarah Friar said in a statement. “Across historic hurricanes, wildfires and extreme weather, neighbors have turned to the platform to mobilize, share critical information and resources and in some cases, help save lives.”
With September being National Preparedness Month, Nextdoor also released a short guide on how to use the app and how to help your neighbors during a disaster. For example, Nextdoor suggested posting ride offers in the event of an evacuation, taking photos of damage — even if it’s not your home — to speed up insurance claim processes, and reposting helpful messages to increase visibility.