The United States is entering tornado season, with a number of devastating storms already beginning. Last week, tornadoes began in Texas and moved east, where they left nearly 60,000 without power across the South. Another tornado in Iowa killed seven people last week. More severe weather is expected to affect the Southern and Midwestern U.S. in coming months.
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During the tornado in Iowa, there were disturbing reports that tornado warning communication was delayed by as much as seven minutes leading up to the storm. During a tornado, a few extra minutes of warning can make the difference between life and death.
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Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Earnst joined five other cosponsors to introduce a bill designed to make  improved communication a priority, hoping to save lives and increase safety during future dangerous storms. They plan to pass the bipartisan TORNADO Acts, which focus on improving communication technology, including the establishment of an office to improve weather warning alerts, and a pilot program to push new, effective technology for hazardous weather communication.
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At NewNode, we understand how important communication in adverse conditions can be. NewNode is the perfect technology to get warnings out quickly during unusual weather conditions. When connectivity is knocked out during a storm, NewNode is engineered to provide connectivity anyway by using a network made up of users’ mobile devices. The app uses the best available means to transmit messages, even when internet connection is spotty.
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Prepare for tornado season and download the NewNode VPN  to keep important communication channels open even during serious weather events, and download our Fireside Messenger app to check in on loved ones during tornado season.