Coverage of Hurricane Sandy

Coverage of Hurricane Sandy

Atlantic City

Image courtesy Instagram user truebeauty_by_kandee

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Crane

Image courtesy Instagram user tlldaho229

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The Flooded FDR at 81st

Image courtesy @GarrettGleeson

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NYC Flooding

Image courtesy @JoshCossey

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Lower Manhattan

Image courtesy Instagram user Leonbrown

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Ventnor, NJ -- Flooded Homes

Image courtesy @dustinwtff

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Water Wall

Image courtesy Instagram user mslisanne

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Flooding in New Jersey

Image courtesy @errieleo

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Trees Down

Image courtesy Instagram user happyhour420

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Wind Surfing in Sandy

Image courtesy Instagram user rickysprinkles

Ways to Help Victims of Superstorm Sandy Online

Superstorm Sandy has impacted the lives of millions in the northeastern U.S. and Caribbean, as the largest-diameter Atlantic hurricane on record hit land between Oct. 24 and Oct. 30.
If you’re looking for ways to help the millions of people across the Eastern Seaboard and Northeast who were injured, whose homes were damaged and who are awaiting the return of power, cable and water, we’ve rounded up some great options.

Mashable has highlighted seven organizations running campaigns that help those affected by the Frankenstorm. Have you heard of other non-profits or online campaigns raising money to help the victims? Let us know in the comments if we’ve missed a worthy cause.

• The Red Cross: If you would like to give to the Red Cross, which has opened more than 190 shelters along the East Coast and has hundreds of disaster relief workers on standby, you can donate online, by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS, or by texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10. The Red Cross is also seeking blood and platelet donations. To learn more, visit RedCrossBlood.org.
• The Salvation Army: You can donate $10 to the Salvation Army by texting “STORM” to 80888. If you are already volunteer-certified, you can sign up to help out with disaster relief.
• AmeriCares: You can donate to AmeriCares’ relief fund to help the organization, which is distributing supplies to 130 clinics in the 13 states affected by Sandy.
• World Vision: Despite flooding at its Bronx, N.Y. warehouse, World Vision is organizing relief efforts. You can text “GIVEUSA” to 777444 to make a $10 donation, or donate online to help.
• Operation USA: If you would like your donations to go to efforts abroad, Operation USA is helping victims in Haiti and Cuba, who were also deeply affected by the storm. In addition to donating online, you can text “AID” to 50555 to give $10.
• International Medical Corps: Another option for donating abroad is the International Medical Corp, who are coordinating efforts in Haiti.
• New York Blood Center: You can donate blood, which will be used to help injured people, as well as hospital blood banks affected by the storm.

5 Emergency Apps to Download Before Hurricane Sandy Hits

Hurricane Sandy will make landfall on the East Coast within the next few days. If you’ve got a smartphone, you can quickly, easily and cheaply turn it into part of your emergency readiness kit by downloading a few useful apps.

To keep your eye on Sandy’s path, download the Hurricane Tracker app for iOS. It delivers the latest forecasts and National Hurricane Center data on the storm’s path right to your iPhone. Also included: relevant Twitter feeds from storm centers, meteorologists and others.

Download iMap Weather Radio, an iOS and Android app which either tracks your location or follows a set of locations you select. If a weather alert is issued for where you are, the app will automatically alert you. It’ll also let you tune in to local weather television broadcasts.

For drafting an emergency plan before the storm strikes, download the Insurance Institute’s Your Plan app. You can use it to figure out what to pack in an emergency “go” kit, store contact numbers, figure out where to go and how to get there.

The Red Cross has a feature-packed and useful Hurricane app for iOS and Android with myriad features: It tracks weather information, it lets you broadcast an “I’m safe” message to friends and family with one button, and, if you need to evacuate your home, it maps the nearest Red Cross shelter. It also has a list of steps to take in case of an emergency. Hopefully, you won’t have to use most of these features — but if you do, you’ll be glad you have it. Get it from the Red Cross.

Finally, every emergency preparedness kit should have a flashlight — make sure the batteries are fresh and you know where to find them in your home. But for a quick backup solution, download a Flashlight app to turn your phone’s camera flash into a solid beam of light. There’s plenty out there for iOS and Android alike, but this free Flashlight app (ad-supported) is a favorite for iOS that doubles as an emergency beacon.