EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
See the disaster before it reaches you.
Wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods — WorldEye's live cameras and hazard layers let you watch emergencies unfold in real time. It's a powerful complement to official alerts, built for people who prepare.
Official alerts are authoritative. NOAA, the National Weather Service and your local emergency management decide when to evacuate, shelter or stand down — not a camera feed. WorldEye is a visual complement to those alerts: use it to understand what's happening, never as your only source for what to do.
Wildfires: see the smoke before the news does
The wildfire layer plots active fires while nearby public cameras show smoke columns, wind direction and visibility in real time. During fire season, check the cameras around your community each morning — a smoke plume on the horizon an hour before the news mentions it is the difference between calm preparation and panic.
Hurricanes & storms: watch the coast
Track storm systems on the weather layer, then switch to coastal and city cameras as landfall approaches: rising water at the marina, wind-bent palms on the beach cam, empty streets under curfew. Seeing conditions directly helps you judge reports — and judge when it's too late to be on the roads.
Earthquakes: the shaking, then the aftermath
The live earthquake feed plots magnitude and location within minutes of an event. Cameras near the epicenter show what's actually happening on the ground — traffic still moving, buildings standing, streets emptying. In a major event, check cameras along your family's routes home before assuming they're passable.
Evacuation routes: check road conditions
Traffic cameras are the most practical preparedness tool in the directory. Know which feeds cover your evacuation routes now — highway interchanges, bridges, mountain passes — so that when the order comes, you can see congestion, closures and weather on the road instead of guessing.
Build your WorldEye readiness routine
The best emergency use of WorldEye happens in calm weather. Set this up once, and it's ready when you need it:
- 1Find the traffic cameras on your two evacuation routes and bookmark the map zoomed to them.
- 2Learn where the nearest wildfire cameras point — smoke on those feeds is your early signal.
- 3Check the earthquake layer monthly so you know what 'normal' looks like in your region.
- 4Save your local emergency management's alert signup page — WorldEye shows you the world, alerts tell you what to do.
- 5Walk the family through the map once: kids who've seen the evacuation route on a camera recognize it under stress.
Preparedness FAQs
Is WorldEye an official emergency alert system?
No. WorldEye is an awareness tool, not an alerting authority. Official warnings come from NOAA, the National Weather Service, and your local emergency management — those are the sources that decide when to evacuate or shelter. Use WorldEye to see what's happening, not to decide whether you're safe.
Can I watch an active wildfire on WorldEye?
Often, yes. The wildfire layer plots active fires, and nearby public cameras can show smoke columns, glow at night, and wind direction — which helps you understand what's near your area. But smoke can hide flames and cameras can go dark in a fire zone, so treat feeds as situational awareness, not a perimeter map.
Should I evacuate based on a camera feed?
Never base an evacuation decision on a camera feed alone. Evacuate when officials order it, and leave early when conditions look like they're turning. A camera can lag, freeze, or point the wrong way at exactly the wrong moment — official orders are built for that uncertainty.
Can WorldEye help me prepare before a disaster?
Yes — that's its best role in emergencies. Before fire season or hurricane season, use the map to learn your area: which routes out of town have camera coverage, where the nearest high ground is, what your street looks like under heavy rain. Preparedness is built in calm weather.
Is WorldEye free to use during emergencies?
Yes. The entire map — cameras, weather, earthquakes, wildfires, flight tracking — is free for everyone, forever, with no account. There is no emergency paywall and never will be.
Prepare while the sky is clear.
Open the globe — free, no signup — and learn your area before you need it.
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