Counties Offer High Tech Help After The Storm

MIAMI (CBS4) – As we enter what is usually the most active time of the annual hurricane season, emergency management officials in Broward and Miami-Dade want the public to know to there is a high-tech tool they can use to report damage to their homes after a storm.

Broward emergency management director Chuck Lanza said Tuesday's tornado, which left a mile long path of destruction in Tamarac and North Lauderdale, is a good reminder about a website residents can access on their smart phones. The website allows residents to tell the county how bad the damage is by choosing one of four photos that best describes the impact. The website also sends a GPS location to the county where the information gets plotted on a map and help is dispatched.

"We want to make sure we pinpoint the right resources to the right neighborhoods," said Lanza.

Broward residents can Click Here to access the app.

Lanza said it's important for residents to assess the damage quickly because it will allow first responders to handle emergency calls.

"If they're not doing it, then police and firefighters, they're the ones that are tasked with doing it. So instead of them doing police and fire business, they're now doing damage assessment," said Lanza.

In Miami-Dade, residents can access their emergency reporting site, the Snap Shot Program, from either a computer or a cell phone with web access.

Miami-Dade residents Click Here to access the Snap Shot Program.