Hurricane Irma Response Leads To Free Walkie-Talkie App Topping App Store Charts

As one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded, preparations for responses once Hurricane Irma hits the Caribbean and potentially some southern parts of the US are underway. One of the ways people are getting ready is apparently by downloading the free walkie-talkie app called Zello Walkie Talkie en masse. This helped the app rocket to the top of the App Store charts.

The app is free and it allows two-way communications as long as there is a signal or a Wi-Fi connection, The Verge reports. While Zello has not exactly been all that popular in the past, it has since become an indispensable tool for rescue workers and first-responders to tragedies.

First seeing large-scale action when Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, the Category 4 hurricane forced residents to become creative about how they were going to communicate. The walkie-talkie app seemed to be the most appropriate and expedient.

Speaking to USA Today, Zello CEO Bill Moore noted how the number of people who were using the app skyrocketed once rescue efforts in Texas started in earnest. This trend in using the app for disaster response has only gotten more fevered. Considering where the planet’s climate is heading, it’s safe to assume that Zello and other communications apps are going to see massive spikes in use.

“It’s centered on live voice," Moore said. "Our voice is how we most naturally communicate. A few seconds of voice has so much information on emotion, education, gender, what part of the country are they from."

This isn’t the first time that rescue workers have used the app either. First launched in 2011, a volunteer group called the Cajun Navy, which was formed after Hurricane Katrina has been using Zello. It’s only now that it has finally caught on in a large scale, which is good for the app. Unfortunately, it’s due to the escalating disasters brought about by climate change.