Several developers and engineers from tech firms including Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Twitter jointly worked on developing apps and systems to assist public responses to the UK floods on an emergency hack day dubbed ‘the #floodhack event’ on 16 February 2014.
After analysing data released by the Government Data Services and the Environmental Agency, developers spread in sixteen teams presented about 18 different apps, with the best ones being narrowed and shortlisted.
Among all, developers created a ‘Don’t Panic’ system, which allows individuals with and without internet to seek and receive help, while another system dubbed FludBud, uses Twitter to find users residing close to flood-prone areas and alert them about potential flood volunteers.
Additionally, another app called UKFloodAlerts, allows setting up alerts for particular issues including power loss, flooded roads or burst river banks and then be reported via text message or app notifications.
Tech City UK chairperson Joanna Shields said that the UK is suffering the worst flooding seen in our lifetime.
"In a meeting on Friday convened at No. 10 Downing Street government called on the tech community to best use its wealth of flood data and the response we’ve seen from developers has been fantastic," Shields said.
"Over the course of the weekend we had hundreds of people volunteer their time to produce genuinely innovative apps that are testament to the creativity, imagination and generosity of our local tech community and demonstrates the power of government opening up data."
