Can't get there? A neighbor can.
Why we built this
In 2018, after Hurricane Michael, I built 850relief.com so people could request help and offer it in the wake of the storm. We helped hundreds, if not thousands, of people, connecting neighbors directly and coordinating tractor-trailer loads of donated supplies from corporate sponsors.
Storm Check is the evolved version of that idea, rebuilt for Hurricane Isaias. After a storm, a lot of people are stuck somewhere else, with no way to know if a parent is okay or if the house is still standing. The usual fix is a public Facebook post with an address anyone can read. Here, you ask, a nearby neighbor offers, and you decide who gets your address. They check from outside and send photos back.
These days I build Atrium, software that helps neighborhoods and HOAs run themselves. I like making tools that help communities take care of each other.
I'm a local. I just want to help everybody help themselves, so we can get through this together.
How it works
- Someone far away posts a welfare check (a person) or a property check (a home). The public board shows only a short summary and the general area.
- A nearby volunteer offers to help. The requester sees the offer and chooses whether to share the exact address and private notes. Messaging happens in the app.
- The volunteer checks from outside and sends back messages, photos and a short report.
Safety & privacy
Safety
- In an emergency, call 911. Storm Check is not an emergency service.
- Volunteers must be 18 or older, check from outside only, and act at their own risk.
- Follow curfews and re-entry orders. Never drive or walk through flood water. Stay away from downed lines.
- Never enter a building. Never share or ask for entry codes, lockbox codes or keys.
- Volunteers never ask for money, deposits, gift cards or entry codes. Don't pay anyone you met here.
Privacy
- Your address goes only to the volunteer you approve. Email is never shown. Phone numbers are shared only if you choose. Messaging happens in the app.
- Emails are used only to notify you and to resend your links. They're never shown to the other person, on either side.
- Phone numbers are optional and hidden by default. Each side can choose to share theirs in a conversation, and can stop sharing later. Phones are hidden again when a check ends.
- Map locations on the public board are shifted to a general area.
- There are no accounts. Your private link is the key to your request or conversation, so keep it private.
- Photos are shrunk on your device and location data inside them is removed before upload.
- Requests are listed only after the requester confirms their email. Exact addresses are never shown, and the map shows a grid cell about 500 m across, not a point.
- Anyone can report a post. Posts with several reports are hidden from the public list for review.
Common questions
Is Storm Check free?
Yes. Asking for a check and volunteering are free, and there are no accounts to make. Storm Check is run by a local volunteer; optional support helps cover hosting and email costs.
Who sees my address?
Only the volunteer you approve. The public board shows just a short summary and a general area (a grid cell about 500 m across), and your exact address is never posted publicly.
Is my email or phone number shared?
Your email is never shown to anyone. Your phone number is optional and hidden by default; it is shared only if you choose, and you can stop sharing later.
Who are the volunteers?
Neighbors nearby who offer to help. Storm Check doesn't verify identities, so follow the safety tips on this page, never share entry codes or keys, and never pay anyone you met here. Volunteers check from outside only.
What if it's an emergency?
Call 911. Storm Check is neighbors helping neighbors, not an emergency service. If you just can't reach someone, you can also ask the local police non-emergency line for a welfare check.
Do I need an account?
No. There are no accounts. You confirm your email, and a private link is the key to your request and conversations. If you lose it, you can have your links resent to your email.
Support
Storm Check is free and run by a local volunteer. If it helped you, you can chip in for hosting and email costs. Payments go through Stripe and aren't tax-deductible.
Support Storm CheckTerms
- Storm Check connects people; it doesn't vet volunteers or guarantee any check happens.
- Use it only to check on people and places you're responsible for, with their wishes in mind.
- Don't post anything false, harmful or that reveals a home is empty. We may remove posts without notice.
- Requests close automatically after a long period with no activity.