As hurricane Irma heads toward Florida, my wife and I are worried. We both have family living there and they’ve all decided to stay during the hurricane. We’re concerned about how they will fare during and after the storm. We feel so helpless because we’re on the west coast of the US and aren’t there to help them. However, it’s been amazing how technology has been able to help us feel just a little less helpless.

There is so much our families need to do in order to get ready: stock up on food & water, make sure they have gasoline for their generators and vehicles, put up storm shutters and cover windows & doors, remove possible projectiles from the house and yard, as well as help their friends and neighbors. That is more than enough to keep them all busy morning and night.

In addition to all that work, there is a lot of information that is not only useful, but essential, to have in order to be prepared for such a major event. So, my wife and I decided that one way we could get involved and help was to become what you might call data providers.

Initially my parents were going to evacuate. They knew the roads were clogged and gasoline was getting hard to find. And, they didn’t know where to go. While they were getting their house ready and packing, my wife and I scoured the internet for hotel rooms. They were filling up fast throughout the region. We found a place outside of Atlanta and booked it for them. Next, we helped them make a travel plan. My parents are not super-tech savvy, but my mother does have an iPhone. She would be driving, so couldn’t be distracted using the phone. We set up Apple’s Find My Friends app to allow us to see where they were at all times and my wife and I installed the app Gas Buddy. We agreed that my father would call us when they were at about half a tank of gas. When he called, we’d be able to see exactly where they were and could use Gas Buddy to find a gas station nearby for them and direct them there. They didn’t have to try to explain to us where they were or drive all over looking for gas.

What an amazing feeling to be able to help in a way that reduced a huge burden from them. And it helped us feel as if we were able to do something! My parents decided against evacuating because the traffic was so bad and the gasoline shortages seemed to getting much worse. They were afraid of getting stuck on the highway in the middle of the storm. I don’t blame them!

Since everyone had decided to stay, we decided to gather and monitor as much information for everyone as we could. While they all continue preparations for hunkering down, we looked at where each family member was staying and what evacuation zone they were in. We made sure they had that information. We are gathering the list of emergency shelters in their areas so those are handy. We are following all the various emergency accounts on twitter and Facebook and are relaying relevant information to them using iMessage. This way they can focus on their preparations and we can get them important information quickly.

While we continue to be nervous about the storm and the safety of our families, technology has helped us stay connected and provide support to our loved ones even though we’re thousands of miles away. Yes, today’s technology can be frustrating and bothersome, but it can also make a huge, positive difference in people’s lives. What a great feeling to use technology for something so important.

Be safe everyone.