There have always been problems with distributing urgent public safety information. These problems show up, over and over, with every hurricane, tornado, flood and wildfire. At this moment in history, problems fall in three areas of responsibility (and, for that matter, responsiveness):

1. The old official channels (radio, TV, newspapers) are scaling back on live news coverage (or on news coverage, period)
2. The new official channels (web sites and services, "reverse 911") are still, as we've been saying since 1995, "under construction".

3. The new unofficial channels (cell phones, blogs, RSS feeds, phone trees) are still no substitute for the Real Thing, whatever it will become.

Lately I've been thinking about some simple hacks we can do in #3 that will give some needed assistance to #s 1 and 2 as well.