U.S. — Watch Duty, a nonprofit fire tracking application, began helping users monitor flooding in July 2025. The app integrated data from the National Weather Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Geologic Survey to offer real-time flood monitoring and customizable alerts.

The expansion followed deadly floods in Texas in July 2025, which killed more than 130 people. Users can now view National Weather Service flood warnings and watches, river gauge levels, and notices of potential dam or levee failures. The app also allows users to determine if they are in a FEMA-designated flood area and set custom notifications for river gauge heights.

Watch Duty CEO and co-founder John Mills established the app in 2021 after a fire near his Northern California home did not trigger official alerts or evacuation instructions. "The systems are really struggling to meet people where they are," Mills said. He stated that Watch Duty is not intended to replace the work of official weather and emergency agencies. "We need National Weather Service, we need fire service, we need all this infrastructure to operate," Mills said.

The application has grown to over 20 million users. The organization received nearly $6 million in grants and donations in 2025. The app's information is available in five languages through maps, text feeds, and push notifications, which can activate even when phones are silenced. Matt Blea, an Altadena, California, resident, used Watch Duty the evening of January 7, 2025, when a fire broke out a few miles from his home. He downloaded the app on a friend's recommendation and used it to track the fire's perimeter, evacuation orders, and emergency response updates. Blea, his wife, and his son evacuated that evening. The Eaton Fire later destroyed his home and, along with the Palisades fire, killed 31 people. "It influenced me to leave the home sooner than later," Blea said.

Watch Duty meteorologist Pete Curran, a retired firefighter, said the app consolidates information. "You're not going to have to go to multiple other entities, to the weather service, emergency management website, county website," Curran said. He added that the app's role is to observe and report. "Our only responsibility is to watch and listen," Curran said. "We're not in charge of the incident." Lori Moore-Merrell, a Watch Duty board member and data scientist, noted changes in rainfall patterns. "Maybe it's never happened before, but it's happening now, so you need to be aware," Moore-Merrell said.

Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, expressed support for emergency information products but emphasized the importance of knowing what to do with the information. "I love seeing products like this come out, but one thing we know to be true in the Texas floods, is a warning is only as good as the knowledge to do something about it," Berginnis said. He added that a problem is a lack of preparedness for what to do during an emergency. "One of the massive failures is not knowing what to do," Berginnis said. Mills advised users to enroll in their local alerting systems in addition to using Watch Duty.