Watch Duty Rising as Climate Crisis Deepens | San Jose News

Watch Duty is exploding as the go-to app for real-time disaster alerts, starting with wildfires in California and now covering floods and fires nationwide. Built like a hyper-focused social feed for emergencies, it pulls live data from weather, official warnings, and police scanners. After a massive LA firestorm in early 2025 drew millions of users, demand surged as climate chaos makes disasters more frequent. Though a nonprofit, it operates like a startup, fueled by utility contracts and volunteer teams, serving 10 million users this year alone. With government systems lagging, Watch Duty is stepping in to fill the gap — offering free access but charging for premium mapping and expanded coverage, proving it’s becoming an essential tool for safety in a changing climate. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/d2b38c1aff8b05e5