Updates made to save time and improve accuracy when locating fuel during an emergency
BOSTON — Shortly before Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys last September, 43 percent of stations in Florida were out of fuel. Three days after the storm, nearly half the stations in major cities throughout the state were still out of fuel or power, causing panic for millions of Floridians.
In preparation for this year's peak hurricane season, GasBuddy, the only smartphone app connecting drivers with their Perfect Pit Stop, has made two key improvements to the app so those in need can better locate stations with fuel and power in hurricane-affected areas.
GasBuddy activated its fuel outage tracker to help Floridians locate gas stations with fuel and power before and after Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in 2017 and assisted the Florida Division of Emergency Management with refueling efforts. Learnings from last year’s events have culminated in product improvements to save time and improve accuracy when locating fuel in an emergency.
“An important consideration during Hurricane Irma was ensuring continued fuel availability for citizens during the evacuation process. By working closely with GasBuddy, we received valuable intelligence on the availability of fuel, enabling us to work more efficiently during a time when every second counted," said Alberto Moscoso, communications director at Florida Division of Emergency Management. "We experienced first-hand how impactful the GasBuddy platform is. GasBuddy’s crowdsourced data not only provided people the information they needed to evacuate successfully, but also helped us make decisions on where to allocate state resources.”
Timestamp Feature Improves Station Outage Accuracy
Similar to GasBuddy’s gas price reporting feature, there will now be a timestamp next to each gas station status report to ensure a more accurate experience when locating stations with fuel. Users will be able to view a historical list of outage reports for a specific station, displaying the timestamp, the GasBuddy user who reported, and whether the station had power, gas, or diesel at the time of the report.
“Timing is everything with crowdsourced data. Some users encountered cases of outdated station status reports, causing them to drive to stations that had already run out of gas,” said Michael DiLorenzo, chief marketing officer at GasBuddy. “The station status history feature shows users the time of the last station update, allowing them to make time-saving, accurate decisions on where to find gas stations with fuel and power.”
Sharing Fuel Availability with Family And Friends
GasBuddy users will now be able to share gas station updates with their family and friends. A ‘share station status’ option will be located on the station page, allowing users to quickly text, email, or share on social media with their loved ones to inform them which gas stations have fuel and power.
The fuel outage tracker and new app features will be activated in the event of a hurricane or similar emergency situation. The Atlantic hurricane season is between June 1 - Nov. 30, 2018.
About GasBuddy
GasBuddy is a smartphone app connecting drivers with their Perfect Pit Stop. GasBuddy is the leader in crowdsourced information to help drivers find the best gas prices, closest stations, friendliest service, cleanest restrooms, tastiest coffee and much more. GasBuddy is the leading source for the most accurate, real-time fuel prices at more than 150,000 gas stations in the U.S., Canada and Australia. The Company’s B2B Retailer Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), known as GasBuddy Business Pages, provide Fuel Marketers and Retailers their best opportunity to maintain their station information, manage their brand, and promote to their target consumer audience.