Finding a bunker nearby is useful. Knowing that something is happening right now, in your city or in the city where your family lives, is different.
That’s the gap Ward tries to close.
From shelters to alerts
Ward started as shelters and bunkers. Melcher brought the idea; we launched in the Netherlands; the App Store spike taught us people wanted this more than we expected. The longer origin story is on the Ward project page.
But the support inbox kept repeating a second need: tell me when something is happening. Shelters answer “where do I go?” Alerts answer “do I need to move at all?”
In July 2026 we shipped Ward 3.0 on iOS: World Emergency Alerts. Real-time notifications for severe weather, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, public safety incidents, and more. A world map of alerts from official organizations. A dashboard that mixes alerts with bunkers and shelters near you. The Library (Emergency kit + Hazard Guides) sits next to all of that.
What 3.1 adds
In early August we shipped 3.1. The ask after 3.0 was simple: don’t only watch here. Watch the places that matter.
You can now choose to receive instant emergency alert notifications for any city worldwide. Not only where you’re standing. Where your people are, too.
What’s next
I’m working on a new Android release that brings the alerts experience over, the same “know when something is happening” layer people already have on iOS. More on that when it ships.
Ward is free on iOS and Android. Site: wardalerts.com.