PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. -- This hurricane season your smartphone is going to be more important than ever. From tracking a storm, to finding a shelter, everything you need to know is at your fingertips

The technology at the tip of your hands can be your lifeline during hurricane season. Not only to stay connected during and after a storm, but also to stay ahead of it before a storm hits.

Interactive maps like the one you can find on www.cbs12.com, shows any areas of concern that are developing out in the Atlantic.

The Hurricane Tracker lets you track a hurricane or tropical disturbance right down to your community, so you know exactly where it's heading.

Once a storm is headed our way and you need to find a shelter, there's an app for that. This app from the Red Cross pinpoints exactly where a shelter is in your area if you need one during a storm.    

It's not just apps, but it's also social media. Following Facebook and Twitter sites of CBS 12 and local emergency operations can help keep you updated on recovery efforts.

"Social media is now a part of our communication efforts and public affairs network. We are on twitter, we are on facebook."

The Palm Beach County Emergency Operation Center also encouraging you to get out your smart phone during a storm.

Vince Bonvento/Palm Beach County EOC: After the storm passes, people can literally go out into their community and take pictures of the impacted area, send it to the emergency management, and we will use that information to try and determine where the signifigant impact areas are.

During and after a disaster hits your cell phone company is doing what it can to keep you in service.

Kelly Starling/Spokesman, AT&T: Because of our network disaster recovery program we are really fast at getting service restored as fast as possible because we know how important communication is, especially in the wake of a disaster.

AT&T has  these mobile cell tower which they also deploy after a hurricane to handle the load of calls being made and data being sent. This keeps you connected to technology and loved ones even during a power outage.Be hurricane smarter with your smartphone