Instagram — a popular iPhone-based photo-sharing service (and app) — is currently chockfull of hurricane-related images. But what if you only wanted to see those photos right now — without having to see even a single image uploaded by someone who doesn't care about the weather? You can — thanks to Instacane.
Instacane is a clever website built by Chris Ackermann and Peter Ng of the New York Times' R&D lab. It basically serves as a collection of photos related to the storm, how people are coping, and what the sky looks like in various locations.
There aren't details regarding how the photos are gathered up, but we believe that adding an #instacane tag to an Instagram image might earn your snapshots admission to the site.
As someone who is currently looking out the window and seeing a — for once — hurricane-free Florida landscape, I'm getting quite a chuckle out of some of the images on Instacane. Based on them, all I need to worry about in the event of a hurricane is whether I've got enough Nutella, booze, and snazzy boots. (Oh, and something to prevent all those baby photos...)
Take look for yourself — the site appears to be updated regularly with more images — and see if the impression I'm getting is entirely off.
Related stories:
- How to prepare, really, tips from a hurricane vet
- Get support and info on Hurricane Irene network
- How to track Hurricane Irene online
Rosa Golijan writes about tech here and there. She's obsessed with Twitter and loves to be liked on Facebook. Oh, and she can be found on Google+, too.