We're members of rural water and power associations. We've sat in the dark for days after ice storms, wondering when the power would return. We've had water contamination warnings and no idea if it was safe to drink. We've called the one cell number posted on the bulletin board and gotten voicemail. Three days later, still no callback.
Major line damage. Two weeks to repair. The only updates came from the informal text chain among neighbors—until someone drove to the office to ask, and found a crew from three states away working 14-hour days. That crew had no way to tell 800 members what was happening.
There should have been a simple way to push updates. To see timelines. To know someone was actually working on it.
There wasn't. So we're building it.
Just rural utility customers who needed better communication.
Building the tool we wish had existed.