Know when your power and water go out — before your phone does. Community-verified, real-time utility status across all five boroughs.
When the lights go out, you shouldn't be in the dark about it.
WatchTower is a community-powered utility grid for NYC —
built for the moments when everything else stops working.
App · SMS · Call-In
Works on 2% battery
No account required
Open &
Scan
Color-coded map loads instantly. Green means on. Red means out. No guesswork.
Tap to
Report
One tap to log an outage or restoration. Works offline. Works at 2% battery.
Get
Verified
Reports cross-referenced with neighbors and utility data. Every entry is timestamped.
Stay
Informed
Texts when utilities are restored. App, SMS, or call-in — your choice.
WHEN THE GRID FAILS — WE DON'T.
Communication
No data? No problem. Report or check status by SMS or hotline. WatchTower reaches you however it can.
01Battery
Ultra-low power mode drops background activity to near zero. We won't drain the battery you need most.
02Verification
Reports cross-referenced and timestamped. "Updated 4 min ago" means exactly that — no stale data.
03Community
Ice. Generator. Childcare. Plumber. Share and request resources in your building during an outage.
04// anonymous by default. no sign-in required.
📱 Get SMS alerts: Text WATCH to +1 (855) 502-6699 — reports are anonymous by default
Via App
watchtower-nyc.app
Full map, report flow, mutual aid grid, battery saver. iOS + Android.
Via SMS
Text WATCH to (855) 502-6699
Text OUT or BACK with your zip. No data or smartphone required.
Via Email
Sign up for email alerts. Outage reports and restoration notifications.
WatchTower™ — NYC Community Utility Network
Community-powered. Verification-verified. Always on.