“It means a lot being able to represent and create these apps that personally touch people, and it was really inspiring to see so many people with different ideas.”
For Oklahomans, the possibility of severe weather is a familiar reality. That was the inspiration behind DisasterReady, an app designed by Francis Tuttle Technology Center students Jiya Chopra and Kirthika Duggisetty to help families before severe weather strikes.
Chopra and Duggisetty both attend Deer Creek High School and are part of Francis Tuttle’s Engineering Academy and Computer Science Academy, respectively. They created DisasterReady for the 2025 Congressional App Challenge, a nationwide competition that encourages middle and high school students to explore computer science and coding. Each participating member of Congress selects a winning app from their district, and those teams are invited to attend the annual #HouseOfCode celebration at the U.S. Capitol.
Chopra and Duggisetty’s team was selected by Rep. Stephanie Bice to represent Oklahoma’s Fifth District at the 2026 #HouseOfCode, held April 21 and 22. While developing the app, they worked with Samaksh Bhargav and Amogh Sheth from New Jersey, whom they met at a conference.
The purpose of DisasterReady is to provide natural disaster preparedness tools on one platform. The app combines data from organizations like the National Weather Service and FEMA with AI-powered forecasts to deliver timely, life-saving alerts. While the idea was inspired by Oklahoma’s frequent tornadoes, the team intentionally designed the app to be adaptable for a variety of natural disasters.
In addition to alerts, DisasterReady also helps users prepare for the aftermath of a severe weather event. Based on selected user information — including household size, pets, medical needs, and more — the app produces a customized emergency checklist. It also utilizes location information to provide details on nearby pharmacies, hospitals, and shelters.
“I’m lucky and fortunate to have a tornado shelter in my house, but not everyone is,” said Duggisetty, a senior on the Rockwell Campus. “I have friends who have had their homes destroyed, so it was also kind of personal to me.”
This year, 394 members of the U.S. House of Representatives hosted challenges in their districts, and students nationwide submitted more than 4,600 original app ideas. The apps covered a wide range of areas, including health, accessibility to education, and sustainability, to name a few. Although DisasterReady is currently still in the demo stage, the team hopes to continue refining the app and eventually release it to the public.
Duggisetty was inspired to participate in the Congressional App Challenge after watching a group of her Francis Tuttle peers earn top honors in the district last year. Another Francis Tuttle team, which included CSA students Shreyas Kundaragi, Ethan Lam, Nathan Kordsmeier, and Devansh Katakwar, earned second place in the district this year, continuing a strong showing for the technology center.
In Washington, D.C., Duggisetty and Chopra presented their app in a science fair while networking with students and professionals from across the country. They also toured the U.S. Capitol; heard from various speakers, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi; and even observed the House of Representatives in session.
“The keynote speakers really motivated me because they were saying you are the next innovators,” said Chopra, a junior on the Portland Campus. “It means a lot being able to represent and create these apps that personally touch people, and it was really inspiring to see so many people with different ideas.”
Duggisetty echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the value of the connections she made at the event, especially with fellow seniors she can reach out to if she needs to talk about anything while preparing for college.
“The fact I got to do this before I even went to college was really amazing,” said Duggisetty, who is attending Purdue University in the fall and plans to study economics and management information systems. “I now have these connections from all different states, and it was just a great experience.”
Both Duggisetty and Chopra are active in the Technology Student Association, where they serve in leadership roles. They credited Francis Tuttle with providing opportunities that prepared them for the national stage. Chopra added she appreciated the chance to highlight the innovative work happening in her home state.
“It was a really good opportunity to represent what we are doing in Oklahoma,” Chopra shared. “Even if we don’t have as many districts as other states, we are still coming up with new ideas as well.”