Google has improved its Crisis Response efforts by allowing users to run a simple Google Search on an impending event, providing key preparation tips through its Public Alerts system
An official Google blog post announced an improvement to search results as part of the company’s Crisis Response efforts that will allow users to look up useful emergency preparations that they can undertake ahead of any major disasters. The update comes in the wake of the week that, in August 2005, saw Category 5 Hurricane Katrina devastate the US Gulf Coast, causing billions of dollars worth of damage as it flooded cities and displaced thousands of people from their homes.
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has planned ahead for the new hurricane season and wants to ensure that citizens are prepared for the new hurricane regardless of the scope or category of the damage. The Crisis Response team, which was set up to help out people in need, has been boosted by improvements to Google’s Public Alerts. The company claims to have also improved weather forecasts area-wise, but given the fickle nature of the weather, users are advised to use the Google reports as guidelines and be cautious in the coming hurricane season.
Google outlined how the new system works by showing how a Google search result for “tropical storm san juan” brings up a tab that links to a relevant Public Alert which further draws on data from the National Weather Service. The map shows the user’s location and distance from the oncoming storm, while data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows wind severity and the track of the storm, as well as an estimation of when/if the storm will hit the user’s locale.
Official safety instructions from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and ready.gov will also be compiled in a concise manner to direct search users on how to deal with the storm and ensure their own safety in relation to the storm. All the data compiled will reflect the almost real-time status of the event and the user’s position at that time. If users google a storm a few days before it hits, they will be prompted to ready an emergency kit, with reminders being displayed to even charge smartphones if a storm is simply a few hours away.
Searching Google when the storm is really close will include tips on avoiding injury from, for example, hurricane related problems such as flying debris and fast-moving water. The Hurricane Katrina was one of the top five deadliest hurricanes and while not all emergencies will be similar, Bidness Etc advises users to look up critical information that can be found on government websites ahead of time in order to avoid any panic when problems arise.
Google is of course being pro-active, but it is surely better to be on the safe side with natural disasters. Google pointed out how it collaborated with third-party organizations to create satellite imagery showing the affected areas when Hurricane Katrina rolled around. The company also set up its Crisis Response Team and searchable databases to check up on family and friends who might have been affected.
Google makes it easier to search information on how to deal with most natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis, while the company believes that providing information can, at the very least, help people prepare for such events in advance. This is a commendable venture by the tech giant, and even though all the information is there on the internet if one knows where to look, bringing the data directly to consumers via a simple Google search can help people prepare for a potentially life-changing event.
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