The official blog for Google Maps
Public Alerts now on Google Maps
January 25, 2012
(Cross posted from the
Google.org Blog
)
Today marks the launch of a new Google Crisis Response project:
Google Public Alerts
, a platform designed to bring you relevant emergency alerts when and where you’re searching for them.
If a major weather event is headed for your area, you might go online to search for the information you need: What’s happening? Where and when will it strike? How severe will it be? What resources are available to help?
The Google Crisis Response team works on providing critical emergency information during crises. Our goal is to surface emergency information through the online tools you use everyday, when that information is relevant and useful.
With today’s launch of Public Alerts on Google Maps, relevant weather, public safety, and earthquake alerts from
US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
,
the National Weather Service
, and the
US Geological Survey (USGS)
will be accessible when you search on
Google Maps
. For instance, at the time of this post, “Flood Indiana” triggers an alert for a Flood Warning in Northern Indiana.
If you click through to “more info” on this alert, you’ll find a page showing more details about the alert, with the full description from the alert publisher, in this case the National Weather Service, a link to their site and other useful information.
Whether you see an alert depends on which alerts are active at a given location, their severity, and your search query. If you’re interested in seeing all of the active alerts in one place, visit our homepage at
www.google.org/publicalerts
. This page also provides a link to more information on our new platform and gives instructions to interested organizations who want to make their emergency data available through this tool.
We’re learning as we go and we’re working hard to continuously improve the range and relevance of the content you see, so we’d really like your feedback. Please send feedback our way using the link at the far right of our Google Public Alerts
homepage
.
We hope Google Public Alerts provides you with information to make better decisions in times of crisis.
Posted by Steve Hakusa, Public Alerts Engineer
The Philippines hosts a Summer of MapUps for disaster preparedness
September 19, 2011
This summer, a group of Filipino mapping enthusiasts organized an impressive series of
Google MapUps
throughout the Philippines. The events brought together
Google Map Maker
mappers across the country to map their communities in preparation of natural disasters. Located in the western Pacific typhoon belt, the Philippines is struck by an average of 20 tropical cyclones every year. As demonstrated by the
2009 Typhoon Ondoy
(Ketsana) and Pepeng (Parma), which left much of Metro Manila underwater, the storms are both persistent and devastating.
The extensive series of
Summer MapUps
was organized by mappers from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao after meeting at the
Google Geo User Summit in Singapore
. Following in the footsteps of super mapper
Rally de Leon
, who mapped extensively after the 2009 typhoons, this summer of MapUps was designed as a volunteer project for the
Philippine Red Cross
. The objective was to map places used during crisis, including health centers, government offices, gymnasiums and public schools used for evacuation.
All of the schools (left) and hospitals (right) in the Philippines, as mapped on Google Map Maker.
The events kicked off in the Mindanao region, with MapUps in
Malaybalay, Bukidnon
and
General Santos City
. Northern Luzon followed with a MapUp in the City of Pines, Baguio City. Baguio City was hit by a devastating earthquake a decade ago, which took the lives of over a thousand people. Volunteers wanted to make sure that they tagged important places, such as evacuation relocation sites, that would help in rescue and relief.
A show of enthusiasm from mappers at the Bukidnon MapUp and live mapping in Cebu.
MapUps in Iloilo City, Metro Manila, Zamboanga and Cebu City followed. Zamboanga mappers focused on Zamboanga Peninsula, one of the least mapped areas in the Philippines. The Cebu City volunteer mappers were geology students from
University of the Philippines
Visayas Cebu College. They enjoyed tagging, moderating and editing data, and vowed to continue mapping to complete the Cebu map.
Even though summer is over in the Philippines, we will still continue to add map data using Google Map Maker as an effort to help the Philippine Red Cross. If you are interested in hosting a MapUp in your neighborhood, or have other great mapping ideas, be sure to visit
Map Makerpedia
, which brings together lessons, tutorials and use cases from around the world.
We also would like to invite you to
join our community of Filipino mappers
and help us by improving the map of your neighborhood on
Google Map Maker
. Mabuhay!
Posted by Aileen Apolo, Philippines Country Consultant
New York City Hurricane Irene Maps
August 27, 2011
Yesterday,
we posted
about our new Google Crisis Map, with the latest available geographic information on current disasters including Hurricane Irene. This morning, we put together a
New York specific Crisis Map
for Hurricane Irene, including Evacuation Zones, Shelter, and Storm Tracking. Sources include
NYC Datamine
,
FEMA
,
American Red Cross
and other organizations.
We hope this information helps you stay informed and be prepared.
Posted by Nigel Snoad, Google Crisis Response Product Manager
Mapping Hurricane Irene
August 26, 2011
With
Hurricane Irene
headed towards the East Coast of the United States, the
Google Crisis Response
team has assembled a collection of map data to help you keep track of the storm. From this map, you’re able to get most recent hurricane-related information from such sources as
NOAA’s National Hurricane Center
and
FEMA
.
To help explore this information, we’ve created
the Google Crisis Map
, a map viewer with the latest available geographic information. Here’s some more information about the map’s content and features:
Google Crisis Map always shows the latest, valuable information we've been able to uncover on the most current situation
You can zoom and pan the map using the on-screen controls, and turn layers of information on or off just by clicking
You can find out more about the map layers by visiting the linked websites of the content owners
The site is optimized for mobile, so you can look at the map on a mobile phone as well as your desktop
You can also share the map, or embed it on your website or blog by clicking share to find the URL and HTML code
Hurricane Irene map viewer
To provide feedback or comments on the map, or if you’re aware of map layers or other datasets that you would like to see included on our maps, please submit them for our consideration at
google.org/crisismap
. We’ll continue to update the
Crisis Response website
with other valuable resources on Hurricane Irene and relevant preparedness tips.
To view the projected and historical path of Hurricane Irene in Google Earth you can visit the
Google Earth Gallery
or download the
KML file
.
We hope these tools help keep you and organizations better informed about diaster preparedness.
Posted by Susannah Raub, Tech Lead, Google Maps API
Mapping towards crisis relief in the Horn of Africa
August 12, 2011
In the wake of intense drought, the Horn of Africa is gripped by its worst
famine
in more than 60 years. Over 12.4 million people across Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia are threatened with hunger and disease as they are unable to access basic survival means.
UN agencies
and other humanitarian organizations are rallying to support refugees on the move, particularly to the thousands fleeing Somalia. Valerie Amos, OCHA Emergency Relief Coordinator, has stated that “
This will not be a short crisis
.” The emergency is expected to persist at least three to four months, and the number of people needing humanitarian assistance could increase by as much as 25 percent.
Ethiopia/Somali refugees. Water point in Kobe camp. Dollo Ado Region. UNHCR, G. Puertas, July 2011.
Fresh and accurate maps are among the many critical factors in assessing such a state of crisis, as they provide vital information to facilitate emergency response and planning. Thanks to the efforts of our satellite imagery partner,
GeoEye
, we now have
high resolution imagery
of
locations
with the most pressing humanitarian needs. This has made Google Map Maker
community mapping
efforts even more effective, by allowing the creation of improved maps over refugee camps in Kenya, Ethiopia and the city of Mogadishu. Volunteers are mapping roads, hospitals, schools, community centers, and water resources, among other vital landmarks. The map data contributed is being
shared periodically with the UN agencies
engaged in this crisis. Google has also donated 1 million USD to help local and international organizations provide famine and drought relief support in the Horn of Africa.
Bokolmanyo Refugee Camp, Ethiopia. IKONOS imagery, July 29th 2011, © 2011 GeoEye
You can help the Horn of Africa during its time of crisis by creating detailed maps using your local knowledge of places, such as cities, roads, and natural landmarks. If you’re unfamiliar with the region, try pairing up with people who have local knowledge, who can help by reviewing and correcting your edits. To participate in these ways and more, and offer feedback, please join our
Africa mailing list
and visit the
Horn of Africa community mapping site
as we all map the way toward crisis relief.
Posted by France Lamy, Program Manager Emerging Markets, Google.org
Updated imagery of flooding near Council Bluffs, Iowa
July 21, 2011
Since June of 2011,
Council Bluffs, Iowa
and the surrounding area has experienced record flooding along the Missouri River. Google has a data center in Council Bluffs, along with many employees that live in the city and surrounding region.
Along with our neighbors, we watched with concern as the Missouri River rose to a level not seen in decades. We are grateful for the extraordinary work of the City of Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, the Army Corps of Engineers and others who kept the city and much of the surrounding region safe. Our hearts also go out to those who have lost homes and businesses to the rising waters.
We recently worked with our satellite provider,
GeoEye
, to acquire updated imagery of some of the affected area. This imagery is now available as a KML file and will be live in the Historical Imagery section of
Google Earth
in the coming days. We hope that it will be of use to emergency responders and the general public.
Eppley Airfield and region to the north (before and after)
Area between Council Bluffs/Omaha and Blair, Nebraska (before and after)
You can access all the new imagery by downloading the
KML file
and opening in Google Earth.
Posted by Chris Russell, Operations Manager, Council Bluffs data center
Using Street View to digitally archive Japan’s disaster zones
July 11, 2011
After the March 11 earthquake and tsunami devastated the coastal communities of Eastern Japan, we at Google tried to find ways to use our technologies in support of relief activities. This started immediately after the quake with our
Person Finder
to help locate displaced individuals, and more recently we’ve started projects to spur economic recovery in the affected areas, such as the “
YouTube Business Support Channel,
” which enables local businesses to promote their products and establishments to a nationwide audience.
We also believe that the Street View feature in Google Maps can be a useful tool to offer street-level imagery of the recovery efforts. Many photographers felt the disaster couldn’t be captured in just one photo or with a single camera, but immersive, 360-degree panoramic images can help people — especially those abroad — better understand the scope of the destruction.
On July 8, we announced that we’ll be driving our Street View cars across major cities (such as Sendai) and coastal cities of the Tohoku region to not only help communicate the current state of the disaster-affected areas, but also to digitally archive the area’s landscapes for future generations. This imagery will help people in Japan and across the world remember and observe the tragedy of March 11, 2011.
In addition to preserving history through Street View, the team in Japan has been busy publishing 360-degree imagery of more than 100 famous sites across Japan through our
Street View Partner Program
. The places that have partnered with us to share views of their locations on Google Maps include UNESCO world heritage sites
Yakushi-ji
temple,
Toshodai-ji
temple, and
Kasuga-Taisha
shrine in the ancient capital city of Nara. We’re also continuing the
Business Photos project
in Japan and are working with hundreds of businesses to photograph their interiors, get those images online, and show both local customers and visitors that they are open for business.
Yakushi-ji Temple in Nara, Japan
If you’re interested in directly supporting the ongoing relief effort in Japan, you can find more information regarding the disaster and resources for those in need at our Crisis Response page in
English
and
Japanese
.
Posted by Ken Tokusei, Product Management Director, Geo Asia-Pacific, on behalf of Google Japan and international Crisis Response teams
Mississippi floods: images and data
May 18, 2011
Emerging as one of the worst flooding events along the U.S. waterway in the
past century
, the Mississippi River floods of April and May 2011 have caused widespread destruction along the 2,300 mile river system. Historically high water levels from heavy rains and springtime snowmelt have provided no shortage of dramatic scenes -- levees breached, downtown areas completely submerged, spillways opened, and more.
The Google Crisis Response team has assembled
a collection of flood data
including satellite imagery for impacted cities along the river from GeoEye, flood extent and crest data forecasts from the
US Army Corps of Engineers
(
kml
) and NOAA’s
National Weather Service
(
kml
), and shelter locations from the
American Red Cross
(
kml
).
Opened floodgate in Morganza spillway in Louisiana on May 15, 2011.
View full-size
.
Cairo, Illinois on May 8, 2011.
View full-size
.
This collection of data is available on
Google Maps
by searching for “Mississippi flooding.” These data can also be accessed within Google Earth by turning on the ‘Places’ layer and flying to the Mississippi river south of Memphis, TN, or by downloading this
kml
to open in Google Earth.
Posted by Pete Giencke, Google Crisis Response Team
Post-tornado mapping in Google Maps and Earth
April 30, 2011
This past week, several devastating tornadoes struck across a wide swathe of the southern United States. Our
Crisis Response team
is activating to provide data and imagery we hope will be useful to first responders and the general public.
In cooperation with our satellite partner GeoEye, we have imagery of the aftermath of several tornadoes, including in Tuscaloosa, Alabama as shown below. We have created several before-and-after comparisons
in a Picasa album
.
Left: Google imagery from late 2010. Right: GeoEye imagery from Thursday, April 28.
Top: Charleston Square Apartments, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Bottom: Towns of Pleasant Grove, Concord, and Hueytown, Jefferson County, Alabama. Click to see enlarged.
This imagery, as well as data sets such as Red Cross shelter locations and tornado touchdown reports, are available in
this collection on Google Maps
. We will continue to add imagery and data as it comes available.
Our heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragic event.
Update:
You can now access the satellite imagery directly in
Google Earth
. Make sure the Places layer is enabled, then go to Alabama. Click the image of a tornado to find links to load the images.
Posted by Jesse Friedman, Google Crisis Response team
Post-earthquake images of Japan
March 12, 2011
In
response to
the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Japan, we’ve worked with our satellite imagery providers to get the latest available data of the areas affected most.
To view this high-resolution imagery, courtesy of our partners at GeoEye, download
this KML file
and explore it in
Google Earth
. You can also explore the imagery
with Google Maps
, or have a look at
this Picasa album
of before-and-after shots. Here’s a sample:
Before and after the earthquake and tsunami. Above is Yuriage in Natori, below is Yagawahama; both are in Miyagi prefecture.
High-resolution version of this photo
.
We’re working to provide this data directly to response organizations on the ground to aid their efforts. We hope this new updated satellite imagery is valuable for them as well as everyone else following this situation to help illustrate the extent of the damage.
You can find more information regarding the disaster and resources for those in need at our Crisis Response page in
English
and
Japanese
. You can also follow
@earthoutreach
on Twitter to stay up to date with our mapping and imagery efforts.
Posted by Ryan Falor, Google Crisis Response team
Haiti, one year after the earthquake
January 12, 2011
[Cross-posted from the
Official Google Blog
]
It’s been one year since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, and governments and NGOs are continuing to respond, many using high-resolution images of the area. To support these efforts, we’ve updated our aerial imagery in Google Earth of the Port-au-Prince area to include images from before and after the earthquake, as well as made updates throughout 2010. These pictures provide an evolving view of the movement of people, supplies and rubble.
To access this imagery directly, use the
Historical Imagery feature of Google Earth
.
Complementing our online efforts with this imagery, a
webpage
and crisis response tools such as
Person Finder
, Google has made an effort to contribute to relief in Haiti by providing technical and financial support to NGOs. These organizations such as
Doctors Without Borders
and
Partners in Health
and specific technology NGOs such as
Samasource
and
Frontline SMS
continue to help the Haitian people. We’ve looked to them to help us guide our ongoing response to this crisis.
In November, we gathered updated aerial imagery, and sent a second wave of Google teams to Haiti to evaluate our earlier response efforts and see where Google could continue to provide help. We met with local Haitians and technology NGOs under tents, in trailers, in Internet cafes and at restaurants.
From these visits we witnessed the difficulty involved in using our mapping tools under the unpredictable nature of the Internet in Haiti, and so have focused on developing better offline capabilities and have proposed ideas for
improving overall Internet access in Haiti
. We also ran training for aid workers on our collaborative tools like Google Apps, which can help coordinate resources. While there, we spent time understanding how NGOs are combating the
cholera epidemic
, and brainstorming tools that could help aid workers produce specialized maps of epidemic case data and chlorination levels at water points, which are critical for planning and prevention.
If you’re interested in helping with Google’s efforts in Haiti, you can:
Support our open source Crisis Response projects such as
Person Finder
or attend conferences like the
Random Hacks of Kindness
.
Volunteer with NGOs working on Crisis Response technology such as
Crisis Commons
and
Ushahidi
.
Our experience and the updated imagery demonstrate that there are still significant needs on the ground in Haiti. We’re continuing our efforts to support locals and NGOs and look forward to seeing how technology will continue to help both Haitians and victims of disasters worldwide.
Posted by Prem Ramaswami, Product Manager, on behalf of Google Crisis Response
Mission Blue: Return to the Gulf of Mexico
January 4, 2011
With support from Google, the Waitt Foundation, Hope Spots LLC and the National Geographic Society, Sylvia Earle and
Mission Blue
are embarking on an expedition to the Gulf of Mexico that will take a deep look at how the region is recovering from the five million gallons of oil spilled from the BP Deep Horizon Oil Spill last year. Follow along with the expedition by checking back daily and clicking on the blue ship icon in
Google Earth
located off of the US coast near Pensacola, Florida, where the expedition begins (make sure the Places layer is turned on). The science team will share updates and media from the expedition, including photographs, videos and links to Google maps on the National Geographic News Watch blog
here
.
Click on the blue ship icon near Pensacola, Florida in Google Earth
to see the most recent post from the expedition.
"Our goal is to identify areas with potential for Gulf ecosystem recovery," said Dr. Earle, founder of SEAlliance and recipient of the 2009 TED Prize that developed into Mission Blue, an international ocean conservation movement. "That is going to require protection of places healthy enough to replenish and rebuild populations. What’s happened here is far from over for the clams and oysters and other sea life critical to a healthy Gulf of Mexico."
The fate and impact of the spilled oil, gas and dispersants applied following the blowout into the Gulf are the subject of intense discussion by experts. The expedition team, assembled under the broad banner of the
Mission Blue initiative
, seeks answers to questions about the current status of key species and ecosystems.
Other research participants include: Dr. Thomas Shirley, Larry McKinney, Douglas Weaver and Harriet Nash from the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi; Edith Widder and Brandy Nelson, Ocean Research & Conservation Association and Carl Safina, Blue Ocean Institute. Research dives are planned using a Dual Deepworker submersible made available to the expedition by the Waitt Institute.
You can also experience the expedition for yourself by
downloading this KML
for viewing in
Google Earth
.
Posted by Jenifer Foulkes, Product Manager, Ocean in Google Earth and Maps
Earthquake motivates New Zealanders to model their town
November 19, 2010
Last week, local volunteers in Christchurch and Dunedin New Zealand invested a day of their time learning how to create 3D models using
Google SketchUp
. The workshops focused on learning how to geo-model, a process that involves creating 3D models of buildings from photographs for display in
Google Earth
.
The workshop was led by local architect and geo-technology expert Jason Mill of
ZNO
, who was inspired to organize the events following the recent
earthquake
in his hometown of Christchurch. As an architect, Jason recognized the value of having a publicly accessible digital model of the city, and has invested considerable time over several years modeling the central business district of Christchurch.
The value of
these models
took on new meaning when many of the heritage buildings in town disappeared, leaving the community to decide what should stand in their place.
Five hours away, the city of Dunedin was unaffected by the earthquake, but given its large number of heritage buildings, local residents there decided that it shouldn’t assume that they will be there forever. They suddenly felt a greater sense of urgency around creating a historical record of these buildings.
Historic preservation and city planning are two reasons that many people model their town, but there are numerous other benefits. Local business owners are keen to be represented on the 3D map, enabling virtual tourists another means to locate them on the Internet. Downtown organizations responsible for promoting their city are other beneficiaries. Exploring a destination virtually, whether for business or leisure, is becoming as common as reading a web site.
Google supports these workshops because it aligns with our mission to build a comprehensive atlas of the world online. This atlas is a dynamic, collaborative, open platform for visualizing, sharing, and searching geographic information—whether it’s in your local neighborhood or on the other side of the globe.
By providing free authoring tools like SketchUp and Building Maker, we’re making it easy to introduce 3D buildings to the map. Maps are no longer just 2D static images on paper, they’re living reflections of the local world around us. Everyone has the ability to help shape the map and contribute their local knowledge, experiences and points of view. Adding 3D buildings to the map is just one way to achieve that.
Local residents such as those in Christchurch and Dunedin are doing more than just putting their cities on the map, they’re contributing to an atlas of the world, and becoming the curators of the special places that their cities have to offer.
Posted by Bruce Polderman, Product Manager
Imagery of the Hungarian sludge spill
October 9, 2010
Hot off the satellite, we’ve received brand new Ikonos imagery of the recent sludge spill in Hungary. See the below screen shots for before/after images; you can also view the the imagery in Google Earth using this
KML overlay
. Special thanks to GeoEye for making updated imagery available so quickly.
Image credit: DigitalGlobe (left) and GeoEye (right)
Image credit: DigitalGlobe (left) and GeoEye (right)
Image credit: DigitalGlobe (left) and GeoEye (right)
Posted by Matt Manolides, Senior Geo Data Strategist
Google Map Maker and UNITAR Collaboration Shines at Shanghai World Expo
September 29, 2010
This past weekend at the
2010 World Expo
, UN Institute for Training and Research (
UNITAR
) and Google gave a joint presentation and informational session about their recent work together in global humanitarian mapping.
Illustrating his remarks with information about the
Pakistan 2010 flood relief efforts
, UNITAR Geospatial Analyst Josh Lyons explained how
Google Map Maker
helps his organization quickly and accurately produce geospatial products and emergency response maps. By leveraging the high quality, up-to-date information provided by users in Google Map Maker, UNITAR is able to produce and distribute helpful composite map products using tools such as UNITAR’S Operational Satellite Applications Programme (
UNOSAT
). These products played a key role in facilitating modern humanitarian relief for the recent disaster in Pakistan.
UNITAR/UNOSAT map for Pakistan flood analysis, with transport data from Google Map Maker
Dr. Carlos Lopes
, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR, expressed his excitement both to work with Google and that UNITAR/UNOSAT resources that had previously been spent on mapping data collection could now be invested directly into analysis. He remarked that users and beneficiaries aided by this collaborative effort include operational UN agencies, international NGOs and national entities from government and civil societies, and of course, the people directly affected by disasters and other crises.
We hope that the interest and increased awareness that the
Shanghai World Expo event
generated about
Google Map Maker
helps to build an even stronger user community. It’s the online mapping contributions of volunteers across the globe that enable Map Maker to be a valuable tool for humanitarian activities like this as well as a source of quality maps in the developing world. Let’s continue mapping the world together!
Posted by Andrea Fang Chu, Google Maps Software Engineer
Imagery of Four Mile Canyon fire in Boulder, CO
September 16, 2010
This Labor day brought Colorado its most destructive wildfire to date, as measured in structures lost. 169 homes were destroyed and 6,181 acres of mountain terrain were scorched as the Four Mile Canyon fire blazed its way through our hillside.
Community members worked together to create a
collaborative map
to show the location of the fire and track its progress. The map was open for anyone to contribute information as soon as it became available. For many, this was a primary source for the most up-to-date information available about the fire.
View
Boulder Fire Area
in a larger map
Additionally, new imagery from GeoEye of the burn area is now available as a
KML overlay
. We will be adding this to our base layer soon. When viewed in 3D using Google Earth, this image vividly illustrates the extent and magnitude of the damage.
Our profound gratitude goes to the fire fighters who worked tirelessly to subdue the fire in the face of high winds and difficult terrain. If you would like to help, you can learn more
here
.
Posted by Mark Limber, Product Manager, Google Boulder
New imagery of the San Bruno fire
September 13, 2010
One of the most common requests we get from users--literally thousands of times each month--is that we update or improve the imagery of a certain location in Google Earth and Maps. In order to provide the freshest, highest quality data possible, we partner with different organizations such as GeoEye, Spot Image, Infoterra, DigitalGlobe, the USDA, as well as national, city and county governments. At times we also collect our own imagery using planes equipped with aerial mapping cameras.
We collect imagery to improve overall quality--especially when we want to refresh data very quickly, for example after disasters, to complement data provided by our partners. To date we’ve collected imagery in the U.S. and in Haiti following the earthquake. This past Saturday we collected imagery over the parts of San Bruno devastated by last week’s terrible gas explosion. Google's data and tools are used by many government and non-governmental organizations to assist in post-disaster recovery, as well of course by our millions of users. This San Bruno imagery is now live in Google Earth through a
KML overlay link
and will be part of the base layer soon.
We are committed to providing the most accurate and up-to-date data in our maps at all times and especially in post-disaster situations.
Posted by Matt Manolides, Senior Geo Data Strategist
Responding to the fires in San Bruno
September 10, 2010
Update
at 6:27pm
: We now have updated satellite imagery (from
GeoEye
) of the area. You can download it
here
and view it in Google Earth.
Like many friends in the Bay Area and across the country, I’ve been stunned by the images of raging fires in San Bruno. Nearly 40 structures have been destroyed and 120 damaged, with several fatalities and multiple injuries after the explosion of a gas line. More than 100 people have been evacuated to nearby shelters.
This disaster strikes close to home; our YouTube offices are about two miles away from the main gas explosion. We’re thankful that no Google employee was hurt, but remain concerned for the well-being of our neighbors in the area.
We are donating an initial amount of $50,000 to the
American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter
to help with relief efforts. We’re directing Googlers to the local blood drives today and will be hosting blood drives in our San Bruno, Mountain View and San Francisco offices early next week.
We’ve created
this map
to show the location of the explosion and highlight nearby shelters and resources. The map is open for collaboration and welcomes additional useful information. We encourage you to embed it in your website or blog. We are also exploring the possibility of obtaining updated imagery of the area to help responders visualize the scope of the disaster.
View
San Bruno Gas Explosion
in a larger map
Our hearts go out to our neighbors who have been affected by the explosion. We thank the firefighters and first responders who have been working tirelessly to contain the fires and help the residents of San Bruno. You can donate to help
here
.
Posted by Laszlo Bock, VP of People Operations
Remembering Hurricane Katrina
August 27, 2010
Before coming to Google, I worked at a
non-profit organization
that responded to Hurricane Katrina by sending mobile health clinics to the Gulf Coast, where there was critical shortage of medical and mental health care providers. I traveled through the region regularly for nearly two years following the storm and each time I would visit the same spots, trying to get a sense of how they were recovering. In some places I saw rapid change and in others hardly any.
Since moving to California I haven’t been able to get back to the Gulf, but I think about that time often. I was excited back in 2008 when we made
Street View imagery of New Orleans
available, and I’ve kept track of updates to our overhead imagery of the area in Google Earth and Maps.
With the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaching, my mind has been with the hardworking and resilient residents of coastal Louisiana and Mississippi. I used the Historical Imagery feature in Google Earth to look back at some of the places I used to visit, and created these slideshows to show the change over time.
These by-now-familiar images of the Lower Ninth Ward are no less heartbreaking today than they were when we first saw them.
The Biloxi Bay Bridge, which connects Biloxi to Ocean Springs, MS, was heavily damaged in the hurricane and had to be rebuilt. The new bridge opened to traffic in November, 2007.
Posted by Kate Hurowitz, Lat Long Blog Team
Seeking map data in response to Pakistan floods
August 6, 2010
According to the UN, the
recent floods in Pakistan
have affected over 4 million individuals - and the human toll continues to grow. Disease is an ever-increasing risk as relief agencies rush to the aid of those who have been hurt or displaced.
Google’s Crisis Response team has provided satellite imagery and
KML layers
to assist relief efforts in past disasters, including the
Haiti earthquake
and recent
Gulf of Mexico oil spill
. In Pakistan, however, the cloud cover over the impacted areas has inhibited our ability to make this valuable content available. The Crisis Response team is looking to collect and aggregate imagery and user generated KML, or other map data, with the goal of making this content more accessible to both crisis responders and the general public. We’re hoping you can help. You can submit links to KML and map data via the following
form
. We’ll contact you if we are able to publish your content.
Loading...
View
BKTEF Relief Activity
in a larger map
Further, we’ve released a version of our
Person Finder tool
in Urdu. We realize many of the victims of this disaster lack any connectivity to the Internet, but remain hopeful that tools like this can assist the diaspora and general disaster community in collecting and dispersing information on the well-being of those impacted.
Your data might help relief efforts; we appreciate you sharing it with the world.
Posted by Steve Hakusa, Software Engineer, Google Crisis Response Team
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