Google Search, Maps, and Now will be providing preparedness info about Hurricane Sandy for the duration

Hurricane Sandy made landfall last night in the Northeastern United States and the damage has been dreadful. Currently, there are millions without power, millions upon millions of dollars in damages, and the worst part, the death toll is at 33 in the United States alone. Unfortunately, the storm is far from over.
Google is trying to help those still in the path of the storm. Yesterday, they released a brand new feature called the Crisis Response Map. It shows Hurricane Sandy and the path it’s cutting into the United States. It helps give people a visual representation of the storm and where it’s going much like a weather map.
That isn’t all that Google is currently doing. They have added public alerts on many of their services to help warn more people. As of now, Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Now are all sending out alerts for Hurricane Sandy. In addition, you can use the alerts posted to see things like power outage maps. They have also added blips on Maps to show evacuation centers.

Isn’t Hurricane Sandy over?

Not by a long shot. While the coastal cities will be seeing some relief from Hurricane Sandy, it still rages on inland. Winds on the coast are still hurricane force in some areas. In addition, there is a huge blizzard in the Appalachian Mountains region. According to weather authorities, the storm will affect people as far West as Chicago and as far South as Georgia over the course of the next few days.
So if you’re in the path of Hurricane Sandy, check out virtually any Google service. It’ll show you where the storm is right now, what parts will be affected, and can even show you the locations of emergency shelters. It could be an invaluable resource for those that need it. To everyone dealing with the storm, stay safe, warm, and dry.

Posted in: google, Google Now, Google Search, Hurricane Sandy, Maps