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.
