week 8-14 Feb:
• Google will make public emergency alerts for floods available in India as part its efforts to make critical information more accessible around natural disasters.
• Users in India can now find ‘flood alerts’ along with ‘river level’ information for more than 170 areas in which the Central Water Commission (CWC) has active observation stations.
• These alerts are available on web search, Google Now Cards on the Google app, maps as well as Google Public Alerts homepage.
• The alerts will be created and shared using data provided by the CWC.
• Timely information is the first step in disaster preparedness and has the potential to save thousands of lives lost to natural disasters each year.
• By making critical information more widely available to people, flood alerts will enable citizens across the country to make quicker and more informed decisions.
• In 2015, Google introduced ‘cyclone alerts’, which offers information with details about the hazard, including a map and expected timeline, as well as tips on how to stay safe.