In a major announcement today, Google revealed the expansion of its Flood Hub platform to cover 80 countries globally, including the addition of eight new African nations.
This expansion signifies Google’s commitment to harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to mitigate the devastating impacts of floods and provide essential support to vulnerable communities.
The Flood Hub platform now offers forecasts up to seven days in advance, benefiting a staggering population of 460 million people worldwide.
With this expansion, Flood Hub’s valuable services will now be accessible in countries such as Brazil, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Thailand.
Prior to this expansion, the Flood Hub platform had already been available in multiple African countries, including Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and South Africa.
With the addition of these new countries, including Burundi, Eswatini, Guinea Bissau, Lesotho, Madagascar, Rwanda, Senegal, and Zimbabwe, Flood Hub’s accurate and timely flood forecasting services will now benefit a broader range of African communities facing high flood risk and extreme weather conditions.
Floods pose a significant threat to lives and infrastructure, causing the loss of tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars in damages each year worldwide.
These impacts are particularly severe in low-resource regions that often lack effective early warning systems.
However, by equipping governments, aid organizations, and individuals with advanced flood forecasting tools, Flood Hub empowers communities to take proactive measures and make informed decisions to reduce the devastating effects of floods.
To further enhance flood preparedness, Google is expanding flood alerts through Search and Maps notifications, ensuring that individuals have convenient access to timely and critical flood information. This expansion aims to empower more people to take necessary precautions and safeguard lives and property.
“We recognize the significant impact that floods have on communities worldwide, especially in regions with limited resources and vulnerable populations,” said Yossi Mattias, VP Engineering & Research and Crisis Response Lead at Google.
“We are committed to expanding the reach of the Flood Hub platform to support these communities and provide accurate flood forecasting that can help save lives and protect livelihoods.”
Since 2019, nonprofit organizations have been collaborating with Google.org to establish offline alerting networks, acknowledging the limited access to cell phones or the internet in certain communities.
These networks leverage trained and trusted community volunteers who play a crucial role in amplifying the reach of Flood Hub’s warnings. As a result, even individuals without digital connectivity can receive life-saving flood alerts, ensuring their safety during times of crisis.
