Floods are a global problem and Google is aware of it. In a statement, the tech giant announced the expansion of the flood forecasting tool flood center to more than 80 countries. And Portugal is on the list.
This tool forecasts floods 7 days in advance. Behind Flood Hub we have an AI (artificial intelligence), which “relies on various publicly available data sources, such as weather forecasts and satellite images.”
Flood Hub technology combines two models
- Hydrological Model, which predicts the amount of water that flows in a river;
- Flood model, which predicts which areas will be affected and what level of water.
It should be noted that the Flood Axis now includes some of the territories with the highest percentages of population exposed to flood risk and the most extreme climates. In total, this covers more than 460 million people worldwide, among 60 new countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and South and Central America.
Search and Google Maps will be covered with news
“We are working to expand flood forecast alerts to Search and Maps and make this information available to people when they need it most,” says Yossi Matias, Vice President of Engineering and Research and Crisis Response Leader.
The first country to have Google’s flood forecast was India in 2018, followed by Bangladesh. Advances in global AI prediction models and “machine learning” now allow the technology to naturally expand globally.
Flood Hub’s primary goal is to provide access to reliable information and resources at critical times. In addition to floods, it also provides forecasts for forest fires and earthquakes.