Today Google launched a new service, called Google Public Alerts, which displays emergency alerts on Google Maps. The warnings displayed on the maps will be from a variety of sources, such as the National Weather Service, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the US Geological Survey.
Google states on their site that they are starting by displaying weather, public safety, and earthquake alerts from the above agencies. Over time, Google expects to expand the service to include other types of emergency alerts from additional sources. Future plans also involve expanding the service to other Google products. It won’t be just for Google Maps.
Google Public Alerts for the general US mainland can be viewed here. Drilling down to a particular alert provides information such as how long the alert is in effect, the likelihood, timeframe, and severity of the emergency, and tips for dealing with emergency. The service can also be accessed by searching Google Maps using keywords related to an emergency alert.
Google Public Alerts is currently only available on the US map.
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