Google Launches Crisis Map For Flood-Affected Jammu and Kashmir

Google has launched an initiative to aid rescue operations in flood inundated parts of Jammu and Kashmir. The company has created a crisis map for Jammu and Kashmir, with the help of recent satellite images. Google hopes that this map will help all the agencies involved in the rescue operations reach thousands of people stranded in flood-affected areas.

When we checked this map, it had satellite images from September 10, two days before this report was published. The map also provides a shocking picture of the destruction caused by the floods in and around Srinagar. There are toggles to see areas before and after the floods, which show how devastating this natural disaster has been.

In a blog post, Google said, "As the flood waters recede in Jammu and Kashmir, the rescue teams will now be able to reach thousands of stranded people. To aid this rescue process, we've created a Crisis map for Jammu and Kashmir with updated satellite imagery."

On the purpose of the map, Google said, "Our hope is that this will help rescue agencies, volunteers and others involved in rescue operations respond to this crisis by identifying flood zones, evacuation routes and weather conditions."

This is not the first time Google has created a crisis map. Previous instances where Google tried to aid disaster relief operations include Typhoon Yolanda in Philippines last year and during this year's winter storms in the US.

Google is also operating the Person Finder, which lets people post information about people they are looking for and if they have information about someone stranded due to the floods. At the time of filing this report, the Person Finder was tracking over 7,800 records.