Google’s crisis response team has sprung into action to help those dealing with heavy rains that have brought Indonesian capital city Jakarta to a standstill. At least four people are reported to have died and some 20,000 have been evacuated by the flooding, which has forced the closure of roads and public transport systems.
Conditions are set to worsen with more rain expected in the coming days, as the Guardian reports, so Google has rolled out its regular array of services aimed at getting key information to people that need it — as it did when Typhoon Pablo hit the Philippines last month.
As ever, Google has fused data from authorities with its maps service to provide a visual snapshot of flooded areas and places at risk.
The company has pulled together a page of useful resources to keep up to date with how the monsoonal rains are affecting areas, and emergency information is also provided, in both English and Bahasa Indonesian. Mobile is a major platform by which many in Indonesia access the Web and Google has also pulled together mobile page to help circulate essential details, such as emergency contact numbers and details of shelters.
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To help the discovery of the information, the firm has added key details to its Indonesia Google search, at google.co.id. Those that search for ‘evakuasi’ [‘evacuation’] are presented with a snapshot of information at the top of their search results. Google has also added similar data to its free Internet service for feature phones: FreeZone.
As a company with so many high profile services that Internet users come into contact with — via mobile devices or desktops — Google’s efforts can help make a difference to those that are affected by natural disasters, either directly or via family and friends.
Stay safe if you’re in Jakarta.
Headline image via ADEK BERRY/Getty Images
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