Google Boosts Profile with Public Alerts

According to a Google blog post, the new service not only says what's going on, but how severe the emergency will be and what resources can help, which could be especially be valuable to those far from home and unfamiliar with the area.

Google is integrating feeds from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Weather Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) into Google Maps to offer the service.

The service, thus far, isn't using data from its Google+ social network, like it does in its search results, to offer information for people using the new service.

However, social networks like Twitter and Facebook have been valuable assets during times of disasters, including being used for emergency communications after the deadly Joplin, Mo. tornado last spring.

Google's new system is a public service, but it will also compete with Facebook's ramped-up efforts to notify people of a disaster. This past summer, Facebook officials met with members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the California Emergency Management Agency to discuss ways to coordinate disaster notifications and responses.

Facebook has a page, Global Disaster Relief, which helps notify members of efforts to respond to disasters around the world, but it has only attracted 681,000, just a fraction of Facebook's total membership.

In addition, only Facebook members can use the disaster page, while Google's new service will be open to anyone who has Internet or mobile service, so it likely will attract many more users.

People can use the Public Alerts page in several ways. They can search for a specific item by going directly to Google Maps and typing a name and place for a potential disaster. If they type in "flood watch, Ohio", for example, the maps will show them if there are any warnings in Ohio and links to more information.

Users can also go directly to the Public Alerts page to view a list of emergency warnings around the world. Each one is shown as a spot over which users can hover over or click for more information.

Clicking on the emergency posted reveals all details compiled from various government resources, and users can learn the latest news and recommendations about how to protect themselves.

So far, there are no advertisements on the site, which Google is publicizing as a public service. However, because it's branded through Google, it likely will become yet another signature service that will deliver results that users will come to trust, adding even more value to Google's overall brand.