Google Crisis Map Tracks Hurricane Sandy Flooding, Power Outages

As Hurricane Sandy continues to rage, Google has compiled a useful interactive ‘crisis map’ for those seeking information on storm surges, power outages, shelters, and evacuation routes.

Google’s Hurricane Sandy crisis map was put together by Google’s Crisis Response Team using the wealth of data held by the search giant. The map aims to assist residents of the battered East Coast, as well as their families and friends, by tracking the progress of the storm.

By ticking the right boxes, the map allows users to access information on:

– Alerts, evacuation notices and other announcements from Weather.com and the U.S. Geological Survey
– Current radar and cloud images from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
– Tracking data from the National Hurricane Center
– Live cameras and YouTube videos of the storm being posted in specific areas

There’s also a handy map focusing on just New York City, which draws together data from city agencies and organizations.

Sandy made her appearance on the coast on Monday night. Since then, it’s estimated the death toll from the tropical storm has topped 50, while a further 8.2 million are without power.

The total cost of Hurricane Sandy is expected to reach $20 billion, with homes, offices, businesses, and the New York Subway system all being hit by floods.