Google uses AI so no one is caught off guard by disasters | Keryc
Google has spent years using AI to give you useful information when you need it most. The goal? That you aren't caught off guard by a natural disaster.
At the AI for the Planet event the company showed practical advances: earlier forecasts, more accurate detection, and tools that authorities and communities can already use.
How AI improves forecasting and detection
The story with floods shows the leap clearly: a decade ago, predicting large-scale river rises felt impossible. Google started with a pilot in Patna, India, in 2018 and scaled up to a global river-flood model published in Nature.
Today, Flood Hub covers 2 billion people in more than 150 countries. River forecasts arrive up to 7 days ahead, and flash-flood predictions in urban areas give warnings up to 24 hours in advance. Also, an AI-based methodology called Groundsource created a 20-year dataset of public reports to train flash-flood models, and Google has opened that dataset and its hydrologic framework so others can use them.
In extreme weather, the model WeatherNext 2 produces detailed hourly forecasts for the whole planet in minutes, estimating variables like wind, precipitation, and pressure. In the 2025 hurricane season it confidently anticipated the track and intensity of several cyclones days in advance.
For wildfires, Google uses satellite imagery to track perimeters in Search and Maps, covering 34 countries. In partnership with Earth Fire Alliance and Muon Space they developed FireSat: a prototype went to orbit last year, and a constellation of more than 50 satellites would allow fire detection at 5 x 5 meter resolution with updates every 20 minutes.
They also apply AI to satellite and aerial imagery to map the reflectivity of urban roofs — a practical tool to mitigate extreme heat with cool roofs. And when the questions are complex—like where a hurricane will make landfall and which communities are most vulnerable—Google combines climate and geospatial models in the Google Earth AI collection to give an integrated view.
Real-time information and alerts when it matters
Having data isn't enough: it has to arrive fast and be trustworthy. Google provides crisis updates in Search and Maps with SOS alerts, and works with authorized originators in more than 90 countries through Public Alerts.
According to the company, its crisis information received billions of views; last year it connected people with critical data on average 10 million times per day. Heat alerts are active in more than 100 countries and include practical health tips. The Android Earthquake Alerts System detects tremors and warns users before shaking arrives so they have time to get to safety. And air quality is shown in Maps in more than 30 countries to help reduce exposure.
Timely, actionable information can save lives.
Collaboration that makes the difference
AI works best when used alongside governments, NGOs, and local actors. In Nigeria and Bangladesh organizations like GiveDirectly and the International Rescue Committee use flood forecasts to take anticipatory action, delivering cash before river rises so people can evacuate and protect their belongings.
A concrete example: during Hurricane Melissa, WeatherNext helped predict the impact on Jamaica five days ahead, allowing the local meteorological office to notify people in time.
Google.org also funds local recovery and support initiatives, showing that technology needs human accompaniment and resources to turn alerts into real solutions.
Are we already safe? A path with clear limits
Reasonable question: is this foolproof? No. Models improve, but they depend on data, infrastructure, and local coordination. The good news is Google publishes parts of its work (datasets and frameworks) so researchers, companies, and governments can build on those foundations.
AI doesn't replace firefighters, doctors, or authorities: it amplifies their reach and gives them tools. If you live in a vulnerable area, the combination of better forecasts, fast alerts, and local plans is what really reduces risk. Sounds like science fiction? It's already happening: forecasts days ahead, alerts on your phone, and satellites that spot fires from space.
It's important to keep expectations grounded: technology makes things easier and faster, but saving lives remains shared work between technology, governments, and communities.
