Google launches artificial intelligence that predicts floods in Brazil

Especially in the midst of the current climate crisis, a great tool is coming for people living in riparian areas. Google has released its artificial intelligence (AI) Flood Hub, which shows flood forecasts launched in 2021 in 60 more countries, including Brazil..

Google claims that 460 million people around the world can access the platform to learn about nearby risks. Included are Brazil as well as other countries in South and Central America. Flood Hub also works in Africa, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

“Governments, charities and individuals can use the Flood Hub to see locally relevant flood data and forecasts up to seven days in advance, to take timely action and prepare for river floods,” Google said in a statement.

How does the alert work?

This feature uses data from weather forecasts and satellite imagery. It then combines the hydrographic model, which estimates how much water flows in a river, and the flood model, which estimates the affected areas. Flood warning from Search and Maps will be expanded with Flood Hub.

“Due to climate change, more and more regions are experiencing unprecedented extreme weather conditions. “This poses a challenge for flood models that are calibrated to suit the conditions observed at each location,” said Yossi Matias, vice president of engineering and research and crisis response at Google. axles.

Every year, worldwide floods affect more than 250 million people and cause $10 billion in economic damage. Unfortunately, AI still does not cover areas suffering from flash flooding, such as urban or coastal areas.