Google Adds AI-Powered Flood Hub Tools for Disaster Response

Google is enhancing its Flood Hub platform with advanced AI-driven tools to improve flood forecasting and disaster response. These updates include inundation history maps, basin views, and customizable map layers, all designed to help aid organizations, governments, and researchers better understand flood risks and coordinate relief efforts. In recent years, Google Research has leveraged AI modeling and satellite imagery to significantly enhance the accuracy of flood forecasting, while collaborating with partners to expand coverage for vulnerable communities worldwide.

New AI-Driven Features in Flood Hub

The latest updates in Flood Hub provide critical insights for flood experts:

• Inundation History Maps: Experts can now view past flood data in high resolution, even when no active flooding is occurring. This feature supports long-term planning and risk assessment.

• Basin View Per Gauge: Users can track how flood forecasts propagate through entire river basins, helping them pinpoint critical areas like villages, hospitals, and shelters.

• Customizable Map Layers: A new layers panel allows users to toggle different flood-related data points for a clearer understanding of risk factors.

• Enhanced Gauge Panel & Help Center: More detailed explanations of flood models and forecasting tools help users navigate the system effectively. For instance, a new layers panel enables users to toggle different map layers on and off, allowing for a clearer, more detailed analysis of each layer individually.

These tools are designed to support governments, NGOs, and researchers in making informed decisions during flood events and in long-term disaster preparedness.

AI-Powered Disaster Relief in Action

Google has been actively working with GiveDirectly and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to apply these technologies in real-world disaster relief efforts.

Nigeria: AI-Powered Cash Relief

In Nigeria, GiveDirectly and the IRC used Google’s Flood API to provide both early flood alerts and financial assistance to at-risk communities. In 2024, 7500 residents received village-specific warnings ahead of rising floodwaters, enabling them to take precautionary measures. Additionally, cash aid was distributed 5–7 days before peak flooding, allowing families to secure food, protect their belongings, and relocate if necessary.

This initiative marked Africa’s first AI-powered anticipatory cash relief program, demonstrating how AI can enhance both disaster preparedness and response. Research indicates that early awareness of an impending disaster not only enhances preparedness but also reduces the overall cost of emergency response.

“With Google's historical data, we identified the areas most at risk of flooding,” explains Federico Barreras, humanitarian manager at GiveDirectly. “Using the Google Flood API, we determined when floods were about to hit our target areas, allowing us to deliver cash assistance ahead of the peak to those most in need.”

Bangladesh: Targeted Flood Relief

In Bangladesh, GiveDirectly deployed AI-driven flood forecasts in July 2024 to send preemptive cash aid to families to purchase essentials and protect their properties in high-risk areas near the Jamuna River.

The AI-powered approach delivered relief at the village level, ensuring those most at risk received assistance ahead of time.

This marked a shift from broader district-level forecasting to a more precise, localized strategy.

“In Bangladesh, anticipatory action triggers are usually set at the district level, which covers large areas,” says Abir Chowdhury, Bangladesh interim country director, GiveDirectly. “With Google’s AI-powered forecasts, we piloted a more precise approach — delivering anticipatory cash at the village level to reach the most at-risk communities before floods hit.”

Looking Ahead

As climate change intensifies, extreme weather events—including floods—are becoming more frequent and severe. To help communities adapt, Google remains committed to expanding Flood Hub’s coverage and enhancing its capabilities. By developing new AI-powered tools, the platform aims to improve flood preparedness, response, and recovery efforts worldwide.

Empowering governments, NGOs, and researchers with accurate, real-time data is crucial for early intervention and disaster mitigation. To support these efforts, Flood Hub provides a free, shareable map of all river gauge data—both historical and forecasted—updated daily. With better forecasting and early warning systems, aid organizations can act quickly, helping vulnerable communities become more resilient in the face of an evolving climate crisis.

To explore Flood Hub and the Flood Hub Help Center to access real-time flood data, visit Google’s Flood Forecasting research site.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.