Google has broadened its forecasting service to 60 additional nations, introducing a new AI-driven capability branded as Flood Hub. This enhancement enables seven-day flood forecasts.
With the expansion adding countries across Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, and the Americas, the service now covers 80 nations. Governments, humanitarian groups, and residents in these areas gain access to timely critical information a full week ahead, delivering about 48 hours more lead time than the previous year.
The aim behind this growth is to boost safety as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of natural disasters. Flooding remains a major climate risk, impacting hundreds of millions and causing substantial economic losses, a reality underscored by assessments from climate experts.
The Flood Hub platform forecasts river floods, indicating where and when rivers may overflow in different regions around the world, affecting hundreds of millions of people.
The latest country additions bring in areas where flood risk is especially high, including parts of the Netherlands, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia.
The expansion also covers regions in Europe that experience extreme weather, such as Belgium, Spain, and Germany, alongside Central American areas like the Dry Corridor that stretches through Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala.
Google plans to extend flood forecast alerts in Finder and Maps over the next 12 months so users can access these alerts when they need them most.
Google first launched its flood forecasting AI in India and Bangladesh in 2018 to reduce the impact of annual floods. By 2022, alerts had reached 18 more countries, and the current expansion broadens coverage to 80 nations.
The Flood Hub system combines two models: a hydrological model that estimates river discharge and another model that projects affected areas and potential water height increases.
The tool is part of a broader Google effort to improve crisis response for major events, including floods, wildfires, and earthquakes.
Initiatives by Google.org and partners, such as collaborations with international aid organizations and academic institutions, help create analog alert networks of trained volunteers who can extend Flood Hub alerts to vulnerable communities.
A Yale University study shows that communities with local volunteers are significantly more likely to receive timely flood warnings.
The expansion supports ongoing research and field deployment aimed at increasing the reach and usefulness of early warnings for at-risk populations.