Millions of people outside the United States Gulf Coast have been glued to their television sets watching the Hurricane Katrina coverage. Millions also have turned to CNN as their source for coverage.
What has been striking besides the immense devastation and rescue efforts is that CNN, at times, uses Google Maps to show satellite views of the affected areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. This was especially true directly after Katrina passed over and those in the news media were trying to assess damages.
The digital satellite photos from Google Maps showed water within the city where water should not be and a vacancy on the Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi River where ships and boats should be.
For the Katrina disaster, Google has set up a special link on the Google Maps page just for Katrina with satellite views that the general public can observe as well. If you do a search for ‘New Orleans’ a red button for Katrina will appear. This link gives a clear satellite view of the destruction right downtown. The Satellite button also gives an expanded view of the region and the Hybrid view fills in highway and street names.
It’s good to know that in times of crisis, the most trusted name in news can work with the world’s most popular search engine to deliver accurate information and keep the public informed.
As Abraham Lincoln once said, “I am a firm believer in people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is, to bring them the real facts.”
