How the web has helped in Haiti
On September 11 2001 when the twin towers fell people were glued to their television screens or radios following events as they unfolded, but 8 years on when the earthquake struck Haiti people found there were there other ways of keeping abreast of the news. It didn't take long for Google to release a KML of their latest Haitian imagery which could be viewed on Google Earth, giving people a birds eye view of the destruction.
Here are before-and-after screenshots of the Presidential Palace and an area of Port-au-Prince:
OpenStreet Map sprang into action as well, with mappers on the ground and remote mappers working off the latest CIA maps and GeoEye imagery showing the latest building collapses toiling towards creating an up to date GPS layout. This was of huge assistance to emergency workers who would have taken a lot longer to reach victims using their pre quake GPS downloads.
The rest of the world could then monitor emergency situations on the Crisis Map of Haiti, a mash up of reported emergencies that people could report by text, phone call, twitter, Facebook, live streams and information reports – these emergencies have been anything from missing people reports, to fires, contaminated water supplies, aftershocks or collapsing buildings, to personal calls for help from families in their homes running low on food and clean water. Most of the mapping is happening in America and Europe, but it's been happening in real time none the less.
Almost a month on from the quake the internet is still coming up with fresh ways for people to stay tuned with what's happening in Haiti, but also to lend a hand. It may not be the most obvious mash up, but Gruvr has added a Haitian Benefit Concert Finder to their concert listing site, which maps your nearest fund raising concerts – they say that there are about 30 events being added a day.
