See how big techs are collaborating with victims in Rio Grande do Sul

Big techs are offering solidarity to the victims of the tragedy of Rio Grande do Sul. The CEO of Apple, Tim Cookannounced via X (formerly Twitter) who will make donations to the state on Tuesday night (7).

In the post, he says: “Our hearts go out to those affected by the devastating and tragic floods in Brazil. Apple will donate to relief efforts in the territory.”

So far, there has been no announcement of values ​​or which institutions will receive the donation. However, in other similar situations, the CEO also made similar posts. As in February 2023, earthquakes affected Turkey and Syria, and then in Morocco, in the month of September. In August 2022, Apple also donated to Pakistan due to the floods.

Therefore, speculation is that the donation will be approximately US$1 million, equivalent to R$5.10 million, at the current exchange rate.

Google Collaboration

Already the Google made flood information available on a single platform, Flood Hub, which monitors locations at risk of flooding around the world. It also relies on the help of artificial intelligence to inform the population.

In Brazil, the Flood Hub works in partnership with the Brazilian Geological Service (SGB-CPRM)in which he checks hydrological data to try to predict riverine flooding in Brazil.

On the platform, river levels throughout Brazil are available. There are colored pins that indicate the different stages of danger, with alerts in four categories: “Normal”, “Warning”, “Danger” and “Extreme”. When you click on one of them, a sidebar displays a graph with the river level history. In addition, there is additional information such as the size of the basin and the associated alert and danger levels.

In addition to Flood Hub, since the declaration of a state of public calamity in RS, Google has started to activate flood alerts in the region, with official information both in the search engine and on Google Maps. These measures have been essential in helping affected communities stay informed and find emergency resources.

Google implemented the SOS Alert in the search engine, visible to users who are in Rio Grande do Sul and carry out searches related to flooding. With the alert activated, it redirects users to urgent information about the affected regions, in addition to listing emergency links from local authorities, such as the state’s Civil Defense and the National Center for Natural Disaster Monitoring and Alerts (Cemaden).