For everyone who has been following Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, Google Earth now brings you pictures of the aftermath.
Texas Coast Before Ike -- June 2008
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has taken recent photos of the areas hit by hurricanes Ike and Gustav and supplied their shots to Google. You can download these photos as an overlay for Google Earth so you can see the results of the hurricanes for yourself.
Texas Coast After Ike -- September 2008
Hurricane Gustav Google Earth overlay: download here. Hurricane Ike Google Earth overlay: download here.
Luckily, from the NOAA images, there doesn't appear to be major damage across most of the Texas coast. However, select pockets of coastline show where Ike hit hard, and it's difficult to see any flood damage to houses from the top-down viewpoint of Google Earth.
Consider this: Don't simply look--lend a hand. Those wanting to donate to hurricane relief charities should be mindful of Charity Navigator's tips for crisis charities. It warns givers to donate to established charities rather than charities created specifically for the disaster. Those new charities may be of less repute, created solely to take advantage of people's goodwill. And if you do contribute to a new charity, make sure the charity is registered public charity with 501 (c)(3) status under the U.S. tax code.
Looking for a charity? I'd recommend the American Red Cross since it has always been a reliable and trustworthy charity.
