Google launches Person Finder in Yolanda’s aftermath

Google Person Finder: Typhoon Yolanda has been launched in an effort to help Filipinos reconnect and get updates about their friends and loved ones after the super typhoon battered the country a few days ago.

Google Person Finder is a web application that allows individuals to post and search for the status of relatives or friends affected by a disaster. It was first activated in response to the January 2010 Haiti earthquake in order to help those affected by the earthquake connect with their loved ones.

If you are looking for someone just click on the appropriate link and enter the person’s name or parts of the name. You can also provide information about someone so that others can look them up as well. At the time of writing, Google Person Finder is tracking about 15,200 records. You can try Person Finder here or use the small version via the embedded app below:

There’s also a mobile version available. Please look at the instructions below:

“You can request status via SMS by sending an SMS to 2662999 (Globe subscribers), 4664999 (SMART subscribers), 22020999 (Sun subscribers), or +16508003977 with the message Search person-name. For example, if you are searching for Joshua, send the message Search Joshua.”

In addition, Google’s Typhoon Haiyan / Yolanda Crisis and Relief Map is also available. It’s a crowdsourced map of evacuation centers, crisis areas, and relief drop zone areas in relation to Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan. You can check out the map here.

{Person Finder, Crisis & Relief Map}