This global disaster map is useful and strangely addictive | usagoldmines.com

I’m not one that typically seeks out disaster news, but there’s something strangely addictive about the interactive disaster tracking map from The Emergency and Disaster Information Service (EDIS). It’s run by the Hungarian National Association of Radio Distress-Signaling and Infocommunications (RSOE).

EDIS tracks emergencies around the globe and plots them on an interactive map. You’ll see earthquakes, floods, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, tropical cyclones, extreme weather events, industrial accidents, security conflicts, and a whole lot more.

Each type of event has its own icon that you can click on for more information. A small pop-up window appears detailing the event date, last update, and location. You can also click “View” under details, where you’ll be taken to a separate page with more information. The site also allows you to filter events by category if you only want to see things like earthquakes, storms, or wildfires.

EDIS even tracks tsunamis, avalanches, droughts, epidemics, nuclear accidents, infrastructure failures, and even some space-related events. Mass wasp attack at a Sri Lankan tea estate in September? Yep, EDIS tracked that too.

I usually find myself visiting EDIS’s site before travelling internationally or after reading about something in the news just so I can place it on a map. But I always end up aimlessly clicking around to see what else is happening in different parts of the world.

I wouldn’t recommend replacing official local emergency alerts with EDIS, of course. But for a quick worldwide overview, it’s a great resource and an oddly fascinating one to explore.

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