Wildfires, flood, severe windstorms and heatwaves are just a few of the “new” emergencies that have become more frequent in the European Union. While we’re used to preparing for major disasters - earthquakes, cyclones - it’s time to start thinking about how good maps can save lives and help us navigate better these increasingly common events.

With a view to preparedness and disaster reduction, we’ll take a look at features worth mapping in OpenStreetMap -- parking lots, vacant businesses, gas stations, ad hoc "cooling centers" -- that you might otherwise overlook and give a short overview of tools like Mapillary and StreetComplete.