Guide
GDACS Alert Levels Explained: Green, Orange and Red
By the GlobalRisk team · Published 2026-10-06
GDACS, the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System, is a cooperation framework between the United Nations and the European Commission. It provides near-real-time alerts about natural disasters around the world and is one of the public data sources behind GlobalRisk's "Alerts" layer.
Hazards covered
GDACS issues alerts for earthquakes, tropical cyclones, floods, volcanic activity, droughts, wildfires and tsunamis. Each alert includes the event type, location, country, a severity description and a link to its detailed report.
What the colors mean
- Green: An event was detected but is expected to have a limited humanitarian impact. These are not shown as alerts on GlobalRisk to avoid noise.
- Orange: The event may have a significant humanitarian impact. On GlobalRisk this maps to the high severity level.
- Red: The event is expected to have a high humanitarian impact and may call for international attention. On GlobalRisk this maps to the extreme severity level.
Alert levels are computed from the physical size of the event combined with exposure and vulnerability estimates, such as how many people live in the affected area. This is why a moderate earthquake near a dense population can receive a higher alert than a stronger one far offshore.
Things to keep in mind
- An alert is an automated assessment. It is produced quickly and may be revised as better data arrives.
- GDACS is a coordination tool for humanitarian responders, not a public warning service for individuals.
- For evacuation orders, shelter locations and instructions, always follow your national and local authorities.
How GlobalRisk uses it
GlobalRisk stores Orange and Red alerts, places them on the map and in country pages, and links each one back to the GDACS report. You can browse them under recent events. For cyclone alerts, see Tropical Cyclone Categories Explained.
More guides
- Earthquake Magnitude Explained: What M4, M6 and M7 Really Mean
- Earthquake Safety: What to Do Before, During and After
- Tropical Cyclone Categories Explained: Hurricanes, Typhoons and the Saffir-Simpson Scale
- How Satellites Detect Wildfires: A Plain-Language Guide to Thermal Hotspots
- The Pacific Ring of Fire: Why So Many Earthquakes and Volcanoes Cluster Here
General information only, not professional or emergency advice. Our methodology · Browse by country