Planetizen assesses the impact:
[Google]'s Lat Long Blog says it "received numerous requests from relief organizations and our users to share recent satellite imagery of the country." That imagery, it turns out, can provide much more than context. With suddenly outdated maps showing roadways that are now inaccessible and bridges that are uncrossable, this satellite imagery is actually being used in rescue and recovery efforts.
2006-2011 archives for The Daily Dish, featuring Andrew Sullivan