Data reference · version 1.2
Know exactly what the data means.
This reference defines DisasterSignal's current coverage, classifications, freshness states, public machine endpoints and attribution rules. It describes the released product, not a future roadmap.
Last reviewed · 06 Sep 2026
How are views and states defined?
| Label | Definition | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | Records present in the USGS Significant Earthquakes, Past Week feed. | A complete worldwide earthquake or disaster list. |
| Major | Magnitude 5.5 or greater within the current public USGS records. | An official severity, damage or response category. |
| Hotspot | A GDACS flood or landslide source discovery explicitly approved for visibility by a designated reviewer. | Independent confirmation, an impact assessment or an official warning. |
| Current | Last valid source fetch is inside its freshness window. | Confirmation that conditions on the ground are safe. |
| Delayed / stale | Last valid fetch exceeded a source-specific threshold. | Proof that the upstream event itself changed. |
What are the freshness thresholds?
USGS is delayed after five minutes without a completed valid fetch and stale after fifteen minutes. GDACS is delayed after thirty minutes and stale after two hours. Cached event records inherit the recalculated state; they are not falsely shown as current.