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Friday, 02 November 2012 06:08

Social Media Helps During A Disaster


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Twitter Bird

By now, everyone has heard of Hurricane Sandy, dubbed by some a “Franken-storm”, which has plunged much of the East coast into chaos. Millions upon millions of civilians lost access to power, and as NYC flooded, many were forced to evacuate. There were hundreds of thousands of calls, round the clock, to emergency lines like 911. Too many calls for many people to get through without waiting for a long period of time, so, some citizens took a less common approach to getting help.

Social media outlets, like Twitter, were a vital source for about 50,000 people who follow the New York City Fire Department. Using twitter, officials were able to advise of rising waters in various sections of the city, and the fires raging in Queens. Panicked citizens who tweeted the account had their issues fed directly to response teams, instead of having to wait in a phone queue for 911. Often, these people thankfully tweeted back of their rescue, all in 140 characters or less.

Social media sometimes gets mixed reviews about its usefulness as a communication tool, but in a crisis, it can help save lives. Who knows? Facebook/Tweeting just might save your life! Tell us your thoughts in our forum

Read 3539 times Last modified on Friday, 02 November 2012 06:19

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