• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

The Social Media Hat

Always On Top Of Social

  • Home
  • Social Media Articles
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Social Media Resources
  • Social Media Tools
  • GET HELP
  • Search
  • Home
  • Social Media Articles
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Social Media Resources
  • Social Media Tools
  • GET HELP
  • Search

Can Social Media Help During Disasters?

You are here: Home / Social Media Articles / Can Social Media Help During Disasters?

June 4, 2013 //  by Mike Allton

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Over the past 30 years, the United States has endured many natural disasters each year, including earthquakes, wildfires, storms, floods and extreme heat. The impact of these disasters is incredibly high, affecting over 800,000 people each and every year. And during the most severe circumstances, as homes are destroyed and families are separated, traditional lines of communication are typically blocked. Phone lines becomes damaged, electricity delivery is interrupted, and cell phone carriers are overwhelmed. As a result, and more and more people are turning to the Internet, and Social Media specifically, for both news and information during a crisis.

As a form of Disaster Response, Social Media is coming to the fore. According to the infograph below from Frankie Rendón, in a study by the Red Cross, 76% of respondents had used social media to determine whether or not a loved one was safe after a disaster, and an additional 25% had gone on to download a diaster-related app of some kind. 24% of respondents had actually been in a disaster and had used social media to let loved ones know they were safe.

Perhaps more stunning is that during the recent disasters that were included in these studies, a fifth of the survivors had used social media, websites or email to contact emergency responders, as opposed to calling 911, and 44% actually asked their friends and contacts online to get a hold of responders!

Not so many years ago, these people would have had no options at all.

And Americans expect that this will work. In fact, 80% of us believe that emergency respondents should and are monitoring social media and other Internet sources. Fortunately, they are. Both here in the U.S. and abroad.

During Hurricane Sandy, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) actually tweeted, “Phone lines may be congested during/after #Sandy. let loved ones know you’re OK by sending a text or updating your social networks.” And 23 Red Cross staffers monitored 2.5 million Sandy-related social media postings, and tagged 4,500 of those updates for officials to follow-up on, getting aid to those who needed it.

Hurricane Sandy is just one of several recent disasters mentioned in the infograph below, including 2011’s deadly tornado season, Japan’s tsunami on March 11, 2011, and Haiti’s earthquake in 2010. The two non-U.S. disasters are included to demonstrate the global impact that social media is having on disaster response, and how people around the world unite behind a common cause whenever disaster strikes, no matter where it is.

SOCIAL MEDIA: The new face of disaster response.

What do you think about the growing role of social media in disasters? Do you think it’s helpful that so much news and information is being disseminated in this way, or do you fear the inevitable inaccuracies and outright scams that crop up? Have you ever used social media during a disaster, either as a victim or as someone looking for information or ways to help?

Infograph credit to USF’s Online MPA at: http://onlinempa.usfca.edu/social-media/
Red Cross monitoring image courtesy of phoenixar, Flickr.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ:

Category: Social Media Articles

About Mike Allton

Mike Allton is a Content Marketing Practitioner – a title he invented to represent his holistic approach to content marketing that leverages blogging, social media, email marketing and SEO to drive traffic, generate leads, and convert those leads into sales. He is an award-winning Blogger, Speaker, and Author, and Brand Evangelist at Agorapulse.

Mike has partnered with Jenn Herman, Stephanie Liu, Amanda Robinson and Eric Butow to write Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing published by Entrepreneur Press.

Join The Community!

Thousands of other businesses and bloggers get the latest social media insights and ideas.


Previous Post: « HootSuite versus Buffer for the Heavyweight Championship
Next Post: Get the Best Apps for Your Business »

Primary Sidebar

Mike Allton is a Content Marketing Practitioner – a title he invented to represent his holistic approach to content marketing that leverages blogging, social media, email marketing and SEO to drive traffic, generate leads, and convert those leads into sales. He is an award-winning Blogger, Speaker, and Author, and Brand Evangelist at Agorapulse.

Reserve Your Copy

Reserve your copy of Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing by Eric Butow, Jenn Herman, Stephanie Liu, Amanda Robinson and Mike Allton. Available here.

Plan To Succeed

Social Media Planner for Social Media Success

Grab your copy of the Social Media Planner, today!

Join The Mastermind

Want access to experts and live video training for just a few bucks a month?

The 360 Marketing Squad is a private Facebook Group featuring 4 of the industry’s top minds, covering every aspect of online marketing, and costs just $5/month to join. Learn more.

Footer

Recent Posts

  • Top 10 Reasons Not To Miss This Summit
  • Instagram Trust Score: What It Is and How to Improve It
  • Agorapulse To Host Premiere Online Marketing Event
  • 10 Light Years Ago
  • We Whisper Too Quietly on Social Media
  • The Social Media Job Hazard No One Is Talking About
  • 15 Newsletters To Level Up Your Marketing, And You!
  • 8 of the Most Effective Ways to Approach Twitter Influencers to Grow Your Brand

Key Topics

Agorapulse Apps Bing Blab Blogging Buffer Business Canva Content Marketing Easil Email Marketing Evernote Facebook Facebook Groups Gmail Google+ Holidays Hootsuite Influencer Marketing Infograph Instagram Klout Link Building LinkedIn Live Video Marketing Meerkat Mobile MySpace Pinterest ROI SEO SnapChat Social Media Marketing Social Media Planner Strategy Tailwind Triberr Tumblr Twitter Video Vine Yahoo Yelp YouTube
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • About The Social Media Hat
  • Social Media Planner
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure

Site Footer

  • Social Media Articles
  • Digital Marketing
  • Social Media Tools
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 The Social Media Hat · All Rights Reserved