Social Media Hurricane Harvey

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As victims of Hurricane Harvey showed us, social media can be vital during disasters.
Social media is accessible through a multitude of portable, handheld devices. This means that crucial information is accessible to a large number of users. Assuming a disaster has disrupted electrical service (such as with the floods in Houston), but cell towers remained operable, these portable devices enabled people to continue using social media for information.
Social media allows news consumer to obtain real time updates from public safety officials and allows them to engage with public safety departments to work together to save lives. In fact, one of the most important attributes of social media is the speed with which information can be distributed. Many disasters today are reported first via social media. (Lee, 2017) …show more content…

Additionally, social media participants provide and use links to other content for information or emotional support. During crises, those bearing the risk have used social media as an emotional outlet, especially when the crisis isolated them from friends and family. (CDC, 2014)
As news consumers, we can share the disaster experience (for lack of a better term) through social media photos, online posts and videos captured from the ground that have been posted to Facebook and shared via Twitter, YouTube and other tools. Social media allows us to be “on scene” of train derailments, tornados, and yes, even during school shootings as evidenced by the events in Florida this week.
Those that seek not only news, but assistance, can utilize social media during disasters for assistance from other members of the public (think Cajun Navy during Hurricane Harvey, when people could not get through to 911), as well as to organize and direct resources, where needed. (Cohen,

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