Superstorm Sandy: Social Media, Twitter, Facebook , Mappings
Social media is being heavily used to provide info on Sandy’s aftermath and recovery. Here are the main social media channels (a sampling) we’ve identified. If you know of key additional ones, please share with the list. Most television and news radio stations also post their info on Twitter and/or Facebook.
Please pass this info along to those in affected areas. If you are not affected by the storm, this list will give you a good introduction to the uses of social media in a disaster situation.
If you are already on Twitter, here are some handles to follow to stay up to date and to find the latest information to share with your community. If you are not there yet, now might be the time to take a look at how Twitter is being used. You can follow “lists” which aggregate tweets made by list members, or you can follow “hashtags” which aggregate words within the text of the tweet.
Twitter LISTS to follow:
- NLM_DIMRC Sandy- Follow this list for health information updates: https://twitter.com/NLM_DIMRC/sandy. Compiled by the Disaster Information Management Research Center at National Library of Medicine.
- FEMA Region 2 New York City List- https://twitter.com/femaregion2/nyc-sandy.
- FEMA Regions – Select the FEMA region you want to follow https://twitter.com/CraigatFEMA/fema-regions/members.
- State and Territory Health Departments– take a look at the member list and see which state health departments you want to follow: https://twitter.com/ASTHO/stateterritoryhealthdepts/members. This list of all state health departments that post on Twitter is compiled by the Association of State and Territorial Health Departments.
- NLM_DIMRC SMEMstars – follow this list of those active in SMEM (social media and emergency response); they have been very active during Sandy. https://twitter.com/NLM_DIMRC/smemstars.
Twitter HASHTAGS to follow:
- The primary tags to follow (enter in the search box on the twitter home page) are: #Sandy and #Frankenstorm.
- Additional tags to follow that will include Sandy information and more: #smem (social media and emergency response) and #VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters).
FACEBOOK – most organizations that use Twitter also have a Facebook page. Examples include:
FEMA
American Red Cross
https://www.facebook.com/redcross
HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Public Health Emergency
https://www.facebook.com/phegov
Medical Reserve Corps
https://www.facebook.com/medicalreservecorps
New York City Office of Emergency Management
https://www.facebook.com/NYCemergencymanagement
New Jersey Office of Emergency Management
https://www.facebook.com/READYNEWJERSEY
MAPS
People and organizations have created maps using crowd-sourced information for a variety of purposes. Below are some examples.
Google Crisis Response
http://google.org/crisismap/2012-sandy and http://google.org/crisismap/2012-sandy-nyc
Info on transit, power outage locations, availability of food, gas, water, ice, etc.
ESRI Hurricane Sandy User Map Gallery:
http://www.esri.com/services/disaster-response/hurricanes/hurricane-sandy-user-gallery
Hurricane Sandy Communication Map
https://sandycommsmap.crowdmap.com/
Identifies places where there is free wi-fi or electricity to charge phones.
Maryland Emergency Management Agency Reporting Map
https://marylandhurricanesandy.crowdmap.com/
New Jersey Office of Emergency Management Alerts and Updates
http://readynj.posterous.com/list-of-pharmacies-hotels-restaurants-and-gas
List of pharmacies, hotels, restaurants and gas stations that are open.
Submitted by Siobhan Champ-Blackwell, MSLIS (Contractor) / Librarian
Aquilent, Inc., suppporting the mission of the National Library of Medicine
Specialized Information Services Division
Disaster Information Management Research Center
6707 Democracy Blvd. Suite 510
Bethesda, MD 20892-5467
301-496-2742, phone
