SOCIAL MEDIA AND DISASTERS

Last week has seen a dramatic rise in folks “liking” Safe-T-Proof, on Facebook. Interest in earthquake preparedness products such as Safe-T-Proof fasteners and radios is at an all-time high, despite the fact that we haven’t experienced a significant temblor in the United States for many years, and the Napa earthquake of 2014 was small and had only a regional impact.

There was the recent San Andreas Movie. Did that get folks inspired to prepare?

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Maybe it was the recent New Yorker article about the Cascadia Subduction Zone, or the earthquakes in Oklahoma and Nepal that have peaked interest.

Whatever the cause, social media, while not abuzz, has at least started earthquake humming.

Much has been documented about the effectiveness of social media immediately following a disaster. Check out this article in Scientific American:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-social-media-is-changing-disaster-response/

Amazing stuff!   Still, all of this attention has got me thinking. How can we best use social media to help folk prepare for an earthquake? I may be late to the party here, but my guess is that not only can preparedness tips and tricks be shared using this medium, but the latest in scientific breakthroughs in the geology of earthquakes, early warning system advances, and how-to instructional videos on preparedness techniques. It’s all good information, and needed.

Remember that earthquake preparedness matters, and significantly reduces damage causes by earthquakes.

I encourage you to check out our Facebook Page. Visit often, get the latest and share what you know.