The role of social media in emergency preparedness is something we at Quake Kare have been following closely for the past few years. According to a recent poll by Mashable.com, 71% of people would use social media for emergency purposes. Survival victims hope to use these services for information such as the location of emergency food and water, evacuation routes, and emergency shelter locations. Click on the thumbnail of the brilliant infographic to learn more fun and interesting factoids about social media use for emergency preparedness.
As a culture, we started rely more and more on social media. In recent disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti and revolution in Egypt, it has paid an important role as a method to communicate to others where they can find sanctuary. By spreading viral messages about disaster threats, emergency agencies can gather intelligence and have ongoing communication with victims.
It is no surprise then that The Red Cross and Dell have joined forces to launch the first social media-monitoring platform dedicated to disaster relief. The Digital Operations Center provides the American Red Cross with the ability to more easily share safety and emergency preparedness tips before, during, and after disasters. The hope is that the new Red Cross technology will enable communities of disaster victims to more easily seek and find help.
2011 was the most active year in recent history for disasters causing more deaths and billions of dollars in damage than ever recorded before. The U.S. experienced its first hurricane landfall since 2008, a deadly series of tornadoes, significant earthquakes, and severe flooding – hazards that impacted every region of the country. And it wasn’t just in the U.S.; Japan suffered over 50,000 deaths due to a tragic 8.9 earthquake that devastated a large portion of the country which is still in recovery. All of these events have served as important reminders that disasters can strike anytime, anywhere, and being prepared is one of the most effective things we can do to protect our homes, businesses, schools, and loved ones. 
Top international climate scientists and disaster experts meeting in Africa had a sharp message Friday for the world’s political leaders: Get ready for more dangerous and “unprecedented extreme weather” caused by global warming.
