The Power of Social Media in the Midst of Hurricane Michael

On October 10, 2018, the Florida Panhandle was hit by a force like nothing it had ever experienced before. Homes and businesses destroyed, trees and power lines down everywhere you look. It is nearing two months in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael and the community is doing everything it can to hold on to any sense of normalcy. But, I must admit that it is still pretty gloomy around here, but I try not to dwell too much on it and focus on the progress that is being made. Lineman, both local and from afar, worked diligently to return power back to the community. After about 4-6 weeks, power was fully restored with some occasional brief outages. The response after the storm has been more than I had ever anticipated. Before, during, and after the storm, the local government did a great job in keeping the community informed through text alerts and through social media (specifically, on Facebook). With all the power lines down, many people were left with out a way to call for emergency services during the storm or contact their loved ones once it passed to let them know they were safe. Calling or texting was out of the question, so when all forms of communication are out the window what does that leave us with?
 
That's right, social media. Those of us lucky enough to still have cellular data were able to make our needs and status known through Facebook. One local family almost didn't make it after having to seek refuge in their vehicle following the loss of their roof. Chelsea Cottle, along with her fiance and baby daughter Rain, were in desperate need of shelter from this merciless storm. With no other options, Chelsea took her pleas for help to Facebook along with her address and the hope that someone would see it and come rescue her small family. The initial post was shared upwards of 1,000 times making its way across the U.S. before eventually getting back to a local officer here in Bay County. Upon seeing Chelsea's plea, the officer and his partner immediately took action to rescue them. It seems that Chelsea took a hopeful chance on the viral nature of social media and won. Al Roker, from the TODAY Show, highlights this story here.

In the aftermath of the storm, social media has become a primary source of information and communication for both individuals and organizations alike. Thousands were informally reported missing to the local authorities and the Red Cross, according to the Tampa Bay Times, due to lack of communication just two days after the storm hit. However, Bay County, Florida Emergency Services were quick share updates such as the one below to keep families informed as best they could. In a prior post, I touch upon my own experiences in the storm and how I was one of few who were able to stay connected during and after the storm.

Businesses and organizations also used social media to provide residents with information about openings and available services, FEMA locations, shelter locations, food/supply locations, and health clinics. The City of Panama City and the local chambers of commerce continue to post daily updates and information about local events during this state of crisis. The whole experience has brought me to the realization that many of us, if not all, would have been lost without these updates from social media. Social media is how I stayed connected to my family, friends, colleagues, my son's pediatrician, and his school. It is how we know that progress is being made. Slow progress, but progress nonetheless. 

In times of crisis of this magnitude, it is important for our federal and local government leaders and organizations to keep residents informed of what's going on in our communities. I am beyond proud of how our local leaders have stepped up to plate. The Florida Panhandle was not prepared to face Hurricane Michael, and could not have predicted the shift in trajectory, but they were prepared to support their communities to the best of their means. There is a long road of recovery ahead but we will rebuild and come back stronger than ever as long as we continue to stay connected.