Hurricane Season 2017

In the past month, there have already been two devastating hurricanes that hit the US, Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey, followed by the threat of Hurricanes Jose and Katia. This year, my parents had to evacuate from the East Coast with the worry of losing our home and belongings. While visiting with them, they brought up the times of when they were younger, and how they used to have to evacuate with fear and no information about what was going on at home. This made me think about how much times have changed since then. Myself, along with my friends and family, all constantly checked our phones during the storms and were able to be informed of everything happening in our area and others. People are also able to feel a sense of community when they are able to converse with one another about a tragic events happening in their area.

Not only are civilians able to post photos and information about areas affected by the storm, but public official groups have made great use of social media to spread their message. My family knew when they were able to re-enter the city because of a Facebook post made by our area's police department, and also had constant updates about sewage and power outages by those companies. Weather channel apps give constant updates, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. These sites are even able to warn people about possible power outages, fallen trees on traffic routes, and how to prepare for these disasters.

One of my favorite new uses of social media would have to be the creation of "text to donate" campaigns. Now people are able to give back and raise money for hurricane relief with a text that takes 30 seconds to send. We are able to quickly know how bad the damage is in an area and help accordingly. Social media has completely changed the way people stay informed and has helped ease the worry of those having to evacuate by keeping them updated and informed.