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How Social Media Is Changing Disaster Response

Disasters. We never think it will happen to us. But, no one or country is immune.

When Hurricane Katrina ravaged the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005, Facebook was the new kid on the block. There was no Twitter for news updates, and the iPhone was not yet on the scene. By the time Hurricane Sandy slammed the eastern seaboard last year, social media had become an integral part of disaster response, filling the void in areas where cell phone service was lost while millions of Americans looked to resources including Twitter and Facebook to keep informed, locate loved ones, notify authorities and express support. Gone are the days of one-way communication where only official sources provide bulletins…

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Articles of Interest

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Yes, climate change will exacerbate disasters, but the underlying problems are still worth addressing.

Disasters Abound—but You Can Make a Difference

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Disasters That Were Foretold

From Katrina to Fukushima, there’s a long history of catastrophes that people saw coming, but still didn't stop.

Earthquakes! Fires! Shootings! Storms! How Tech Can Help Ease ‘Disaster Fatigue’

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Resources

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World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

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ACEP

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American Journal of Disaster Medicine

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Family Disaster Plan

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FAO

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FEMA

Helping people before, during, and after disasters.

InSTEDD

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Medecins Sans Frontieres

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OCHA

The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to severe, large-scale humanitarian crises.

Search Dog Foundation

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UNICEF

The international community is faced with increasingly complex humanitarian crises which place children and women at significant risk. On average, UNICEF responds to more than two hundred emergencies every year, informing and shaping these interventions as a global leader for children.

USA.gov

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WHO

This page provides links to descriptions of activities, reports, news and events, as well as contacts and cooperating partners in the various WHO programmes and offices working on this topic.