Why "Social Media" would've saved lives

[KendraReed]

Interesting article...but would it really have helped? Many had ample warning, and still didn't leave.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...wouldve-saved-lives-during-hurricane-katrina/

 

[NealRasmussen]

Yes it could have saved lives. As long as Zuckerberg knows how to drive a school bus...

 

[rdale]

Absolutely as noted towards the end. There was no situational awareness about the stranded survivors. Had they been able to tweet out their needs and location (as happened during Sandy) I bet some would have lived.

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

Wait...so is social media supposed to be a replacement for good old common sense? WTF is wrong with this world?

 

[rdale]

Wait...so is social media supposed to be a replacement for good old common sense? WTF is wrong with this world?

Assuming that everyone who stayed in New Orleans 1) knew the dire nature of the forecast 2) had a way to get out and 3) had a place to go is not a good example of using common sense...

 

[Warren Faidley]

It depends on what form of social media is being used. It's one thing to follow an event that is not effecting your own area, but in emergency situations the last thing a person needs is someone giving them lame instructions or informational that is not accurate. I've seen too many posts during emergency situations that involves someone who is begging for help or instructions with no reply or worse... a stupid reply. There is also the problem of "delay." Wasting even seconds to gain information via social media can be deadly. I spoke to several people in Moore, OK who insisted (via Facebook) on determining what "F" rating the tornado was before seeking shelter. I do like phone alerts and I think they work well.

I will say that during Hurricane Katrina, the very best (and most accurate) overall news information came from AM/FM radio. I'll never forget the broadcast I heard from Biloxi as the announcer was desperately calling for "everyone with a boat to respond to New Orleans."

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

Assuming that everyone who stayed in New Orleans 1) knew the dire nature of the forecast 2) had a way to get out and 3) had a place to go is not a good example of using common sense...

1) Everyone in the country knew a hurricane was coming, granted, not exactly where landfall would be.
2) Pretty sure most people have feet. If my car broke down, I'd be hoofing it as far in-land as I could get. Especially if I have literally days of advance warning.
3) Anywhere but below sea level.

I'd venture that all falls within the criteria of 'common sense'.

[I'm sure I'll get grief for my opinion, but hey, I'm a common sense guy. That ain't gonna change.]

 

[rdale]

2) Spoken like someone who has no clue the makeup of the residents of the Fifth Ward. But your stay at the Holiday Inn should qualify your opinion

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

Well...guess I'm wrong. Who knew the Fifth Ward was comprised entirely of people who don't have feet. :shrug:

 

[John Farley]

Marc, you seem unaware of how high a percentage did not have a motor vehicle in the household. Or that thousands of households had members with disabilities or illnesses that made it impossible for them to evacuate. Pretty much the same end result as not having feet, I suppose, but your sarcasm is only revealing your lack of knowledge of the situation.

 

[rdale]

It's only a 27 hour, 82 mile walk to Baton Rouge. I'm sure you, your grandma, your auntie, wife, and three kids can do that easily! And then just stand in the streets because their shelters are full. Sounds like a common sense plan...

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

Be it as it may, its not only as failure of the populous to heed the extensive warnings, but of local officials to take care of their citizens.

Feel free to call me crass, or not understanding the social circumstances in place, but if I had days warning of mother nature coming to lay waste, I think I could find some way out of town. Any way out of danger. And any way to take my loved one's with. If I had to carry people, I would. Push a hospital bed down the road, hell yeah. Better than dying.

In any case, my opinion stands...choose to live below sea-level, expect to have problems with water.

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

It's only a 27 hour, 82 mile walk to Baton Rouge. I'm sure you, your grandma, your auntie, wife, and three kids can do that easily! And then just stand in the streets because their shelters are full. Sounds like a common sense plan...

Well hell, it's only a 2,546 mile, 837 hour, walk to Seattle. Why not go all out?

Or just walk, hitch, beg a ride out of the danger area...aka above sea level..

Social media is still the devil, and wouldn't have saved anyone's life. Twitter couldn't have transported me, my grandma, my aunt, wife and thee kids to Baton Rouge.

That's all I have to contribute to this thread...without weather, I don't want this forum to be like all the others with a bunch of nonsensical pointless arguments

Later!

 

[Todd Lemery]

The lower 9 ward was the one that got hammered. Not the 5th. Probably was a typo

 

[Bill Hark]

Interesting article. I agree that social media would have saved some lives either through earlier evacuation or an as another way to direct aid. Unfortunately, social media can have the opposite effect. If there is a series of "worst storms ever" that don't materialize, people will come to disregard storm info on social media to their detriment.