Lessons Learned - Social Media and Hurricane Sandy

June 2013
Lessons Learned: Social Media

and Hurricane Sandy
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Lessons Learned - Soclal Medla and Purrlcane Sandy: vlrLual Soclal Medla Worklng Croup

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CCN1LN1S
CCn1Ln1S ........................................................................................................................... 2
ln18CuuC1lCn ................................................................................................................... 4
u8CSL ............................................................................................................................. 3
SCClAL MLulA Anu SAnu?................................................................................................. 3
AuvAnCLS ln 1LCPnCLCClLS Anu ALlCA1lCnS ........................................................... 6
MA!C8 1PLMLS ln SCClAL MLulA ALlCA1lCnS ln Pu88lCAnL SAnu? ........................ 7
CenLrallzaLlon and AggregaLlon of lnformaLlon and 1echnology SupporL ..................... 8
CovernmenL Agencles ............................................................................................................. 8
lnformaLlon Ald and 8rldglng CrganlzaLlons ......................................................................... 11
MulLl-Way lnformaLlon Sharlng .................................................................................... 17
CovernmenL Lo ubllc ........................................................................................................... 17
rlvaLe SecLor Lo ubllc ......................................................................................................... 18
ubllc Lo CovernmenL (AC1lvL) ............................................................................................. 18
ubllc Lo CovernmenL (ASSlvL) ........................................................................................... 18
ubllc Lo ubllc ...................................................................................................................... 19
1he Amerlcan 8ed Cross ........................................................................................................ 20
1he 8ole of Lhe Medla, Ad Poc Croups, and Ad Poc volunLeers ................................. 21
8umor ConLrol and MlslnformaLlon ............................................................................. 22
AlLernaLlve uLlllzaLlon of rlvaLe 8esources and arLnershlps .................................... 23
Angies List (www.angieslist.com) ......................................................................................... 23
Alrbnb.com ............................................................................................................................ 23
SeeCllckllx.com ..................................................................................................................... 24
WalkScore.com ...................................................................................................................... 24
Maps and Crowd-Sourced lnformaLlon ........................................................................ 23
Crlsls Commons ..................................................................................................................... 26
Maryland Lmergency ManagemenL Agency 8eporLlng Map and PumanlLy 8oad ............... 26
lalrfax CounLy, vlrglnla ......................................................................................................... 27
AddlLlonal Mapplng LfforLs ................................................................................................... 28
Challenges Lo Crowdsourclng ................................................................................................ 28
1LCPnCLCC?, 8CCLSS, Anu CLlC? CAS 8LCul8lnC lu81PL8 ulSCuSSlCn ............ 29
CCnCLuSlCn ..................................................................................................................... 30

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ALnulx A: lAl8lAx CCun1? [vA] CuluAnCL 1C CCvL8nMLn1 A81nL8S .............. 36
ALnulx 8: lLMA CuluAnCL 1C lLuL8AL ACLnClLS 8LCA8ulnC SAnu? WL8Sl1L
S1AnuA8ulZA1lCn ........................................................................................................... 38


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Soclal medla and collaboraLlve Lechnologles have become crlLlcal componenLs of emergency
preparedness, response, and recovery. lrom Lhe lnLernaLlonal response efforLs ln ma[or
Lsunamls Lo hurrlcane response and recovery ln ma[or u.S. clLles, many governmenL offlclals
now Lurn Lo soclal medla Lechnologles Lo share lnformaLlon and connecL wlLh clLlzens durlng all
phases of a crlsls. lmplemenLlng Lhese new Lechnologles, however, requlres LhaL respondlng
agencles adopL new communlcaLlon sLraLegles and engagemenL meLhods.
Recognizing the need to address these challenges, the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys
Sclence and 1echnology ulrecLoraLe (uPS S&1) esLabllshed Lhe vlrLual Soclal Medla Worklng
Croup (vSMWC) ln uecember 2010. 1he mlsslon of Lhe vSMWC ls Lo provlde guldance and besL
pracLlces Lo Lhe emergency preparedness and response communlLy on Lhe safe and susLalnable
use of soclal medla Lechnologles before, durlng, and afLer emergencles.
urawn from a cross secLlon of sub[ecL maLLer experLs from federal, Lrlbal, LerrlLorlal, sLaLe, and
local responders from across Lhe unlLed SLaLes, vSMWC members are esLabllshlng and
collecLlng besL pracLlces and soluLlons LhaL can be leveraged by publlc safeLy offlclals and
responders throughout the nations emergency response communlLy. 8elow ls a llsL of agencles
Lo whlch Lhe vSMWC members belong.
VSMWG Members Agencies as of January 2013
Amerlcan 8ed Cross
ClLy of 8alLlmore [Maryland] ollce
8oynLon 8each [llorlda] ollce
CenLers for ulsease ConLrol and
revenLlon, Cfflce of ubllc PealLh
reparedness
ClLy of CharloLLesvllle [vlrglnla] llre
ueparLmenL
Clark [WashlngLon] 8eglonal Lmergency
Servlces Agency
lalrfax [vlrglnla] CounLy ubllc Affalrs
lederal Lmergency ManagemenL
Agency (lLMA) Cfflce of LxLernal Affalrs
lorL 8end CounLy [1exas] PealLh and
Puman Servlces
PumanlLy 8oad
new ?ork ClLy [new ?ork] Cfflce of
Lmergency ManagemenL
Mllwaukee [Wlsconsln] ollce
ueparLmenL
MonLgomery CounLy [Maryland] llre
and 8escue
hlladelphla [ennsylvanla] Cfflce of
Lmergency ManagemenL
hlladelphla [ennsylvanla] ueparLmenL
of ubllc PealLh
orLland [Cregon] naLlonal lncldenL
ManagemenL CrganlzaLlon, u.S. loresL
Servlce
Cregon volunLary CrganlzaLlons AcLlve
ln ulsasLer (vCAu)
San lranclsco [Callfornla] ueparLmenL
of Lmergency ManagemenL
Show Low [Arlzona] llre
vlrglnla CommonwealLh unlverslLy
unlverslLy of WashlngLon Cfflce of
Clobal Affalrs

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1he vSMWC developed Lhls documenL wlLh lnpuL from Lhe publlc safeLy communlLy Lhrough monLhly
meeLlngs, onllne engagemenL hosLed on Lhe uPS llrsL 8esponder CommunlLles of racLlce porLal and
Lhrough vlrLual dlscusslons vla oLher soclal medla channels beLween november 2012 and Aprll 2013.
1hls reporL serves as a follow-up Lo all of Lhe prevlously publlshed vSMWC documenLs, lncludlng Lhe
Soclal Medla SLraLegy, nexL SLeps: Soclal Medla for Lmergency 8esponse, and CommunlLy LngagemenL
and Soclal Medla 8esL racLlces.
1hls documenL provldes an overvlew on how soclal medla was used ln preparaLlon for, ln response Lo,
and ln recovery from Purrlcane Sandy (Sandy) ln laLe CcLober 2012. lL also dlscusses processes
ldenLlfled by Lhe flrsL responder communlLy as besL pracLlces, presenLs examples, Lhemes ln
appllcaLlons, and lessons learned, ldenLlfles gaps ln Lechnology, process, and/or pollcy, and offers polnLs
requlrlng furLher dlscusslon.
1he purpose of Lhls documenL ls Lo:
rovlde an overvlew of how soclal medla was used by varlous agencles and organlzaLlons
before, durlng, and afLer Sandy made landfall ln CcLober 2012,
Compare and capLure Lhe change ln accepLed pracLlces lnvolvlng Lhe use of soclal medla for
publlc safeLy purposes,
CapLure and dlscuss besL pracLlces and lessons learned from agencles uslng soclal medla for
varlous purposes LhroughouL Lhe course of Lhe sLorm,
ldenLlfy and dlscuss gaps ln Lechnology, process, and/or pollcy, and
ldenLlfy and dlscuss posslble nexL sLeps, lncludlng furLher dlscusslon and/or developmenL.
Lxamples lncluded ln Lhls documenL are noL lnLended Lo serve as an all-lncluslve llsL, buL raLher Lo
provlde a brlef llsL of agencles LhaL used soclal medla for publlc safeLy purposes for Sandy. lor more
lnformaLlon on Lhese Loplcs and addlLlonal resources, please vlslL Lhe vlrLual Soclal Medla Worklng
Croup CommunlLy on uPS llrsL 8esponder CommunlLles of racLlce
(www.communlLles.flrsLresponder.gov).
SCCIAL MLDIA AND SAND
1he popularlLy of soclal medla Lools, lncludlng soclal neLworklng, mlcro-blogglng, and vldeo and phoLo-
sharlng has lncreased exponenLlally ln Lhe pasL several years. AddlLlonally, as access Lo and
undersLandlng of moblle Lechnology have grown, so Loo has Lhe ablllLy for lndlvlduals Lo share
lnformaLlon, oplnlons, and experlences from anywhere and aL any Llme. 1hese changes ln behavlor and
Lechnology lnclude capLurlng evenLs such as hurrlcanes, school shooLlngs, proLesLs, and earLhquakes,
uslng vldeo, LexL, posLs, and phoLos Laken from Lhe ground and sharlng Lhem Lhrough soclal neLworks
onllne.

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Sandy, however, marked a shlfL ln Lhe use of soclal medla ln dlsasLers. More Lhan ever before,
governmenL agencles Lurned Lo moblle and onllne Lechnologles before, durlng, and afLer Sandy made
landfall, Lo communlcaLe wlLh response parLners and Lhe publlc ln order Lo share lnformaLlon, malnLaln
awareness of communlLy acLlons and needs, and more. 1hls documenL dlscusses ma[or Lhemes and
gaps ln Lhe appllcaLlon of soclal medla for varlous purposes LhroughouL Lhe preparedness, response Lo,
and recovery from Sandy, lncludlng efforLs by governmenL agencles, nonproflL organlzaLlons, Lechnology
companles, and ad hoc or volunLeer groups.
ADVANCLS IN 1LCnNCLCGILS AND ALICA1ICNS
Slnce lLs lncepLlon ln uecember 2010, Lhe vSMWC has publlshed Lhree guldance documenLs on Lhe use
of soclal medla for publlc safeLy. AlLhough Lechnology and behavlor have slgnlflcanLly changed and
advanced slnce Lhen, several fundamenLal concepLs have remalned Lhe same: Lhe besL pracLlces and
appllcaLlons ldenLlfled by Lhe vSMWC ln Lhe followlng documenLs conLlnue Lo provlde a roadmap by
whlch agencles can develop Lhelr own soclal medla capablllLles, Lools, processes, and pollcles.
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provldes a hlgh-level lnLroducLlon Lo soclal medla, lLs beneflLs for publlc safeLy,
and besL pracLlces from agencles already uslng soclal medla.
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:
serves as a follow-up Lo Lhe Soclal Medla SLraLegy
documenL, presenLs challenges and provldes nexL sLeps and besL pracLlces for publlc safeLy agencles
developlng and lmplemenLlng soclal medla, and
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shares besL pracLlces for publlc safeLy
agencles and parLner organlzaLlons on how Lo use soclal medla Lo successfully engage communlLy
members and sLakeholders.
ueveloped ln Lhe fall of 2011 and publlshed ln !anuary 2012, 5oclol MeJlo 5ttoteqy dlscusses a varleLy of
Lools (e.g., 1wlLLer, lacebook, ?ou1ube) and Lhelr poLenLlal appllcaLlon for publlc safeLy. 1he followlng
Lable shows Lhe Lools and Lhelr poLenLlal appllcaLlons from Lhe publlcaLlon (ln black) and [uxLaposes
Lhem wlLh Lhe Lools and Lhelr speclflc appllcaLlons as used by varlous agencles (ln red) for Sandy ln 2012.
1he Lable lllusLraLes a shlfL ln how publlc safeLy agencles use soclal medla: Lools LhaL were noL yeL
popular ln 2011 were relled upon by governmenL agencles durlng Sandy throughout the disasters
llfecycle, ofLen for several purposes, engaglng mulLlple sLakeholders across several channels.

1
hLLps://communlLles.flrsLresponder.gov/uPS_vSMWC_Soclal_Medla_SLraLegy_lormaLLed_May_2013_llnAL.pdf
2

hLLps://communlLles.flrsLresponder.gov/uPS_vSMWC_nexL_SLeps_Soclal_Medla_SLraLegy_lormaLLed_May_2013
_llnAL.pdf
3

hLLps://communlLles.flrsLresponder.gov/uPS_vSMWC_CommunlLy_LngagemenL_lormaLLed_May_2013_llnAL.pd
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MosL of Lhe uses for soclal medla ln publlc safeLy LhaL were discussed in the VSMWGs previous
documenLs also applled for Sandy. 1hese lnclude:
laclllLaLlng dlrecL agency engagemenL wlLhln a communlLy,
MalnLalnlng slLuaLlonal awareness abouL emergency evenLs and parLnershlp opporLunlLles,
rovldlng an addlLlonal meLhod for dlssemlnaLlng emergency publlc lnformaLlon,
rovldlng a meLhod for evaluaLlng publlc lnformaLlon,
rovldlng a means for Lhe communlLy Lo engage ln problem solvlng,
rovldlng a means Lo meeL and manage publlc expecLaLlons,
Lngaglng lndlvldual connecLlvlLy and promoLe communlLy resources,
8ulldlng and promoLlng agency or organlzaLlon credlblllLy,
romoLlng and encouraglng efflclency, credlblllLy, and Lransparency,
Lncouraglng mulLldlrecLlonal sharlng of essenLlal lnformaLlon, and
Lncouraglng behavloral change.
Lach of Lhese beneflLs and appllcaLlons has been caLegorlzed LhemaLlcally Lo help ln undersLandlng Lhe
full specLrum of soclal medla uses for publlc safeLy, wlLh speclflc regard Lo evenLs LhaL occurred durlng
Sandy and Lo beLLer dlrecL developmenL and use of soclal medla Lools ln Lhe fuLure. Lach Lheme ls
clearly lllusLraLed by several examples of governmenL agencles, nonproflLs, and response parLners, as
noLed ln Lhe nexL secLlon.
MAICk 1nLMLS IN SCCIAL MLDIA ALICA1ICNS IN nUkkICANL SAND
1hroughouL Lhe course of Lhe sLorm, lncludlng Lhe days prlor Lo landfall and for several weeks followlng,
governmenL agencles, response parLners, uLlllLles, nonproflLs, ad hoc groups, and lndlvlduals leveraged
varlous soclal medla Lools for a varleLy of purposes. Many of Lhese lnsLances represenL Lhe flrsL Llme a
governmenL agency offlclally used soclal medla for response acLlvlLles. 1he followlng secLlon hlghllghLs
several key Lhemes ln Lhe appllcaLlons of soclal medla by varlous enLlLles and for varlous purposes, and
dlscusses varlous gaps ln Lechnology, process, and/or pollcy when ldenLlfled.

(

Centra||zat|on and Aggregat|on of Informat|on and 1echno|ogy Support
8esponse and recovery efforLs Lo a ma[or dlsasLer lnvolve many players, each wlLh responslblllLy Lo Lhelr
respecLlve sLakeholders, mlsslons, consLlLuenLs, eLc. WlLhouL coordlnaLlon across communlcaLlons
channels and plaLforms, lnformaLlon may become so dlspersed LhaL lL ls dlfflculL Lo navlgaLe Lhrough
mulLlple resources. lor example, ln Purrlcane kaLrlna, separaLe webslLes were used Lo share
lnformaLlon for evacuees, frlends, and famllles and Lo publlsh llsLs of names, blogs were used for posLlng
locaLlon, sLaLus, eLc. So many webslLes sprang up LhaL lL became dlfflculL Lo flnd Lhe speclflc webslLe for
Lhe lnformaLlon, resources, or reconnecLlon one needed.
Slnce kaLrlna, varlous nonproflLs and volunLeer groups have developed webslLes LhaL conglomeraLe as
many resources and as much lnformaLlon as pracLlcable ln one place. ln Sandy, soclal medla made lL
posslble for many agencles, nonproflLs, and volunLeers Lo aggregaLe lnformaLlon and resources and
publlsh Lhem ln one place. 1hese cenLral hubs of lnformaLlon ofLen clLed and/or llnked Lo oLher relaLed
(or offlclal) webslLes. ln Lhe absence of governmenL-provlded lnformaLlon (or a coheslve approach Lo
provldlng lnformaLlon from mulLlple governmenL agencles ln one place), nonproflL and volunLeer
organlzaLlons sLepped ln Lo asslsL, developlng and comblnlng lnformaLlon resources and maklng Lhem
avallable for Lhe publlc and for response sLakeholders.
1hls asslsLanceprovlded by Lhe nonproflL and volunLeer secLors, someLlmes pre-esLabllshed and/or
organlzed, someLlmes ln an ad hoc mannerhelped allevlaLe some of Lhe sLraln experlenced by
governmenL agencles LhaL were focused on response operaLlons. ln Lhe fuLure, relaLlonshlp bulldlng and
pre-organlzed processes for sharlng of lnformaLlon responslblllLles wlll be necessary Lo ensure
lnformaLlon ls verlfled, accuraLe, and comprehenslve and avallable lmmedlaLely or even prlor Lo Lhe
onseL of Lhe dlsasLer. Ior more |nformat|on, see 1echno|ogy, o||cy, and rocess Gaps kequ|r|ng
Iurther D|scuss|on (page 29).
Government Agenc|es
uurlng Sandy, many governmenL agencles aggregaLed and publlshed lnformaLlon Lhrough a cenLrallzed
porLal as well. lor example, Lhe New York City Mayors Office provided information vla only one webslLe
(www.nyc.gov) durlng boLh response and recovery from Lhe sLorm. 1he webslLe offered lnformaLlon on
volunLeer opporLunlLles, where Lo flnd prepared food, and avallablllLy of resources lncludlng open gas
sLaLlons, pharmacles, hoLels, resLauranLs, eLc. 1he clLy provlded Lhe lnformaLlon LhaL was used Lo
populaLe Lhese slLes, addlLlonal lnformaLlon came from lndlvlduals reporLlng on ouLages, resources
avallable and/or open, and more Lhrough 1wlLLer and oLher channels.
4

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Cn CcLober 31, 2012, Lhe web manager for lLMA lssued guldance Lo all u.S. governmenL agency
webslLes (per Lmergency SupporL luncLlon 13 of Lhe naLlonal 8esponse lramework).
3
ln Lhls guldance,
lLMA requesLed four Lhlngs:

4
For more information on New York Citys activities in Hurrlcane Sandy, See Case SLudy: new ?ork ClLy (pg. 31)
3
naLlonal 8esponse lramework aL lema.gov, hLLp://www.fema.gov/llbrary/vlew8ecord.do?ld=7371

)

CreaLlon of a www.[agency].gov/sandy landlng page on Lhelr respecLlve slLe. Cn Lhls page,
agencles were requesLed Lo place lnformaLlon only l8CM 1PLl8 ACLnClLS (Lo sLay ln Lhelr
lane of communication) and to not cross-posL lnformaLlon from oLher agencles. lf one agency
had lnformaLlon LhaL would be approprlaLe Lo place on anoLher agencles webslLe, Lhe agency
web managers were asked Lo coordlnaLe dlrecLly. A requesL Lo creaLe a u8L for boLh Lngllsh and
Spanlsh conLenL (lf approprlaLe) was also made.
Cnce Lhe www.[agency].gov/sandy landlng page was creaLed, Lhe agencles were asked Lo noLlfy
Lhe uSA.gov web manager aL Lhe u.S. Ceneral Servlces AdmlnlsLraLlon (CSA) LhaL Lhe page was
acLlve and provlde under which general lane of information the page fell:
! PealLh and SafeLy,
! Pow Lo CeL Pelp,
! llnd lrlends and lamlly,
! uonaLe/volunLeer, and
! WhaL Lhe CovernmenL ls uolng.
Cnce Lhe uSA.gov/sandy page was creaLed, all agencles were Lhen encouraged Lo cross-llnk
from Lhelr agency homepage and Lhelr www.[agency].gov/sandy page back Lo Lhe
www.uSA.gov/sandy page and/or embed Lhe uSA.gov Purrlcane Sandy wldgeL on Lhelr agency
webslLes.
Cnce Lhe www.[agency].gov/sandy pages were creaLed, lLMA also requesLed LhaL all agencles
noLlfy Lhe lLMA web manager of Lhe page sLaLus and also lnclude wheLher or noL Lhe followlng
lnformaLlon was lncluded on Lhe page:
! SLaLlsLlcs,
! SlLuaLlon reporLs,
! 8log posLs,
! ress releases,
! SafeLy/recovery Llps, and
! CLher (deLalls).
This information was then shared with FEMAs StraLeglc CommunlcaLlons ulvlslon wlLhln Lhe Cfflce of
LxLernal Affalrs.
1he goal of Lhls efforL was Lo drlve vlslLors looklng for Sandy lnformaLlon back Lo one auLhorlLaLlve
source for lnformaLlon. lLMA, worklng wlLh CSA, consolldaLed all u.S. governmenL web conLenL relaLed
Lo Sandy onLo www.uSA.gov/sandy, wlLh speclflc rellef and recovery lnformaLlon belng consolldaLed
onLo www.lLMA.gov/sandy. A wldgeL was Lhen creaLed LhaL dlrecLed Lhe publlc Lo Lhe flve ldenLlfled
lanes of communlcaLlon (ldenLlfled above) on uSA.gov.
lrom CcLober 22 Lhrough uecember 31, 2012, Lhe Purrlcane Sandy page on uSA.gov was vlewed over
71,000 Llmes, wlLh Lhe Purrlcane Sandy wldgeL belng vlewed over 2.8 mllllon Llmes. 1he Spanlsh verslon
of Lhe page was vlewed over 3,600 Llmes and Lhe Spanlsh wldgeL was vlewed over 10,000 Llmes.

*+

FEMAs Sandy Landing Page
Cn Lhe www.lLMA.gov/sandy landlng page, lLMA provlded all of Lhe speclflc rellef, response and
recovery lnformaLlon relaLed Lo Sandy. lnformaLlon for dlsasLer survlvors lncluded how Lo geL
lmmedlaLe help, how Lo locaLe a shelLer, how Lo locaLe a lLMA ulsasLer 8ecovery CenLer, and access Lo
Lhe sLaLe-speclflc dlsasLer declaraLlons. 1hls lnformaLlon was also ulLlmaLely provlded ln 18 languages
aslde from Lngllsh. Llnks were provlded Lo all appllcable sLaLe and local webslLes, and lnformaLlon was
provlded for Lhose who wanL Lo help (donaLlons and volunLeerlng).
As a dlrecL response Lo lessons learned from Purrlcane kaLrlna, Lhe www.lLMA.gov/sandy page also
conLalned Lwo feaLures LhaL were parL of a concerLed efforL Lo lncrease Lransparency around Lhe u.S.
governmenLs response Lo Sandy. 1he flrsL was a Llmellne page, whlch provlded a deLalled chronology of
Lhe u.S. governmenLs response acLlvlLles from CcLober 22 Lhrough november 18, 2012. 1he second
was a Hurricane Sandy: By the Numbers widget, whlch presenLed how many lLMA personnel were
deployed ln response Lo Lhe dlsasLer, how many asslsLance reglsLraLlons had been recelved, how much
had been approved ln asslsLance dollars, and how many dlsasLer recovery cenLers were open and Lhelr
locaLlons.
lrom CcLober 22 Lhrough uecember 31, 2012, Purrlcane Sandy pages on lLMA.gov were vlewed over
740,000 Llmes, wlLh over 7 mllllon vlslLors comlng Lo Lhe slLe as a whole.
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6

1he lLMA 1hlnk 1ank has played an lmporLanL role ln developlng new approaches Lo emergency
response. rlor Lo Sandy, lL was used as a means Lo dlscuss and generaLe soluLlons among communlLy
members Lo help boosL Lhe fleld of emergency managemenL and relaLed soluLlons. 1hrough lLs onllne
forum and monLhly conference calls led by uepuLy AdmlnlsLraLor 8lchard Serlno,
7
Lhe lLMA 1hlnk 1ank
helped ldenLlfy shorL- and long-Lerm pro[ecLs, connecLlng Lhe rlghL people Lo work Lowards correcLlve
acLlon, and Lhen produclng recommendaLlons for emergency managers aL all levels.
8esponse efforLs and lessons learned durlng Lhe response Lo and recovery from Sandy helped Lo propel
Lhe vlslon of Lhe lLMA 1hlnk 1ank, brlnglng lnnovaLlve soluLlons, recommendaLlons, and guldance Lo Lhe
communlLy. lrom Lhls vlslon, Lhe (lLMA) lnnovaLlon 1eam was born a mulLl-secLor, cross funcLlonal
group made up of members who asslsLed rellef efforLs wlLh varlous acLlvlLles, lncludlng flndlng
generaLor power for Lhe dlsasLer recovery cenLers, helplng Lo seL up a mesh neLwork Lo provlde lnLerneL
connecLlvlLy ln 8ed Pook [n?], and connecLlng resldenLs and volunLeer workers Lo shelLers and klLchens.
1he lLMA lnnovaLlon 1eams efforLs conLlnue Lo help redesign FEMAs Disaster Recovery Centers and
creaLe processes LhaL can be repeaLed wlLh fuLure emergencles. 1he Leam wlll conLlnue Lo collaboraLe
wlLh parLners, lncludlng Lhe uPS vlrLual Soclal Medla Worklng Croup, PumanlLy 8oad, Ceeks WlLhouL
8ounds, and many oLhers on lnnovaLlve soluLlons, challenges, Lechnologles, and procedures Lo address
pollcy gaps and oLher deflclencles ldenLlfled ln Lhe response Lo Lhe sLorm.

6
hLLp://www.fema.gov/fema-Lhlnk-Lank
7
Deputy Administrator Serinos Blog on the Innovation Team: hLLp://www.fema.gov/fema-Lhlnk-Lank

**

Informat|on A|d and 8r|dg|ng Crgan|zat|ons
lor Sandy, nonproflL and ad hoc organlzaLlons brokered lnformaLlon and provlded help wlLhln
communlLles affecLed by Lhe sLorm, someLlmes dlrecLly ln supporL of governmenL agencles or ln
addlLlon Lo offlclal response operaLlons. ulLlmaLely funcLlonlng as an lnformaLlon ald or brldge, Lhese
organlzaLlons posLed, shared, searched for, found, reporLed, and provlded lnformaLlon and resources vla
varlous Lools Lo and from response organlzaLlons and Lhe publlc.
CrganlzaLlons llke PumanlLy 8oad, naLlonal volunLary CrganlzaLlons AcLlve ln ulsasLer (nvCAu), Ceeks
WlLhouL 8ounds, Cccupy Sandy, and oLhers provlded supporL Lo response agencles by connecLlng
lnformaLlon, resources, parLners, and Lhe communlLy Lhrough varlous means. AddlLlonally, organlzaLlons
llke Lhe Amerlcan 8ed Cross empowered prevlously Lralned volunLeers Lo asslsL ln relaylng lnformaLlon
Lo and from Lhe publlc. Ior more |nformat|on, see Mu|t|-Way Informat|on Shar|ng: Amer|can ked Cross
(page 20).
AlLhough many organlzaLlons malnLalned relaLlonshlps wlLh response organlzaLlons and governmenL
agencles prlor Lo Lhe sLorm, many were esLabllshed durlng Lhe response ln an ad hoc manner. ln Lhese
lnsLances, many relaLlonshlps were secured afLer Lhe hurrlcane made landfall Lhrough varlous neLwork
polnLs of conLacL or operaLed compleLely on Lhelr own.
H<7%8$+. 9"%*
PumanlLy 8oad, a nonproflL organlzaLlon dedlcaLed Lo educaLlng Lhe publlc wlLh crlLlcal lnformaLlon
before, durlng, and afLer a caLasLrophlc dlsasLer, aggregaLed and publlshed a cenLrallzed llsL of ald
provlders and soclal medla resources following Sandys landfall. 1he Sandy SlLuaLlon 8eporL, publlshed
on Humanity Roads webslLe, provlded lnformaLlon on naLlonal, reglonal, and sLaLe-level resources for
people and anlmal owners, as well as volunLeer opporLunlLles for easLern seaboard sLaLes affecLed by
Sandy. Worklng wlLh Lhe lLMA lnnovaLlon 1eam and Crlsls Clean up (www.crlslscleanup.org), PumanlLy
8oad also provlded referrals for complex cases Lo asslsL resldenLs ln new !ersey wlLh flndlng ald and
needed resources.
I$3%3+), G)#J K%C
8

ulsasLer 1ech Lab has been lnvolved ln Lhe posL-Sandy dlsasLer response efforL slnce CcLober 29, 2012,
worklng LogeLher lnlLlally wlLh members of Lhe CrlslsCommons organlzaLlon from across Lhe globe,
respondlng Lo daLa gaLherlng and mapplng
requesLs. Cne resulL, the Purrlcane Sandy
CommunlcaLlons Map (rlghL) mapped locaLlons of
publlc Wl-ll avallable ln areas hlL by Sandy as well
as Lelephone ouLages. 1he map, powered by Lhe
ushahldl plaLform, was parLlally crowd-sourced wlLh
people on Lhe ground reporLlng locaLlons and
deLalls of servlces.

8
hLLp://dlsasLerLechlab.org/deploymenLs/hurrlcane-sandy-response/

*"

I$3%3+), I$3+,)33 H)&2&$8)
1he ulsasLer ulsLress Pelpllne (uuP), a program of Lhe SubsLance Abuse and MenLal PealLh Servlces
AdmlnlsLraLlon (SAMPSA), ls Lhe flrsL naLlonal hoLllne dedlcaLed Lo provldlng year-round dlsasLer crlsls
counsellng. 1hls Loll-free, mulLlllngual, crlsls supporL servlce ls avallable 24/7 vla Lelephone (1-800-983-
3990) and SMS (LexL 1alkWlLhus Lo 66746) Lo resldenLs ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes and lLs LerrlLorles who are
experlenclng emoLlonal dlsLress relaLed Lo naLural or human-caused dlsasLers. rlor Lo, durlng, and ln
Lhe shorL- and long-term aftermath of Sandys impact, DDH staff reached out to partners in the
pro[ecLed paLh of Lhe sLorm, lncludlng numerous vCAu chapLers, Amerlcan 8ed Cross chapLers, SLaLe
ulsasLer MenLal PealLh CoordlnaLors, Lo offer supporL Lo lndlvlduals and communlLles affecLed by Lhe
sLorm.
1he uuP saw an 87 lncrease ln unlque vlslLors Lo lLs webslLe and slgnlflcanL follower growLh on Lhe
programs Facebook and Twitter accounLs. Calls Lo uuP lncreased by 2000 and LexLs lncreased by
600 durlng Lhe peak of Lhe sLorm. Lven as response has shlfLed Lo long-Lerm recovery, mosL of Lhe
uuP calls are sLlll comlng from new ?ork and new !ersey.
?//
311 can be useful for dlverLlng non-emergency lssues away from 911 Lo save and besL allocaLe resources
durlng an emergency whlle malnLalnlng responslveness Lo Lhe communlLy. ln Sandy, 311 sysLems
helped Lo Lrack and deploy resources Lo non-emergency lssues llke downed wlres and Lrees.
Implemented in 2008, Bostons 311 system was exLended wlLh Lhe ClLy Worker moblle app, whlch
rouLes servlce requesLs sLralghL Lo Androld-based moblle devlces of Lhe nearesL work crew from Lhe
responsible departmentthanks to the citys end-Lo-end lssue reporLlng, execuLlon and Lracklng, whlch
helped gulde Lhe clLy ln Lhe opLlmal deploymenL of resources
9
ln Sandy, Lhe moblle app helped offlclals
respond Lo more Lhan 700 Lree emergencles and 300 downed wlre reporLs. Cfflclals also responded Lo
lssues reporLed by clLlzens Lhrough soclal medla channels and the Citizens Connect mobile app.
://
211 ls a model for provldlng communlLy resources and lnformaLlon Lhrough Lhe 2-1-1 phone sysLem.
1he new !ersey 2-1-1
10
sysLem, launched ln 2003, ls operaLlonal LhroughouL Lhe sLaLe vla landllne, cell
phone, and lnLerneL. The states Lwo 2-1-1 call cenLers are unlLed Lhrough a vlrLual rlvaLe neLwork,
uslng broadband connecLlons and a sLaLewlde hosL server for daLabase lnLegraLlon.
11
ln new !ersey, Lhe
2-1-1 sysLem ls managed by Lhe n! 2-1-1 arLnershlp, whlch ls a subsldlary of Lhe unlLed Way of !ersey.
ln addlLlon Lo Lhe phone llnes, Lhe new !ersey 2-1-1 webslLe, hLLp://www.n[211.org/, provldes
lnformaLlon on:
8ecovery resources,
lLMA asslsLance and Lhe appllcaLlon process,
lood asslsLance,

9
lndusLry erspecLlve: uual 1asklng 311 lnfrasLrucLure. uavld Moody, Cov1ech.com
hLLp://www.govLech.com/publlc-safeLy/lndusLry-erspecLlve-uual-1asklng-311-lnfrasLrucLure.hLml
10
new !ersey 211: hLLp://www.n[211.org/energy/lndex.cfm
11
new !ersey 211: hLLp://www.n[211.org/moreabouL211.cfm

*#

uLlllLy paymenL asslsLance,
Anlmal lnformaLlon,
Legal asslsLance, and
Clean-up resources and local recovery efforLs.
lndlvlduals vlslLlng Lhe webslLe can search Lhe n! 2-1-1 daLabase for local resources, searchlng by Loplc,
agency, or program name.
L))M3 B$+J"<+ ="<8*3
Ceeks WlLhouL 8ounds (CWC8) deployed wlLh Lhe lLMA lnnovaLlon 1eam for Sandy response ln
november of 2012, helplng Lo brldge Lhe formal and lnformal response efforLs. CWC8 spenL equal Llme
ln Lhe fleld ln Lhe 8ockaways, SLaLen lsland, and 8reezy olnL as lL spenL operaLlng from co-worklng
spaces and from lLMA's offlces.
CWC8 worked wlLh Cccupy Sandy Lo sLreamllne lLs exchanges wlLh lLMA and oLher formal
organlzaLlons. lor example, when Cccupy Sandy wenL Lo clean ouL houses, CWC8 noLlfled Lhe
8ockaways and organlzaLlons dolng dlsposal work Lo go Lo Lhose areas Lo remove refuse before lL
became a healLh concern. CWC8 also llnked Cccupy Sandy wlLh Sahana, an open source daLabase
speclflc Lo dlsasLer response, Lo help saLlsfy Occupy Sandys loglsLlcs needs.
N##<2. !%8*.
12

Cccupy Sandy, an ad hoc and sponLaneous volunLeer efforL, provlded supporL Lo Lhe communlLles
affecLed by Sandy Lhrough Lhe pre-exlsLlng neLwork, relaLlonshlps, and connecLlons creaLed ln supporL
of Cccupy Wall SLreeL ln Lhe fall of 2011. 1he nonhlerarchlcal naLure ln whlch Cccupy acLlvlsLs were
accusLomed Lo organlzlng was useful for Lrlage and lmmedlaLe supporL lmmedlaLely followlng Lhe
hurricanes landfall. WlLhln Lhe flrsL 2 weeks, Cccupy Sandy represenLed a slgnlflcanL response efforL,
wlLh an esLlmaLed 3,000 Lo 10,000 volunLeers.
Consldered a provlder of Lechnology supporL and servlces Lo communlLy-led
rellef efforLs, Cccupy Sandy leveraged free and open-source Lools, llke
Sahana Lden, Lo develop a Lechnlcal lnfrasLrucLure and dlsasLer
managemenL sysLem for lnformaLlon sharlng and response supporL. 1he
group used Lhe Sahana sofLware aL a dlspaLch hub for communlcaLlons and
Lo log requesLs for asslsLance, Lo prlnL waybllls wlLh lnvenLorles and Lhelr
desLlnaLlons, and Lo Lrack requesLs for dlsasLer rellef supplles llke food,
waLer, dry goods, and cleanlng supplles. 1he sofLware was also used Lo
Lrack work orders for houses needlng cleanlng, mold remedlaLlon, eLc.
13
ln
Lhe fuLure, addlLlonal funds wlll be necessary ln order Lo cusLomlze Lhe
sysLem for speclflc needs and Lo ensure lLs lmmedlaLe readlness ln emergencles.

12
hLLps://speedblrd.wordpress.com/2012/11/21/prellmlnary-noLes-Lo-a-dlagram-of-occupy-sandy/
13
hLLp://sahanafoundaLlon.org/lnLervlew-wlLh-devln-balklnd-sahana-and-occupy-sandy-rellef-
efforLs/?uLm_source=LwlLLerfeed&uLm_medlum=facebook

*$

Cccupy Sandy esLabllshed soclal medla proflles lmmedlaLely followlng Lhe sLorm, and wlLhln a day,
volunLeers arrlved ln Lhe 8ockaways. ln facL, soclal medla served as a prlmary source of lnformaLlon for
Cccupy volunLeers for lnformaLlon sharlng Lo and from Lhe fleld LhroughouL recovery efforLs.
ln addlLlon Lo provldlng physlcal and operaLlonal supporL Lo vlcLlms of Lhe sLorm, Lhe group creaLed a
cenLrallzed webslLe (rlghL), Cccupy Sandy 8ecovery, and a map uslng Coogle luslon 1ables embedded ln
Lhelr Wordress-powered webslLe Lo provlde lnformaLlon, connecL lndlvlduals wlLh resources, collecL
donaLlons, and reglsLer and dlrecL volunLeers ln flve locaLlons: new !ersey, Coney lsland, CreenpolnL,
Lhe 8ockaways, and SLaLen lsland. lndlvlduals could vlslL Lhe slLe Lo reglsLer communlLy needs and
requesL aldlnformaLlon LhaL was used Lo help allocaLe volunLeer, and oLher resources. volunLeer
lnformaLlon was collecLed ln a ClvlC8M
14
sysLem, maklng lL easy Lo segmenL volunLeers by lnLeresL and
locaLlon ln order Lo LargeL and send speclflc lnformaLlon.
A map developed by Purrlcane Packers n?C
13
offered naLlonal Cceanlc and ALmospherlc AdmlnlsLraLlon
(nCAA) aerlal lmagery of affecLed areas wlLh an overlay of recovery locaLlons. Purrlcane Packers also
provlded lnformaLlon ln a cenLrallzed locaLlon,
16
connecLlng onllne resources and oLher organlzaLlons
such as CrlslsCommons, n?1ech8esponds, 8ecovers.org and oLhers worklng on Lechnology pro[ecLs and
resources. AddlLlonal lnformaLlon and resources avallable on Lhe Cccupy Sandy webslLe,
www.lnLeroccupy.neL, lncluded:
Clean-up lnformaLlon,
ulsasLer asslsLance resources,
A ulsasLer 8ecovery CenLer LocaLor,
LducaLlon-relaLed lnformaLlon and conLacLs,
lLMA resources and conLacLs,
llnanclal asslsLance and fundlng resources,
Pouslng and shelLers,
!ob opporLunlLles,
Legal asslsLance,
Medlcal and menLal healLh asslsLance,
MuLual ald,
ower and elecLrlclLy resources,
lmmlgranL resources,
SafeLy lnformaLlon,
1enanL and homeowner rlghLs, and
volunLeer pro[ecLs.

14
hLLp://clvlcrm.org/
13
Purrlcane Packers n?C was a hack-a-Lhon, or evenL ln whlch sclenLlsLs, deslgners, developers, and
clLlzens gaLhered Lo develop Lools and apps Lo asslsL ln Lhe recovery efforLs. More lnformaLlon avallable
aL: hLLp://mapbox.com/blog/hacklng-hurrlcanes-wlLh-noaa/
16
hLLps://docs.google.com/documenL/pub?ld=1SCcfCz13ce4lf8-CPkl3WLwxPoC8C8ouuvZn-3aox0k

*%

0%+$"8%& O"&<8+%,. N,-%8$D%+$"83 A#+$F) $8 I$3%3+), P0ONAIQ
nvCAu, a nonproflL, nonparLlsan, membershlp-based organlzaLlon, serves as Lhe forum where
organlzaLlons share knowledge and resources LhroughouL Lhe dlsasLer cyclepreparaLlon, response,
and recoveryLo help dlsasLer survlvors and Lhelr communlLles.
17
nvCAu membershlp lncludes 108
organlzaLlons comprlslng falLh-based, communlLy-based, and oLher nongovernmenLal organlzaLlons
LhroughouL Lhe naLlon, represenLlng all 30 sLaLes, 4 LerrlLorles, and Lhe ulsLrlcL of Columbla.
Llke many sLaLe vCAu organlzaLlons on Lhe LasL CoasL durlng Sandy, nvCAu was exLremely busy
coordlnaLlng a mulLlsLaLe dlsasLer rellef and recovery efforL. Cnce Lhe hurrlcane made landfall, soclal
medla proflles were updaLed lnfrequenLly, leavlng commenLs and negaLlve posLs unaddressed. 1o help
support social media profiles and increase the visibility of NVOADs efforts, ScoLL 8euLer, resldenL of
Cregon vCAu and an acLlve soclal medla volunLeer, was asked by nvCAu Lo lead Lhe soclal medla efforL
and enhance lLs soclal medla presence durlng Sandy.
Mr. 8euLer and a dlglLal volunLeer colleague, MarllLa 8eddy-P[elmfelL, also esLabllshed a vlrLual
CperaLlons SupporL 1eam (vCS1)
18
-sLyle collaboraLlve workbook ln whlch Lo search for, ldenLlfy, llsL, and
Lrack as many acLlve vCAu-relaLed soclal medla accounLs and webslLes as Lhey could flnd. 1hls
workbook focused on organlzaLlons LhaL were helplng ln Sandy recovery efforLs, especlally Lhose who
were vCAu member organlzaLlons posLlng updaLes on Lhelr Sandy rellef acLlvlLles. 1he goal was Lo
demonsLraLe LhaL vCAu member organlzaLlons and sLaLe vCAus were hlghly acLlve ln recovery efforLs.
Mr. 8euLer and Ms. 8eddy-P[elmfelL responded Lo all commenLs and quesLlons posLed Lo Lhe lacebook
and 1wlLLer accounLs and began Lo regularly posL updaLes Lhey recelved from nvCAu or as Lhey found
Lhem on soclal medla. 1hey also Lracked Lhelr progress and coordlnaLed Lhelr efforLs Lhrough Lhe
workbook, monlLorlng, documenLlng, and reporLlng on Lhe acLlvlLles of vCAu member organlzaLlons
LhroughouL Lhe recovery. WlLhln a couple of days of supporting NVOADs social media efforts, Lhe
negaLlve posLs sLopped, NVOADs lacebook and 1wlLLer accounLs began Lo galn frlends, followers, and
poslLlve posLs.
G$+<3 %8* 0RONAI
Aaron 1lLus from Mormon Pelplng Pands, a
member of new !ersey vCAu, developed a
prlvaLe Lasklng sysLem and map LhaL was made
avallable Lo organlzaLlons wlLh ground Leams
respondlng Lo assess and resolve lssues. 1he
sysLem provldes organlzaLlons a meLhod of
coordlnaLlon wlLhouL command and conLrol over
a broad geographlc fooLprlnL. 1hroughouL recovery, more Lhan 90 organlzaLlons surveylng damage and
ldenLlfylng resource needs were able Lo resolve Lhousands of lncldenLs by uslng Lhls sysLem Lo capLure

17
naLlonal volunLary CrganlzaLlons AcLlve ln ulsasLer: hLLp://www.nvoad.org/abouL
18
vlrLual CperaLlons SupporL Croups: hLLp://vosg.us/

*&

assessmenLs and Lrack lssues Lhrough Lo resoluLlon. Ceorgla and Mlsslsslppl vCAus have used Lhe
sysLem slnce Lhe Lornadoes ln lebruary 2013.
19

E85",7%+$"8 G)#J8"&"-. I$3%3+), 9)3"<,#) ;)8+), PEGI9;Q
20

1he l1u8C ls a nonproflL organlzaLlon whose mlsslon ls Lo asslsL communlLles wlLh Lechnology conLlnulLy
and recovery durlng Llmes of dlsasLer. 1hrough parLnershlps wlLh governmenL and nongovernmenLal
enLlLles, as well as Lhrough servlce requesL forms publlshed Lo Lhe l1u8C webslLe, Lhe l1u8C engaged
varlous members of Lhe new ?ork 1ech communlLy Lo supplemenL local volunLeer resources. A LoLal of
26 l1u8C Lechnology volunLeers, augmenLed by sLraLeglc parLners and nearly 1,000 local Lech
volunLeers, moblllzed Lo provlde Lemporary communlcaLlons, resources, and Lechnology asslsLance Lo
communlLles, nongovernmenLal organlzaLlons (nCCs), and small buslnesses. 1he l1u8C Lechnology
Leams lnsLalled compuLers, neLworks, Wl-ll lnfrasLrucLure, and lnLerneL-based Lelephone ln flre sLaLlons
along Lhe 8ockaway enlnsula and ln ulsasLer 8esource CenLers (u8Cs) LhroughouL Lhe reglon.
Worklng ln collaboraLlon wlLh Lhe lLMA lnnovaLlon 1eam, Lhe l1u8C helped Lo saLlsfy needs LhaL were
ldenLlfled ln dally meeLlngs and conference calls. lor example, Lhe l1u8C obLalned a llsL of prlvaLe and
publlc u8C locaLlons wlLhln a 23-mlle radlus LhaL were candldaLes for lnLerneL connecLlvlLy and publlc
Wl-ll. SLakeholders were Lhen provlded wlLh access Lo slLe lnformaLlon Lhrough an onllne collaboraLlon
documenL, where Lhey could monlLor lnsLallaLlon sLaLus and add addlLlonal slLes as Lhey were ldenLlfled.
1he l1u8C also worked wlLh a number of nCCs and communlLy organlzaLlons such as Lhe n? 1ech
MeeLup, n?C Lconomlc uevelopmenL CorporaLlon, Ceeks WlLhouL 8ounds, PumanlLy 8oad, ClLy-Wlde
ulsasLer Servlces, Clobal ulsasLer lmmedlaLe 8esponse 1eam (u.l.8.1.)
21
, 1eam 8ublcon
22
, ulsasLer 1ech
Labs, and Lhe 8ed Pook lnlLlaLlve.
23

;$3#" G%#+$#%& N2),%+$"83
Clsco 1acLlcal CperaLlons (www.clsco.com/go/Lacops) ls an emergency Lechnology Leam creaLed by
Clsco SysLems Lo asslsL publlc safeLy, crlLlcal lnfrasLrucLure, and conLlnulLy of governmenL operaLlons
durlng dlsasLers and oLher crlsls slLuaLlons. 1he Leam's emergency response operaLlons are funded
Lhrough Clsco's CorporaLe Soclal 8esponslblllLy (CS8) program. 1he Leam ls equlpped wlLh speclallzed
vehlcles and klLs and ls Lralned Lo operaLe ln ausLere dlsasLer envlronmenLs wlLhln Lhe unlLed SLaLes and
around Lhe world durlng Lhe acuLe phase of an emergency.
uurlng Sandy, Lhe Clsco 1acLlcal 1eam, along wlLh oLher organlzaLlons on Lhe ground lncludlng u8Cs, Lhe
lLMA lnnovaLlon 1eam, and varlous nCCs, responded from norLh Carollna and Callfornla Lo provlde
emergency communlcaLlons supporL and resLoraLlon. 1hls supporL lncluded donaLlon and loanlng of
lnLerneL daLa, volce, vldeo, and collaboraLlon Lools Lo publlc safeLy (pollce, flre, emergency
managemenL) organlzaLlons ln new ?ork and new !ersey.

19
hLLp://www.aaronLlLus.neL/blog/2012/12/20/dlsasLer-recovery-collaboraLlve-work-order-sysLem/
20
hLLp://www.lLdrc.org/lndex.hLml
21
hLLp://globaldlrL.org
22
hLLp://Leamrublconusa.org
23
hLLp://lLdrc.org/pubs/whlLepapers/Purrlcane_Sandy-l1u8C_AA8-!an2013.pdf

*'

Mu|t|-Way Informat|on Shar|ng
ln Sandy, soclal medla enabled mulLl-way lnformaLlon sharlng and parLnershlps, hlghllghLlng Lhe
usefulness of collaboraLlon across secLors, groups, organlzaLlons, and [urlsdlcLlons. Soclal medla was
used for more Lhan [usL a reporLlng mechanlsm allowlng one-way conversaLlons from Lhe governmenL Lo
Lhe publlc. 1he followlng secLlon hlghllghLs how soclal medla faclllLaLed mulLl-way lnformaLlon sharlng
across Lhe communlLy.
Government to ub||c
Lven before Sandy made landfall, governmenL agencles, response parLners, and uLlllLy companles used
1wlLLer, lacebook, and oLher webslLes exLenslvely Lo relay lnformaLlon, evacuaLlon orders, and updaLes.
AfLer Lhe sLorm, people used 1wlLLer Lo reporL lssues, danger, and power ouLages, and many regarded lL
as a llfellne. AddlLlonally, pollLlcal leaders and response professlonals used 1wlLLer Lo conflrm
lnformaLlon provlded by Lhe publlc and Lo engage dlrecLly wlLh Lhe publlc. Lxamples of such lnfluenLlal
users of 1wlLLer lncluded:
MassachuseLLs Lmergency ManagemenL Agency, ([MassLMA)
newark, new !ersey Mayor, Cory 8ooker ([corybooker),
new ?ork SLaLe Covernor, Andrew Cuomo ([n?CovCuomo),
new !ersey Covernor, Chrls ChrlsLy ([govchrlsLle),
Cralg lugaLe (lLMA) ([cralgaLfema),
uelaware CovernmenL, !ack Markell ([CovernorMarkell),
new ?ork ClLy llre ueparLmenL ([fdny),
orL AuLhorlLy of new ?ork and new !ersey ([An?n!),
City of New York Mayors Office ([nycmayorsofflce, [nycgov),
new ?ork ClLy Cfflce of Lmergency ManagemenL ([noLlfyn?C, [nycoem),
vlrglnla ueparLmenL of Lmergency ManagemenL ([vdem),
lalrfax CounLy, vlrglnla ([falrfaxcounLy),
new !ersey CenLral ower and LlghL ([[cp_l),
ubllc Servlce LlecLrlc and Cas Company ([pse&gdellvers),
uomlnlon, vlrglnla ower ([domvApower),
new ?ork ClLy llre ([lun?),
new ?ork ClLy 311 ([311n?C) (call, cllck, or LexL)
24
,
SLaLe of new !ersey 8each CuallLy MonlLorlng rogram ([n[beachreporL)
u.S. Small 8uslness AssoclaLlon ([sbagov), and
u.S. ueparLmenL of Pouslng and urban uevelopmenL ([hudnews).
AddlLlonally, lalrfax CounLy, vlrglnla used lLs blog Lo share lnformaLlon wlLh Lhe publlc durlng and afLer
Lhe sLorm.
23
osLs lncluded lnformaLlon on floodlng, road closures, power ouLages, downed Lrees, and
how Lo sLay lnformed Lhrough lLs CommunlLy Lmergency AlerL neLwork LexL/emall.

24
hLLp://www.nyc.gov/apps/311/abouL.hLm

*(

r|vate Sector to ub||c
rlvaLe secLor sLakeholders provlded addlLlonal asslsLance ln supporL of Lhe governmenL response. lor
example, 1wlLLer publlshed a #Sandy web page LhaL provlded lnformaLlon on several resources,
lncludlng lmporLanL 1weeLs and a llsL of 1wlLLer proflles Lo follow ln each affecLed sLaLe as well as
lederal agencles. 1wlLLer also offered promoLed crlsls LweeLs Lo Lhe Amerlcan 8ed Cross, lLMA, new
?ork ClLy Mayors Office, and Lhe Maryland Lmergency ManagemenL Agency. Finally, Twitters
governmenL accounL ([gov) complled a llsL of wldely suggesLed emergency and local accounLs Lo follow.
lnfrasLrucLure provlders such as waLer, power, and LransporLaLlon organlzaLlons shared lnformaLlon on
Lhe sLaLus and avallablllLy of Lhelr resources Lhrough varlous soclal medla channels as well. Some
examples lncluded:
AmLrak ([AmLrak),
epco ([epcoConnecL),
MulLlple llorlda ower Companles Twitter accounts,
rogress Lnergy ([rogLnergylL),
llrsL Lnergy CuLage Map,
Con Ldlson ([ConLdlson),
new ?ork ConLd ower CuLage Map, and
new ?ork Long lsland LlA ower CuLage Map.
ub||c to Government (AC1IVL)
1he publlc used soclal medla Lo reporL problems and needs, call for help, and look for and provlde
lnformaLlon and supporL LhroughouL Lhe course of Lhe sLorm. 1he lnformaLlon shared by Lhe publlc boLh
lnformed and engaged governmenL agencles, provldlng enhanced slLuaLlonal awareness for response
offlclals. 1hls lnformaLlon was acLlvely requesLed and/or shared vla soclal medla channels, or passlvely
collecLed by governmenL offlclals scannlng Lhe neLworks for appllcable lnformaLlon.
As an example of acLlve lnformaLlon sharlng, Lhe Maryland Lmergency ManagemenL Agency launched a
crowdmap Lo assess lmpacLs belng dlscussed ln soclal medla, acLlvaLed PumanlLy 8oad, and asked for
Lhe publlc Lo provlde lnpuL. 1hls lnlLlaLlve lnvolved Lhe use of Lralned volunLeers Lo perform monlLorlng
and acLlve llsLenlng ln soclal medla neLworks Lo collecL damage reporLs shared by Lhe publlc and lnpuL
Lhls lnformaLlon Lo Lhe crowdmap for speclflc geographles ln WesLern Maryland and along Lhe LasLern
coasL of Maryland.
ub||c to Government (ASSIVL)
lnformaLlon gleaned Lhrough soclal medla was recelved noL only dlrecLly, buL also Lhrough governmenL
agencles monlLorlng soclal medla ln order Lo caLch lmporLanL messages and emerglng LhreaLs and
ldenLlfy resource needs.

23
hLLp://www.falrfaxcounLy.gov/emergency/meLrlcs/

*)

lor example, LhroughouL Sandy, Lhe new ?ork llre ueparLmenL (lun?) provlded lnformaLlon Lhrough
Lhe offlclal deparLmenL 1wlLLer feed.
26
Larly on, FDNYs soclal medla manager, Lmlly 8ahlml, posLed
dlrecLlons noL Lo LweeL emergency calls. Powever, as Lhe sLorm progressed, lndlvlduals LweeLed calls
for help, reporLlng floodlng, lndlvlduals Lrapped ln bulldlngs, and more. lun? responded Lo Lhese calls,
asking for more information, contacting dispatch and relaying information regarding the individuals
posLs, and asslsLed when lndlvlduals were noL able Lo geL Lhrough Lo 911.
27

ub||c to ub||c
1he publlc also used soclal medla Lo lnlLlaLe and malnLaln conLacL wlLh loved ones and frlends, show and
provlde supporL Lo Lhe communlLy, sollclL donaLlons, and more. ln Lhls capaclLy, nonproflL lnformaLlon
ald/brldglng organlzaLlons helped Lo dlrecL lnformaLlon Lo Lhe rlghL resources and make key
connecLlons.
AlLhough much of Lhe lnformaLlon shared by Lhe publlc could noL be used by governmenL agencles
wlLhouL belng verlfled, lnformaLlon gleaned from publlc sources was helpful ln lllusLraLlng Lrends, and
was used by many ln search of resources such as gas, food, and shelLer. Croups such as PumanlLy 8oad,
a member of vlrglnla vCAu, helped Lo connecL lnformaLlon polnLs wlLhln communlLles by aggregaLlng
conLacL lnformaLlon and key messages and publlshlng Lhem ln cenLrallzed locaLlons.
Local communlLy members ln Lhe 8ockaway reglon of new ?ork creaLed Lhe 8ockaway Pelp
28
lacebook
page Lo communlcaLe wlLh 8ockaway resldenLs and Lhose who could provlde Lhem wlLh ald. CreaLed on
CcLober 31, 2012, Lhe dally llsL of hlgh-prlorlLy donaLlon requesLs
29
was publlshed and used Lo gulde
publlc behavlor for provldlng preferred donaLed lLems. As of March 12, 2013, Lhls lacebook page was
sLlll belng used Lo share lnformaLlon and had over 10,000 llkes.
1he deploymenL of resources and Lechnology ln 8ockaway Lo provlde Lhe publlc, 8ockaway resldenLs,
and publlc charlLles wlLh Lhe ablllLy Lo communlcaLe presenLs an example of collaboraLlve efforLs. Allson
1hompson, a resldenL of new ?ork, acLlvaLed PumanlLy 8oad ln 8ockaway Lo provlde communlcaLlons
supporL Lo Lhe publlc. Cnce PumanlLy 8oad was onslLe, a lack of a rellable neLwork led Lhe volunLeers Lo
requesL l1u8C and ulsasLer 1ech Lab Lo provlde a publlc Wl-ll neLwork for Lhe local communlLy
command cenLer aL SL. lrancls ue Sales Church and School. SLandard car baLLerles powered Lhe
launched neLwork, connecLlvlLy Lo Lhe lnLerneL vla saLelllLe was faclllLaLed by l1u8C. Coal Zero
(www.goalzero.com) arrlved and dellvered solar baLLery packs Lo power lapLops, prlnLers, llghLlng, and
recharglng sLaLlons. 1hls communlLy cenLer served 48,000 people, and Lhe communlcaLlons and offlce
equlpmenL enabled Lhem Lo organlze and communlcaLe wlLh Lhelr local communlLy.

26
hLLps://LwlLLer.com/lun?
27
lun? 1wlLLer supporL durlng Sandy: hLLp://news.yahoo.com/blogs/LlckeL/meeL-fdny-one-woman-
LwlLLer-response-Leam-guldlng-141143449.hLml
28
8ockaway Pelp lacebook age: hLLps://www.facebook.com/pages/8ockaway-Lmergency-
lan/463943416990840?ref=Ls&fref=Ls
29
Lxample of donaLlon requesL posL: hLLps://www.facebook.com/pages/8ockaway-Lmergency-
lan/463943416990840?ref=Ls&fref=Ls

"+

AddlLlonal examples of publlc-Lo-publlc use of soclal medla lncluded:
8reezy olnL CooperaLlve Purrlcane Sandy lnformaLlon (Cfflclal) lacebook page,
Purrlcane Sandy news lacebook page,
Cceanslde, n? Purrlcane Sandy updaLes lacebook page,
Purrlcane Sandy lnfo 8ellef & 8ecovery lacebook age, and
Purrlcane Sandy 8ellef volunLeer Croup lacebook age.
1he Amer|can ked Cross
The American Red Cross Lhree-person naLlonal soclal engagemenL Leam, asslsLed by dlglLal volunLeers,
local chapLers, local volunLeers, and oLher parLners, used soclal medla Lools Lo carry ouL Lhe
organizations mission online. 1hls mlsslon lncluded helplng Lhe 8ed Cross communlLy become more
lnformed and prepared, provldlng Lhe publlc wlLh a seaL aL Lhe operaLlonal Lable, and uslng lnformaLlon
gleaned from Lhe publlc Lo help ln declslon-maklng durlng a dlsasLer.
8eLween CcLober 22 and november 30, Lhe 8ed Cross Lracked more Lhan 2 mllllon posLs for revlew,
chooslng speclflc keyword searches relevanL Lo 8ed Cross servlces, such as shelLer and emoLlonal
supporL. ln LhaL Llme frame, Lhe Leam Lagged 10,447 posLs for furLher conslderaLlon, uslng Lhe
information gleaned from the posts to populate the teams social media updates and to guide social
medla conLenL and engagemenL. 1ypes of posLs Lagged for furLher revlew lncluded:
ulrecL lnqulry Lo a 8ed Cross soclal medla accounL,
oslLlve or negaLlve experlence wlLh Lhe 8ed Cross,
CuesLlon abouL a 8ed Cross servlce/how Lo geL 8ed Cross servlces (e.g. Lmergency
communlcaLlon for mlllLary famllles, slgn up Lo glve blood, eLc.),
CommenL LhaL has (poslLlve or negaLlve) bearlng on 8ed Cross repuLaLlon,
MenLlon of a 8ed Cross campalgn (e.g. Pollday CaLalog, naLlonal reparedness MonLh),
MenLlon of a servlce LhaL ls provlded by 8ed Cross (e.g. C8 courses, eLc.),
MlslnformaLlon abouL 8ed Cross,
Any posL from a person ln a dlsasLer area who ls Lalklng abouL Lhe experlence,
Any posL from an organlzaLlon Lhe 8ed Cross closely parLners wlLh (e.g. lLMA), and
Any posL from a 8ed Cross organlzaLlon or local chapLer.
1he soclal engagemenL Leam conducLed Lhree offlclal dlglLal volunLeer Lralnlngs and cerLlfled 19
lndlvlduals Lo use lLs 8adlan6 sofLware for slLuaLlonal awareness. 1he Leam also leveraged sponLaneous
volunLeers who helped Lo respond Lo hundreds of posLs on Lhe 8ed Cross lacebook page.
Following the hurricanes landfall, 31 dlglLal volunLeers responded Lo 2,386 of Lhe revlewed posLs. ln
comparlson, only 300 posLs were revlewed afLer Purrlcane lsaac. lrom Lhe revlewed posLs, some 229
posLs were senL Lo Mass Care Leam aL naLlonal PeadquarLers, 88 resulLed ln a change ln acLlon on
ground operaLlons. 1he Amerlcan 8ed Cross also offered a Purrlcane App for boLh lhone and Androld

"*

devlce users Lo asslsL ln lndlvldual recovery.
30
1he soclal engagemenL Leam aL Lhe Amerlcan 8ed Cross
creaLed 19 dlgluCC (a slLuaLlon reporL) brlefs, lncludlng hlghllghLs from onllne conversaLlons, Loplc
Lrends, lssues and concerns, and proacLlve soclal posLs, whlch were dlsLrlbuLed dally Lo a group of
dlsasLer servlces workers and parLners.
31

1he ko|e of the Med|a, Ad noc Groups, and Ad noc Vo|unteers
1he medla, ad hoc groups, and sponLaneous volunLeers all helped Lo provlde and relay lnformaLlon Lo
and from Lhe publlc durlng Sandy. Medla ouLleLs such as Lhe PufflngLon osL provlded resources llke
SLormwaLch
32
, a map LhaL obLalned daLa from offlclal governmenL webslLes.
Several webslLes, blogs, and sponLaneous volunLeers publlshed, addressed, and correcLed rumors. lor
example, Snopes.com, a website already dedicated to correcting urban legends, folklore, myths,
rumors, and mlslnformaLlon, publlshed lnformaLlon on varlous phoLos
33
and rumors, as well as
response and recovery lnformaLlon. Some addlLlonal examples of medla, ad hoc groups and/or
volunLeer efforLs lnclude:
Wn?C.org,
Pope lor new ?ork (www.hfny.org/hurrlcane),
unAlnfo.com,
My new ?ork Legal Pelp,
34
and
lL ls ln All of us
33

AlLhough ad hoc and volunLeer groups played a slgnlflcanL role ln response and recovery efforLs and
were empowered by soclal medla Lo organlze, collecL, and share lnformaLlon and resources, Lhey also
experlenced frusLraLlon and dlfflculLles lnLeracLlng wlLh LradlLlonal response sLakeholders.
newly formed volunLeer and ad hoc groups were someLlmes unfamlllar wlLh Lhe loglsLlcs of dellverlng
resources and long-Lerm recovery efforLs and may noL have known Lhe roles and responslblllLles of local
and federal governmenLs, emergency managemenL regulaLory agencles, and uLlllLles llke lLMA, Lhe
Amerlcan 8ed Cross, vCAu, and oLhers.
ConsequenLly, ad hoc groups found lL dlfflculL Lo organlze and engage wlLh response organlzaLlons on
Lhe ground and vlrLually.
36
ln Lhe fuLure, relaLlonshlps and LrusL bullL prlor Lo Lhe onseL of a dlsasLer wlll
help Lo beLLer uLlllze volunLeer and ad hoc resources.

30
hLLp://www.emergencymgmL.com/dlsasLer/Sandy-Soclal-Medla-use-ln-ulsasLers.hLml?page=2&
31
Amerlcan 8ed Cross Purrlcane Sandy Soclal LngagemenL 8eporL, uecember 18, 2012
32
PufflngLon osL: SLormWaLch: hLLps://hpsandy.crowdmap.com/
33
Snopes.com hoLos: hLLp://www.snopes.com/phoLos/naLural/sandy.asp
34
www.mynewyorklegalhelp.com/hurrlcanesandynyasslsLance
33
hLLp://lLlslnallofus.blogspoL.com/2012/11/updaLed-111212-813am-llsL-of-fb-pages.hLml?spref=fb
36
Cld and new ulsasLer Workers Learnlng Lo Work 1ogeLher, ScoLL 8euLer: llrsL8esponder.gov -
hLLp://www.flrsLresponder.gov/l88log/osL.aspx?lu=133

""

kumor Contro| and M|s|nformat|on
1hroughouL Lhe course of Lhe sLorm, mlslnformaLlon and
docLored phoLographs clrculaLed on Lhe lnLerneL, made lL
dlfflculL Lo flnd and verlfy accuraLe lnformaLlon.
37
lor
example, several phoLos of whaL were supposedly sLorm
clouds over new ?ork ClLy made lL very dlfflculL Lo ldenLlfy
oLher phoLos LhaL were, ln facL, accuraLe and deplcLlng
whaL was happenlng on Lhe ground. lndlvlduals from
across Lhe globe began Lrylng Lo verlfy phoLos Lhrough
varlous Lechnlques, sharlng Lhelr flndlngs on blogs llke
www.lsLwlLLerwrong.Lumbler.com and re-LweeLlng Lhe
orlglnal phoLos or Lhe polnL of orlgln of Lhe real phoLo.

unforLunaLely, due Lo Lhe
vlral naLure of soclal medla
and Lhe sensaLlonallsm LhaL
ofLen accompanles a
dlsasLer, lL became dlfflculL
Lo slfL Lhrough varlous phoLos, verlfy Lhose LhaL were
accuraLe, and push correcL lnformaLlon back ouL Lo Lhe
lnLerneL.

8umors were also prevelanL across varlous soclal medla plaLforms.
ln many lnsLances, Lhese rumors were dlspelled by varlous enLlLles
acLlvely searchlng for rumors regardlng Lhelr respecLlve
organlzaLlons. See FEMAs Hurricane Sandy Rumor Control
Webs|te, be|ow. 8umor examples lncluded LhaL Lhe new ?ork
SLock Lxchange was beneaLh Lhree feeL of waLer and LhaL Ccean
ClLy, Maryland, had burned down. CLher 1wlLLer users, varlous
webslLes such as 8uzzfeed.com and Snopes.com, as well as many
governmenL agencles helped Lo call ouL such rumors as lncorrecL.

FEMAs Hurricane Sandy Rumor Control Website: ln an efforL Lo consolldaLe and correcL Lhe clrculaLlng
rumors regardlng lLs Sandy response efforLs, lLMA added a page Lo lLs webslLe, lLMA.gov. lLMA
posLed popular rumors alongslde accuraLe lnformaLlon on www.lLMA.gov/hurrlcane-sandy-rumor-
conLrol ln an aLLempL Lo dlspel lnaccuracles and encourage reposLlng of accuraLe conLenL. A green check

37
AddlLlonal lnformaLlon and examples of phoLos and efforLs Lo correcL:
hLLp://lsLwlLLerwrong.Lumblr.com/posL/34363249044/ls-LhaL-really-a-plcLure-of-hurrlcane-sandy-
descendlng

"#

mark, placed nexL Lo a posL, lndlcaLed LhaL Lhe lnformaLlon was correcL, whereas a red x indicated that
Lhe lnformaLlon was lncorrecL. AccuraLe lnformaLlon ofLen lncluded llnks Lo exLernal sources for
addlLlonal lnformaLlon. Some of Lhe rumors LhaL were dlspelled (or verlfled) on Lhe slLe concerned:
8rldge fallures,
Lack of crlLlcal resources, such as waLer,
LocaLlon of shelLers and oLher supporL,
Pow Lo volunLeer for recovery efforLs,
aymenL for recovery efforLs and hlrlng opporLunlLles, and
SLaLus of recovery efforLs.

CovernmenL agencles someLlmes have Lo manage a hlgh volume of mlslnformaLlon and rumors
LhroughouL Lhe course of emergency evenLs, whlch can be dlfflculL glven llmlLed resources. ln Sandy,
Lhe publlc, Lhe medla, and dlglLal volunLeersboLh ad hoc and offlclalenhanced Lhese efforLs
organlcally by seeklng ouL lnaccuraLe phoLos and rumors and locaLlng, sharlng, and dlssemlnaLlng
accuraLe lnformaLlon.
A|ternat|ve Ut|||zat|on of r|vate kesources and artnersh|ps
lollowlng Sandy, Lhe demand for renLal and Lemporary houslng lncreased dramaLlcally, however, Lhe
means Lo easlly connecL Lhose ln need wlLh Lhose hoplng Lo provlde houslng resources dld noL yeL exlsL.
1he u.S. Pouslng and urban uevelopmenL Agency (Puu), ln con[uncLlon wlLh Lhe WhlLe Pouse Cfflce of
Sclence and 1echnology ollcy, worked wlLh varlous Lech companlesdeLalled belowLo develop
lnnovaLlve soluLlons.
38

Angies List (www.ang|es||st.com)
Angies List is a website where individuals can search for information on local businesses and post
raLlngs, revlews, and deals Lo be seen by oLhers. Following Sandy, Angies List provided free one-year
membershlps Lo 1,000 homeowners wlLhln Lhe 1rl-SLaLe area. 1he slLe also launched a Sandy recovery
page provldlng safeLy Llps, noLes on posslble scams, lmporLanL conLacL lnformaLlon, lnformaLlon on
avallable resources and homeowners insurance, and more.
39

A|rbnb.com
Alrbnb ls an onllne markeLplace connecLlng Lhose wlLh accommodaLlons wlLh Lhose who are looklng for
a place Lo sLay.
40
AfLer Sandy, Lhe WhlLe Pouse reached ouL Lo Alrbnb for asslsLance. 1he webslLe flrsL
walved reglsLraLlon fees for anyone ln Lhe affecLed reglon and Lhen creaLed a free Sandy webslLe Lo help
connecL Lhose needlng houslng wlLh avallable accommodaLlons.

38
hLLp://blog.hud.gov/lndex.php/2012/11/30/hud-parLners-plLch-famllles-flnd-houslng-hurrlcane-
sandy/
39
hLLp://www.anglesllsL.com/weaLher-proLecLlon/sLorm-recovery.hLm
40
hLLps://www.alrbnb.com/help/quesLlon/hosLlng/1

"$

As of november 30, 2012, more Lhan 1,330 people used Alrbnb Lo offer free llvlng space Lo Lhose
dlsplaced by Sandy. AlLhough Lhls efforL was successful, fuLure evenLs may requlre addlLlonal sLeps ln
order Lo achleve slmllar success, Lhese sLeps lnclude:
LsLabllshlng a relaLlonshlp wlLh onllne provlders and local communlLy parLners beforehand, as
well as conducLlng ouLreach Lo local communlLles Lo ensure famlllarlLy wlLh Lhe resource,
lnvolvlng sLaLe and local response agencles Lo help address local regulaLlons LhaL do noL allow
for occupanLs Lo renL ouL Lhelr bedrooms uslng Lhe Alrbnb.com plaLform, and
rovldlng access Lo resource and houslng webslLes llke Lhese and oLhers aL u8Cs Lo promoLe Lhe
awareness and use of alLernaLlve plaLforms and houslng.
SeeC||ckI|x.com
SeeCllckllx parLnered wlLh varlous medla enLlLles, such as 8osLon.com and Lhe PufflngLon osL,
41
Lo
enable lndlvlduals Lo reporL lssues afLer Sandy. lndlvlduals reporLed lssues such as power ouLages,
downed Lrees, floodlng, losL peLs, need for emergency supplles, and more. SeeCllckllx publlshed Lhese
reporLs vlsually on a map and provlded Lhem Lo Lhe local auLhorlLles. More Lhan 800 reporLs of downed
Lrees, flooded roads, and oLher sLorm-relaLed concerns were logged across 8osLon, hlladelphla, new
Paven, WashlngLon, u.C., and oLher munlclpallLles across Lhe reglon beLween Monday afLernoon,
CcLober 29, and mldday 1uesday, CcLober 30.
42

Wa|kScore.com
Walk Score, a webslLe where people can search for houslng based on commuLe Llme for varlous modes
of LranslL, launched a webslLe Lo supporL Lhose ln search of Lemporary houslng afLer Sandy. lndlvlduals
could enLer Lhe preferred mode of LranslL as well as Lhe address Lo whlch Lhey commuLed, and recelved
resulLs of aparLmenLs avallable for renL wlLhln Lhe chosen Llme perlod and/or LranslL preference.

41
hLLp://www.hufflngLonposL.com/2012/10/29/reporL-hurrlcane-sandy-lssues_n_2038138.hLml
42
hLLp://seecllckflx.blogspoL.com/2012/10/bloombergbuslnessweek-Lalks-seecllckflx.hLml

"%

Maps and Crowd-Sourced Informat|on
ulsplaylng daLa on maps can be an enormous help Lo
emergency response professlonals, provldlng slLuaLlonal
awareness wlLh regard Lo weaLher, key resources and
personnel, Lhelr locaLlon, and more. Soclal medla
provlde a relaLlvely new source of daLa LhaLwhen
dlsplayed geographlcallycan help Lo enhance real-Llme
slLuaLlonal awareness.
ln Lhe fall of 2011, Purrlcane lrene made landfall on Lhe
norLheasL coasL. A few agencles, already uslng llve daLa
wlLhln a mapplng envlronmenL, began lncludlng LweeLs from response agencles wlLhln Lhe lmpacL zone
as an addlLlonal daLa layer.
43
1he lnformaLlon collecLed from soclal medla (or crowd-sourced daLa),
however, lmposed a speclflc concern, Lhe lnformaLlon was noL veLLed or verlfled and Lherefore was noL
used for more Lhan lnformaLlonal purposes.
ln Sandy, however, Lhe degree Lo whlch Lhe publlc Lurned Lo soclal medla for communlcaLlonwheLher
Lo plead for lnformaLlon, help, or offer lLwas so greaL LhaL Lhe beneflL of uslng Lhls resource became
Loo greaL Lo lgnore. Several volunLeer groups helped Lo develop and provlde daLa for maps from soclal
medla channels. 1hls lnformaLlon helped provlde slLuaLlonal awareness boLh Lo Lhe publlc and Lo
response offlclals. 1he Coogle Crlsls Map (above) ls one such map, buL Lhere were many oLher mapplng
lnlLlaLlves lnvolvlng mulLlple parLners, nonproflL organlzaLlons, and volunLeers, vlsuallzlng a varleLy of
daLa, lncludlng Lhe lnformaLlon lmmedlaLely below (Lhese layers were lncluded speclflcally ln Lhe Coogle
Crlsls Map):
uamage AssessmenLs,
1rafflc CondlLlons,
Local Lmergency 1wlLLer feeds,
lLMA ulsasLer ueclared Areas,
Crowd AssessmenLs,
ower CuLage lnformaLlon, LocaLlon, and AvallablllLy of Cas,
Sandy-relaLed ?ou1ube vldeos,
Senlor Servlces,
volunLeers needed,
uonaLlons needed,
Careglver SupporL,
ShelLers and 8ecovery CenLers,
WeaLher 8adar, and
8oad CondlLlons and Lmergency AlerLs.

43
hLLp://www.LhehomelandsecurlLyblog.com/2011/09/23/engaglng-clLlzens-Lhe-rlghL-way-governmenL-
uses-LwlLLer-durlng-hurrlcane-lrene/

"&

Cr|s|s Commons
Cn november 2, 2012, CrlslsCommons recelved a call from Lhe WhlLe Pouse asklng for asslsLance. 1he
requesL and efforL focused on collecLlng and gaLherlng lnformaLlon on varlous gas maps, buL more
speclflcally Lo:
ldenLlfy lnformaLlon for dlsplaylng on maps,
Look for open sLandards Lo connecL and share lnformaLlon on maps,
CreaLe maps and collaboraLe wlLh oLher groups,
CreaLe a compleLe gas map sLory,
8eporL and valldaLe map lnformaLlon from Lhe publlc, and
ueLermlne how Lhe vlrLual communlLy could conLrlbuLe Lo Lhese lnlLlaLlves.

CrlslsCommons and oLhers used Packpad.com Lo collaboraLe, bulld requlremenLs, and dlscuss
operaLlons.
44
lL also worked wlLh LS8l and oLhers Lo creaLe a map of gas sLaLlon locaLlons and
avallablllLy of gas.
43
Andrew 1urner of LS8l helped Lo galn access Lo lnfrasLrucLure groups who could
provlde llsLs of gas sLaLlons over a large reglon. AddlLlonal lnformaLlon, gaLhered Lhrough
crowdsourclng efforLs, was also lncluded. ClLlzens wlLhouL daLa access were able Lo reporL gas sLaLlon
sLaLus on 1wlLLer by LexLlng uS shorL code: 40404 wlLh Lhe address of Lhe gas sLaLlon, lncludlng #flndgas,
#nycgas, or #nogas. Crlsls Commons coordlnaLed wlLh oLher mapplng efforLs, lncludlng Lhe lMSCClC
46

gas sLaLlon map, Casbuddy, and hLLp://mappler.neL/gassLaLlon.
Mary|and Lmergency Management Agency keport|ng Map and numan|ty koad
1he Maryland Lmergency ManagemenL Agency (MLMA) launched a crowdmap on CcLober 31, 2012, ln
order Lo collecL slLuaLlonal awareness from Lhe publlc on Lhe lmpacLs of Lhe sLorm, lL also requesLed
help from PumanlLy 8oad Lo supporL Lhe efforL.
Coals were clearly ldenLlfled and asslgned, PumanlLy
8oad was Lasked Lo:
ldenLlfy vulnerable areas ln Lhe sLaLe noL
recelvlng help,
MonlLor unsafe condlLlons, such as flooded
roads, lnfrasLrucLure damage, fallen Lrees,
eLc., and
ldenLlfy lf Lhe resource (Lhe map) would be
valuable ln Lhe fuLure.

44
hLLps://hackpad.com/A1x11CLAPpS#hurrlcanesandy-gasmap-pro[ecLs
43
hLLp://a[Lurner.glLhub.com/gasmap/
46
Scholars Crganlzlng CulLurally lnnovaLlve CpporLunlLles (lMSCClC) hLLp://www.lmsoclo.org/

"'

WlLhln 48 hours of launchlng Lhe crowdmap, PumanlLy 8oad produced Lhe resulLs and MLMA
dlsengaged Lhe map. 1he pre-exlsLlng relaLlonshlp beLween Lhe sLaLe agency and Lhe nonproflL group
enabled effecLlve coordlnaLlon Lo occur qulckly and efflclenLly.
47

C|v|| A|r atro| Damage Assessments
48

lLMA, ln parLnershlp wlLh Lhe Clvll Alr aLrol (CA), and
Lhe 8eadlness, 8esponse, 8ecovery (83) Leam from Lhe
naLlonal CeospaLlal lnLelllgence Agency (nCA), enllsLed
onllne volunLeers, lncludlng Lhe Crlsls Mappers and
CpenSLreeLMaps Leams, Lo conducL aerlal damage
assessmenLs. volunLeers were asked Lo vlsually revlew
aerlal lmages collecLed by CA and Lo asslgn damage
assessmenL raLlngs. 8y november 4, 2012, more Lhan
4,000 onllne volunLeers were acLlvely asslsLlng ln Lhls
efforL.
Ia|rfax County, V|rg|n|a
49

lor years, lalrfax CounLy has asked Lhe publlc Lo reporL whaL ls happenlng Lhrough soclal medla and
LradlLlonal Lools. As Lhe poLenLlal large lmpacLs of Sandy approached, however, lalrfax CounLy declded
Lo consolldaLe all soclal publlc reporLs lnLo one sysLem, whlch led Lo lalrfax CounLy's use of a crowdmap.
1he crowdmap consolldaLed all of Lhe requesLed lnformaLlon from Lhe publlc, whlch Lhe counLy would
publlsh on soclal plaLforms ln one place for a common
operaLlng plcLure LhaLalLhough noL
comprehenslvepresenLed selecLed valuable
lnformaLlon. 1he crowdmap was lnLended Lo:
ConsolldaLe 1ell us WhaL ?ou See reporLs,
Serve as a plloL Lo collecL a sample of daLa
from a real lncldenL,
ueploy as a "base" map, meanlng many
feaLures a crowd map offers were Lurned off,
and
noL serve as a way Lo reporL llfe-LhreaLenlng
needs, dlsclalmers were publlshed LhaL people sLlll musL call 911 for
emergencles or Lhe counLy's non-emergency number Lo reporL
publlc safeLy lssues.

47
Soclal Medla & Crlsls lnformaLlon ManagemenL for Lhe Lmergency ManagemenL rofesslonal
Crowdmaps & Crowdsourced lnfo, PumanlLy 8oad.
48
More lnformaLlon avallable aL lLMA Lessons Learned lnformaLlon Sharlng, LLlS.gov
49
hLLp://falrfaxcounLyemergency.wordpress.com/caLegory/hurrlcanes/hurrlcane-sandy/

"(

1hough Lhe sLorm dld noL affecL lalrfax CounLy as badly as some had anLlclpaLed, Lhe publlc dld submlL
111 reporLs across four caLegorles: no power, Lrees down, flooded road, and Lrafflc llghL ouL.
Crowdmap.com has a number of useful feaLures, such as leLLlng users approve reporLs for publlcaLlon.
1he counLy publlshed all buL a handful of reporLs (because Lhey belonged Lo oLher nelghborlng
[urlsdlcLlons). 1he counLy dld noL verlfy reporLs, Lhough, whlch ls anoLher feaLure of Lhe Lool. 1hls plloL
experlence of a crowdmap was helpful for lalrfax CounLy Lo LesL Lhls new Lool, learn abouL lLs sLrengLhs
and shorLcomlngs, and bulld on lL for fuLure selecLlve deploymenLs.
Add|t|ona| Mapp|ng Lfforts
30

CovernmenL agencles, nonproflL organlzaLlons, and volunLeers consLrucLed several addlLlonal
crowdsourced maps, lncludlng:
Cas SLaLlons: hLLp://mappler.neL/gassLaLlon/
n?C-speclflc Coogle map: hLLp://google.org/crlslsmap/2012-sandy-nyc
vermonL 8esponse Crowdmap: hLLps://vLresponse.crowdmap.com/
uC Crlsls Camp Map: hLLps://sandydc.crowdmap.com/
#n?8esponds
31
Co-Worklng Map
SLaLen lsland Purrlcane Sandy 8ecovery Map
Purrlcane Sandy CommunlcaLlons Map
W?nC Purrlcane Zone Map
W?nC 1ranslL Llnes Map
Cha||enges to Crowdsourc|ng
1hroughouL Lhe course of Lhe response and lnLo recovery, several challenges regardlng crowdsourclng
efforLs requlred furLher conslderaLlon. lor example, several enLlLleslncludlng governmenL, nonproflLs,
ad hoc and volunLeer groups, and lndlvldualsdeveloped crowdmaps. Whlle many of Lhese crowdmaps
provlded addlLlonal slLuaLlonal awareness of avallable resources, slLuaLlonal assessmenLs, eLc.,
dupllcaLlon of efforL resulLed because groups dld noL collaboraLe or coordlnaLe Lhelr efforLs. luLure
crowdmapplng efforLs need Lo conslder engaglng volunLeers Lo help search and dlscover exlsLlng efforLs
as well as bulld relaLlonshlps and plan for fuLure evenLs. reposlLlonlng Lechnologles and/or volunLeer
groups and provldlng a means for collaboraLlon wlll help lncrease coordlnaLlon and reduce dupllcaLlon
of efforL.

30
AddlLlonal llsL of Purrlcane Sandy Maps:
hLLps://docs.google.com/spreadsheeL/ccc?key=0Ap2xx997lqZdl81WvCw?[vmd1hnM043MLd1emu4
u2c#gld=0
31
hLLp://nyLechresponds.wordpress.com/abouL/

")

1LCnNCLCG, kCCLSS, AND CLIC GAS kLUIkING IUk1nLk DISCUSSICN
Sandy represenLs a slgnlflcanL advancemenL ln Lhe use of soclal medla for publlc safeLy. Powever,
several challenges, quesLlons, and unmeL or unLesLed needs remaln. lurLher research, Lechnology
developmenL and assessmenL, dlscusslon, parLnershlps, and addlLlonal fundlng and clarlflcaLlon of pollcy
and process are needed before many of Lhese unmeL or unLesLed needs can be addressed.
1hrough ldenLlflcaLlon and analysls of how soclal medla were used ln Sandy, varlous gaps ln Lechnology,
process, and/or pollcy have been ldenLlfled. 1hese gaps, ranglng ln scope, ownershlp, and depLh have
been caLegorlzed below, accordlng Lo common Lhemes.
Ma[or 1hemes 1echno|ogy, rocess, and]or o||cy Gaps
8|g Data
ulscoverablllLy of lnformaLlon, resources, and efforLs
SLandardlzaLlon of nomenclaLure for daLa sharlng
Cross-walklng for daLa sharlng
ldenLlflcaLlon of cross-uLlllzaLlon opporLunlLles (e.g., same daLa
source for mulLlple deploymenL efforLs)
ulscoverablllLy and lnLegraLlon of publlc works and prlvaLe secLor
daLa (sLandard and llve)
ManagemenL of lnformaLlon, lncludlng valldaLlon and veLLlng
Comp||ance and
kequ|rements
Compllance of exlsLlng and new soluLlons wlLh appllcable laws,
regulaLlons, and oLher requlremenLs
uevelopmenL of new compllance and/or requlremenLs
Iund|ng
lundlng for sLafflng, surge supporL, Lechnology soluLlons, Lralnlng,
exerclses, program developmenL, eLc.
Standards, 1ra|n|ng, and
Gu|dance
uevelopmenL of sLandards for:
! Level of servlce (provlded by response organlzaLlon)
! Level of servlce (provlded by Lechnology soluLlon)
! MeLhod of coordlnaLlon (response organlzaLlons and
parLners)
! 1ralnlng maLerlals
! SLandards of use
! ConLlnulLy of operaLlons
lnLegraLlon of soclal medla wlLhln lncldenL command sLrucLure and
emergency operaLlons cenLer proLocol
uevelopmenL of guldance on besL pracLlces and sLandards
1ralnlng on guldance, besL pracLlces, and sLandards
o||cy and rocess
rocess for enabllng collaboraLlon beLween ad hoc or nonsLandard
Lechnology parLners and governmenL enLlLles
rocess for uslng nonsLandard resources and/or soluLlons
rocess and ablllLy for preposlLlonlng and/or pre-deploylng
Lechnology soluLlons ln preparaLlon for slow-onseL evenL

#+

AblllLy Lo empower and/or acLlvaLe nonLradlLlonal parLner groups Lo
supporL response efforLs
rovlslon of lnformaLlon and guldance Lo nongovernmenLal,
nonproflL, and nonLradlLlonal supporL on governmenL
requlremenLs, pollcles, procedures, and avallable resources
lncluslon of soclal medla ln exlsLlng communlcaLlons and Lechnology
pollcles and mandaLes
uevelopmenL of fundlng and/or supporL Lo open source
developmenL
artnersh|ps
ldenLlflcaLlon of roles, responslblllLles, and proLocol for
collaboraLlon beLween governmenL and nonLradlLlonal parLners
uevelopmenL of credenLlallng for nonLradlLlonal parLners and ad
hoc volunLeers
rovlslon of means Lo enhance awareness of nongovernmenLal,
nonproflL, and nonLradlLlonal supporL response efforLs and
resources (Lo reduce dupllcaLlon of servlce and efforL)
uevelopmenL of parLnershlps among Lechnology provlders and
pracLlLloners Lo ldenLlfy Lechnology requlremenLs or necessary
updaLes Lo exlsLlng Lechnology soluLlons
1echno|ogy, 1oo|s and
Ieatures
lacebook acLlvlLy feed algorlLhm and vlslblllLy of posLs
1wlLLer bandwldLh and updaLe llmlLs
Pardware (baLLery power/elecLrlclLy for moblle, eLc.)
AblllLy Lo LargeL speclflc demographlcs and/or geographlc polnLs
lnLegraLlon of soclal medla wlLhln 911, 311, and 211
AblllLy Lo publlsh messaglng across mulLlple plaLforms
slmulLaneously
AblllLy Lo malnLaln flexlblllLy wlLh Lechnology advances
8esource and ald maLchlng
CCNCLUSICN
Sandy marks a shlfL ln how soclal medla ls now used for preparedness, response, and recovery Lo
dlsasLers, Lhe publlc, governmenL agencles, and response organlzaLlons now Lurn Lo soclal medla more
Lhan ever. WlLh Lhls shlfL, however, come new Lechnologles, new behavlors, and new challenges. 1hls
documenL ldenLlfled varlous gaps ln Lechnology, process, and pollcy, Lhese gaps wlll requlre furLher
dlscusslon ln order Lo enhance fuLure response and collaboraLlon efforLs.


#*

CASL S1UD: NLW Ckk CI1
new ?ork ClLy serves as an excellenL case sLudy ln how soclal medla can beneflL governmenL, response
parLners, and Lhe publlc before, durlng, and afLer an emergency. Slnce Purrlcane lrene ln Lhe fall of
2011, new ?ork ClLy has leveraged soclal medla for a varleLy of purposes, enabling the citys services,
offlces, and deparLmenLs Lo engage and lnform Lhe publlc Lhrough dlglLal means (e.g., lacebook,
1wlLLer, ?ou1ube). In fact, since Irene, most of the citys services, offices, and departments have gone
dlglLal ln some form.
Larly on, leadershlp supporL played a crlLlcal parL ln drlvlng accepLance of Lhls growlng dlglLal culLure.
Mayor 8loomberg promoLed Lhe new ?ork Citys social media profiles, mentioning them at press
conferences and across oLher channels. Between Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, the Citys social media
presence grew, aLLracLlng nearly 3 mllllon followers across all of New York Citys accounLs. As of !anuary
2013, new ?ork ClLy malnLalns more Lhan 300
soclal medla channels.
ln addlLlon Lo managlng n?C.gov, Lhe ClLy
malnLalns numerous channels, lncludlng,
lacebook pages, lllckr, Coogle+, 1umblr, 1wlLLer
(ln boLh Lngllsh and Spanlsh), and ?ou1ube.
1hese channels are each owned and operaLed by
varlous clLy agencles and deparLmenLs and
malnLalned lndependenLly by nearly 200 soclal
medla managers, with support from the Mayors
offlce, from whlch guldance and besL pracLlces
are provlded Lo encourage conLlnued use.
1hroughouL response and recovery Lo Sandy, Lhese soclal medla channels provlded Lhe ClLy wlLh Lhe
means Lo share lnformaLlon ln varlous formaLs, enabllng Lhe publlc Lo flnd and consume lnformaLlon as
preferred.
Throughout the storm, NYC Digital, a part of the Mayors Office of
Medla and LnLerLalnmenL, monlLored soclal medla for publlc
reacLlons Lo Lhe sLorm, sendlng dally reporLs Lo ClLy Pall. CuesLlons
asked on 1wlLLer were responded Lo dlrecLly, and the Citys Tumblr
accounL and lacebook page publlshed lnformaLlon from each press
conference. 1he publlc could slgn up Lo recelve LexL alerLs from Lhe
Mayors Office Twitter account, @n?CMayorsCfflce, whlch served as
an alLernaLlve dlglLal resource to the Citys website, once people lost
power and lnLerneL access.

#"

Soc|a| Med|a Lmergency rotoco|
ln 2011, afLer lrene, Lhe ClLy esLabllshed a Soclal Medla Lmergency roLocol. 1hls documenL ls assessed
perlodlcally and updaLed as necessary, revlewed by ClLy Pall and Lhe ClLy communlcaLlons Leams, and
senL Lo all soclal medla managers Lo ensure Lhelr famlllarlLy wlLh Lhe process. 1he Soclal Medla
Lmergency roLocol ls a clear and conclse documenL, requlrlng LhaL all messages senL ouL durlng a
dlsasLer be approved by ClLy Pall. 1he documenL provldes a llsL of slx or seven approvers (for conLlnulLy
purposes) and remlnds Lhe soclal medla managers LhaL any message senL from Lhe maln ClLy accounL
([n?Cgov on 1wlLLer) can be reLweeLed or shared wlLhouL approval. 1he documenL also offers
dlrecLlon on Lhe Lone of volce requlred of all messages (auLhorlLaLlve buL calm), and grammaLlcal
conslderaLlons (e.g., no caplLal leLLers for emphasls and no exclamaLlon polnLs). 1he documenL remlnds
all soclal medla managers Lo remove any scheduled LweeLs, Lo ensure LhaL all messages provlded durlng
an emergency are sLandardlzed, approprlaLe, and appllcable Lo Lhe evenL aL hand.
SMAk1 (Soc|a| Med|a Adv|sory kesearch 1askforce)
lollowlng lrene, Lhe ClLy developed SMA81, Lhe Soclal Medla Advlsory and 8esearch 1askforce, a group
of 13 people from varlous agencles across new ?ork City who are considered to be social media rock
sLars. Slnce lrene, Lhls group has meL once a monLh Lo revlew besL pracLlces and guldance documenLs
llke Lhe Lmergency roLocol. Cnce a documenL ls revlewed, lL ls placed on Lhe ClLy lnLraneL so LhaL lL ls
accesslble Lo all ClLy employees.
ln Sandy, soclal medla and dlglLal resources were critical to the Citys ability to manage its public
communlcaLlons efforLs durlng Lhe sLorm and ln Lhe weeks of recovery.
8efore the Storm
1he lrlday before Sandy made landfall, Lhe ClLy senL Lhe Lmergency
roLocol ouL Lo all soclal medla managers and
remlnded everyone Lo malnLaln a slngular volce,
originating from the Mayors office, across all City
agencles and deparLmenLs. 1he ClLy had numerous
communlcaLlon channels lncludlng n?C.gov, 80
dlfferenL lacebook pages, lllckr, Coogle, PooLSulLe,
1umblr, 1wlLLer (ln boLh Lngllsh and Spanlsh), and
?ou1ube.


##

Cpen Data: App||cat|ons |n kesponse
1hroughouL Lhe sLorm, n?C ulglLal, a subsldlary of Lhe
Mayors Office, monitored social media for public
reacLlons Lo Lhe sLorm, sendlng dally reporLs Lo ClLy
Pall, whlch funcLloned as Lhe hub for all ClLy
deparLmenLs and agencles, fllLerlng lnformaLlon back
and forLh across Lhe ClLy. 1he ClLy also used lacebook
Lo posL summarles and crlLlcal polnLs from each press
conference. Lach press conference was llve-LweeLed, and a summary blog wlLh a relevanL phoLo was
posLed Lo 1umblr as well.
In response to long wait times on the Citys
lnformaLlon llne (311), many lndlvlduals LweeLed Lhe
ClLy lnsLead. Many of Lhelr quesLlons were answered
dlrecLly on 1wlLLer, any lnformaLlon noL already
lncluded on ClLy proflles was summarlzed and
published on the Citys Tumblr account so that others
could access Lhe lnformaLlon. 1he 1umblr accounL also
lncluded summarlzed accounLs of every press
conference, Lhls lnformaLlon was also publlshed Lo Lhe
lacebook pages.
When a member of Lhe publlc shared lnformaLlon regardlng resources or help needed, LhaL lnformaLlon
was pushed dlrecLly Lo ClLy Pall, where Lhe lnformaLlon was Lhen veLLed and senL Lo Lhe approprlaLe
auLhorlLy. AddlLlonally, all ClLy agencles were asked Lo provlde hourly updaLes vla a cenLral e-mall
accounL. 1hese updaLes also were senL Lo ClLy Pall.
ub||c]r|vate artnersh|ps
1he ClLy of new ?ork has developed and malnLalned relaLlonshlps wlLh several companles and was able
Lo leverage Lhese relaLlonshlps ln supporL of response efforLs.
Goog|e: Coogle lnLegraLed n?C open daLa made avallable Lhrough appllcaLlon program
lnLerfaces (Als) wlLh Lhe crlsls map developed by Lhe Coogle Crlsls 1eam. 1hls map lncluded
lnformaLlon on evacuaLlon zones, shelLers, food dlsLrlbuLlon cenLers, warmlng cenLers, recovery
shelLers, gas sLaLlons, and recovery asslsLance cenLers.
1w|tter: 1wlLLer donaLed promoLed LweeLs for [n?CMayorsCfflce, enabllng selecLed LweeLs Lo
appear aL Lhe Lop of search resulLs and Llmellnes.
nootSu|te: PooLSulLe ls Lhe plaLform used across all n?C deparLmenLs and agencles Lo posL and
monlLor lnformaLlon across mulLlple soclal medla proflles and accounLs. PooLSulLe helped
ensure everyone was Lralned Lo use lLs plaLform approprlaLely and asslsLed ln reporLlng meLrlcs.

#$

Vo|unteer]Independent: lndependenL Lechnology and medla organlzaLlons such as
www.Wn?C.org and the New York Times developed additional interactive maps using the Citys
daLa Lo LargeL or accommodaLe speclflc needs. 1hese maps were essenLlal ln Lhe response, Lhelr
existence extended access to the Citys data and helped to alleviate some of the burden from
the Citys websites when online traffic surged. 1he ClLy was able Lo dlrecL Lhe publlc Lo mulLlple
slLes feaLurlng Lhe same lnformaLlon, knowlng Lhe daLa were up-Lo-daLe and accuraLe because
Lhey were coming from the Citys APIs.
App||cat|ons |n kecovery
1o hlghllghL recovery efforLs across Lhe ClLy, Lhe ress
Cfflce and n?C Servlce worked wlLh n?C ulglLal Lo creaLe a
clLywlde lllckr album Lo hosL phoLos relaLlng Lo Sandy
rellef work.
ClLy employees ln Lhe fleld could emall phoLos dlrecLly
from a smarLphone Lo a slngle emall accounL LhaL would
auLomaLlcally upload Lhe phoLo Lo Lhe lllckr album. More
Lhan 300 phoLos were uploaded ln one week. 1he ClLy
dlrecLed Lhe medla Lo Lhe album for lnformaLlon and
phoLographs from Lhe ground.
The Citys Facebook page lncluded phoLos of n?C Servlce
volunLeers and lncluded Lhe n?C Servlce webslLe wlLhln
Lhe lacebook page Lhrough an llrame. 1he lacebook page
also summarlzed crlLlcal polnLs from each of Lhe mayors
press conferences.
D|g|ta| keach and Metr|cs
The Citys total digital reach (reach across all
dlglLal channels) as of november 9 was
2,783,806 people. AddlLlonally, Lhe ClLy
reporLed Lhe followlng:
- n?C.gov had 4 mllllon unlque
vlslLors and 16 mllllon page vlews,
- 1he ClLy senL over 2,000 LweeLs,
- AL lLs peak, Lhe lacebook page reach was 322,338 people,
- 1he ClLy galned 176,010 new followers across all soclal medla proflles,
- All press conferences were broadcasL llve and avallable on ?ou1ube, mayoral press conference
vldeos had nearly 1 mllllon hlLs,
- 1he ClLy aggregaLed more Lhan 300 phoLos on lllckr, and

#%

- @NYCgov, the Citys Twitter profile used for direct engagement with the public, responded to
more Lhan 273 quesLlons, lncludlng 311 requesLs, volunLeer and donaLlon opporLunlLles, and
more.
Mayor 8loomberg has encouraged promoLlng few polnLs of conLacL, Lhereby, slmpllfylng Lhe Lask of
flndlng crlLlcal lnformaLlon. 1hese conLacL polnLs lnclude 311, one ClLy conLacL number, and one
webslLe (www.n?C.gov). Cn Lhe Citys website, the homepage is updated to reflect information
menLloned durlng press conferences, as ldenLlcal messages are publlshed across soclal medla
channels. lncldenLally, Lhe Citys website experienced a significantly high bounce rate durlng Sandy,
meanlng LhaL site visitors arrived on the sites homepage and left the site shortly thereafter.
Typically, a high bounce rate indicates that a websites homepage is not what was expected by a site
vlslLor, resulLlng ln slLe Lrafflc arrlvlng on Lhe homepage and lmmedlaLely leavlng due Lo lack of
conLenL, lnLeresL, or oLher. ln an emergency, however, a hlgh bounce raLe may be a good Lhlng,
lndlcaLlng LhaL Lhe lnformaLlon soughL by slLe vlslLors was qulckly ascerLalned. 1hls posslblllLy ls
supporLed by Lhe average Llme spenL on Lhe slLe: lndlvlduals vlslLlng n?C.gov spenL on average only
2.3 mlnuLes vlewlng slLe conLenL, suggesLlng LhaL soughL conLenL was easlly and qulckly found.


#&

ALNDIk A: IAIkIAk CCUN1 [VA] GUIDANCL 1C GCVLkNMLN1 Ak1NLkS
Lma|| sent from D|rector of Commun|cat|ons]Io|nt Informat|on Center Coord|nator, Ia|rfax County
Government, as gu|dance to county department and agency soc|a| med|a pub||shers.
coooty soclol meJlo pobllsbets,

1be Offlce of lobllc Affolts wlll be stoffloq the Emergency Operations Centers Joint Information Center
lotet tbls weekeoJ ooJ we'te keeploq oo eye oo soclol meJlo tlqbt oow.

Under the countys Emergency Operations Plan, OPA coordinates all emergency communications,
locloJloq soclol meJlo. 8oseJ oo lopot ooJ post expetleoces, l've cteoteJ some mote speclflc qolJelloes
tbot l bope yoo wlll floJ belpfol totbet tboo o mote qeoetlc messoqe lo ptlot octlvotloos.

Heres what we need you to do regarding social media and #smem when the JIC is activated:

1. let os koow lf yoo wlll bove stoff ovolloble to pobllsb to locebook ooJ/ot 1wlttet so we koow
whether your accounts will be active or not. Please give us a general timeframe that youll be
stoffloq ooJ bow we coo cootoct stoff, too. cootoct os by emoll llsteJ below.

2. If you have information thats clearly in your lane and you are confident its accurate and wont
coofllct wltb lofotmotloo we bove lo tbe Oc, tbeo qo obeoJ ooJ pobllsb to soclol meJlo ooJ
otbet plotfotms. lf tbete ls ooy Joobt, tbeo yoo most cbeck lo wltb Ilc stoff to qet lofo vetlfleJ. lf
lt's exttemely ctltlcol lofotmotloo, pleose olso cootoct os Jltectly to let os koow lo cose we mlss
yoot posts/tweets. cootoct os by emoll llsteJ below.

J. lf someooe ptovlJes yoo wltb ooy llfe sofety lofotmotloo, teocb oot to os A5Al so we coo sbote
tbot lofo wltb tbe Oc. cootoct os by emoll llsteJ below.

4. lf yoo tecelve poestloos beyooJ yoot speclflc looe, yoo most cbeck lo wltb Ilc stoff fot o
cootJlooteJ ooswet. cootoct os by emoll llsteJ below.

5. lleose locebook 5bote ot ketweet oot lofotmotloo to yoot foos/followets os oeeJeJ.

6. lf yoo ose locebook, tbeo post o messoqe to yoot foos to follow loltfox coooty Covetomeot
pleose ose locebook toqs to tefeteoce tbe molo coooty occooot.

7. Oo locebook, tty to oplooJ pbotos os mocb os posslble to locteose eoqoqemeot wltb yoot posts.

8. lf yoo ose 1wlttet, pleose occoslooolly tefeteoce foltfoxcoooty to yoot followets fot complete
lofo.


#'

9. we ote ttyloq to ose o coooty-speclflc bosbtoq oo 1wlttet -- #ffxstotm -- pleose locloJe lt lo yoot
tweets lf spoce petmlts.

10. oo most ptovlJe osoble cooteot to yoot soclol meJlo foos. fot exomples, lloks to webpoqes, oot
luls ooless obsolotely oecessoty.

11. If you are announcing building closures, dont forget your agency must ootlfy OM, too.

12. We need you to be flexible. All incidents evolve over time and we may need to change how were
osloq soclol meJlo ftom sttoteqlc ooJ toctlcol posltloos.

1J. we tesetve tbe tlqbt to post messoqes oo yoot poqes os yoot occooot os tbe loclJeot ptoqtesses.

14. 1o cootoct os oboot ooytbloq teqotJloq soclol meJlo (wbetbet llsteJ obove ot oot), pleose seoJ
oo emoll to oot emetqeocy lobox (oot to me petsooolly os sblfts wlll cbooqe).


#(

ALNDIk 8: ILMA GUIDANCL 1C ILDLkAL AGLNCILS kLGAkDING SAND
WL8SI1L S1ANDAkDI2A1ICN

Irom: Parmon, MaLLhew
Sent: Wednesday, CcLober 31, 2012 3:22 M
Sub[ect: Purrlcane Sandy - Web 8esponse
Importance: Plgh
er Lmergency Support Iunct|on 1S (LSl-13) of Lhe naLlonal 8esponse lramework, Lhe Iedera|
Lmergency Management Agency (lLMA) ls lssulng Lhe followlng guldance for a|| U.S. government
agency webs|tes. AuLhorlzlng offlclal: !esslca SmlLh, ulrecLor of LxLernal Affalrs, lederal Lmergency
ManagemenL Agency
AL Lhls polnL ln Llme, MaLL Parmon, lLMA Web Manager ls Lhe polnL of conLacL for web
coordlnaLlon/quesLlons.
ASk #1:
AL Lhls polnL, all respondlng agencles are encouraged Lo creaLe www.[agency].gov/sandy landlng page
on Lhelr respecLlve slLes.
Cn Lhls page, please place lnformaLlon l8CM ?Cu8 ACLnC? (sLay ln your lane).
lease do noL cross posL lnformaLlon from oLher agencles.
If you have information that would be of use on another agencys website, please contact the
CC for LhaL webslLe and coordlnaLe wlLh Lhem dlrecLly (lf you have any dlfflculLy ldenLlfylng a
CC, please conLacL !oanne McCovern - uSA.gov web manager).
lease creaLe a u8L for boLh Lngllsh and Spanlsh language conLenL lf avallable.
ASk #2:
Cnce your www.[agency].gov/sandy page has been creaLed, please emall Lhe exacL u8L of your page Lo
!oanne McCovern (uSA.gov web manager) so uSA.gov can lnclude your page on Lhe maln
uSA.gov/sandy page. Please also provide which general lane of information your conLenL would
posslbly fall under:
PealLh and SafeLy
Pow Lo CeL Pelp
llnd lrlends and lamlly
uonaLe / volunLeer
WhaL Lhe CovernmenL ls uolng
lease lnclude your Spanlsh language u8L as well.


#)

ASk #3:
Cnce Lhe uSA.gov/sandy page ls creaLed, all agencles are encouraged Lo cross-llnk from Lhelr agency
home page and www.[agency].gov/sandy page back Lo Lhe uSA.gov/sandy page, and/or embed Lhe
uSA.gov wldgeL on agency webslLes. 1he goal ls Lo drlve vlslLors looklng for Purrlcane Sandy
lnformaLlon back Lo Lhe auLhorlLaLlve source for lnformaLlon (uSA.gov/sandy).
ASk #4:
lease also emall Lhe exacL u8L of your www.[agency].gov/sandy page Lo MaLL Parmon (lLMA web
manager) and lnclude Lhe followlng addlLlonal lnformaLlon:
ConLenL belng posLed ([usL place ?LS or nC nexL Lo Lhe lLem)
SLaLs: ?LS or nC
SlLuaLlon reporLs: ?LS or nC
8log posLs: ?LS or nC
ress 8eleases: ?LS or nC
SafeLy/recovery Llps: ?LS or nC
CLher: lease provlde deLalls

Lessons Learned - Social Media and Hurricane Sandy

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Lessons Learned - Social Media and Hurricane Sandy

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June 2013

Lessons Learned: Social Media

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