Hurricane Sandy might go down in history as the first natural disaster to really go viral.
The Huffington Post reports, More than 244,000 photos have been posted to Instagram with the hashtag #sandy, according to app founder Kevin Systrom. More than 144,000 more have been posted under #hurricanesandy and another 23,000 photos under #frankenstorm.
“There are now 10 pictures per second being posted with the hashtag #sandy – most are images of people prepping for the storm and images of scenes outdoors,” Systrom said in a statement that was posted to Poynter.
And it’s not just the public that is using social media to document the storm. NASA released this satellite image on their Twitter page of the scope of Hurricane Sandy.
FEMA Director Craig Fugate also took to YouTube to help get out emergency information. Check out his message here.
Facebook also played a big role in the storm. Throughout Sunday, Monday and Tuesday NOAA and the National Weather Service continued to update their facebook page with pictures and emergency information.
I sincerely hope that you made it through Hurricane Sandy without damage. Although some of you may have lost power (or may be still without power) I think that we can count our blessings as compared to those north of the DC metro area. including Federal employees in the New York-New Jersey area who did not face as well as us. Please keep them and their families in your prayers.
The one thing that this weather related expeerience show is the resilience and camaraderie of the American people have at a time of crisis. As fortunate as we are to have survived Sandy, there are Americans who have lost everything. These folks with enter the holiday season without homes, jobs and other things we take for granted. Because they struggle silently, we have no way of knowing who they are or what they are facing unless something tragic brings it to light. If we did not know, the majority of us would have said “If only I had known. I would have helped.” In this instance we are aware.
Please consider giving to the following organizations that will support victims of Hurricane Sandy : http://www fema.gov/volunteer-donate-responsibily.
Thank you for your consideration!