Social Media - Haiti Observer Blog

In the aftermath of Haiti's 2010 earthquake, Twitter played a significant role in rescue efforts on the ground. In one Twitter post read by a Homeland Security (HS) staffer, it gave the location of a victim buried beneath rubble, reportedly still alive. HS was not the only rescue agency to receive such calls. The American Red Cross was also inundated with posts on both Twitter and Facebook.

Earthquake survivors were twittering, texting, and phoning family and friends in the U.S., who passed on information to authorities. HS social media manager, Wendy Harman, said they were overwhelmed with the amount of information pouring in about conditions post the earthquake. Two days passed before HS had a handle on the situation in Haiti.

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