Hurricane Katrina: Blogs and Wikis as crisis communications tool

I see it on TV, on the other side of the Atlantic and think, "this must be terrible for those people" but when I see the pictures of people lost during the hurricane and read the messages of their relatives on the missing person's board over at NowPublic.com it becomes real... I can honestly say that reading blogs and looking at coverage online about Katrina have made this hurricane real for me too, sitting in my living room, safely in the middle of the Pajottenland in Belgium.

From the Hurricane Katrina Help blog to the above mentioned missing person's board it is clear that these new online tools are helping, even saving people's lives. The Katrina Help wiki  is an incredible resource for calls to action, messages on safety, latest news and much more.

I have read stories of people blogging the latest news from the danger area and, even when the batteries of their laptop where dead, continued to moblog with their mobile phone. Technology can save lives. I am certain that the online syndication of all these real live stories, pictures, video etc... will help the recovery in the weeks and months to come.

Consider to donate, even a small amount of money to the Red Cross. You can do it here on their donation page.

International Blogging for Disaster Relief Day